PAST ALUMS

Click here for a table of research projects and status on alums from 1996-2006. 

Erica Bakota
Rice University - 2006 -BS Chemistry/BA German & Slavic Studies
Department:  Chemistry
Faculty Advisor:   Dr. Jeffrey Hartgerink
Research Summary: 
My project involves researching the use of small peptides in cell scaffolds for dental applications. These peptide scaffolds may induce the cells present in the center of the tooth to proliferate, differentiate, and subsequently secrete minerals, effectively regenerating damaged or decayed human teeth. These peptide scaffolds can house a number of drugs, including dexamethasone and antibiotics. One goal of my project is to allow these drugs to be attached to the scaffold in a way that allows extended release of the drugs. Erica's other projects include the use of peptides to solubilize single-walled carbon nanotubes.

Janet Elliot Barzilla
Department: Bioengineering
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Grande-Allen
Research Summary: 
I'm working on a research project that focuses on the investigation of the role of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) on load-modulated remodeling of the mitral valve. The hypotheses in this research are that (1) in heart failure, higher than normal tensile loading elicits collagenous fibrotic changes in the valve, and that (2) patients supported by LVADs have dramatically reduced left ventricular and mitral valve loads, which may reduce or reverse this fibrotic remodeling of the mitral valve. I am investigating this remodeling through mechanical testing and biochemical/immunohistochemical analysis of the extracellular matrix in different heart failure patient groups.

Eric Botello
Texas State University-San Marcos - 2004 -BS Physics (magna cum laude)
Department:  Physics &  Astronomy
Faculty Advisor:   Dr. Ching-Hwa Kiang
Research Summary: 
My project involves using the Atomic Force Microscope to obtain dynamic force spectroscopy at the single-molecule level. My research projects include free energy surface reconstruction of titin, a human cardiac muscle protein, using single-molecule force spectroscopy combined with Jarzynski's equality.  I am also investigating the force distributions of unfolding/stretching of the blood glycoproteins, von Willebrand factor (VWF), necessary in normal hemostasis, and the ultra-large form of VWF (ULVWF), which has been suggested to be the cause of the disorder thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. These studies will shed light on the structure-function relationship of VWF and ULVWF. After completion of my PhD at Rice, I plan to pursue a career in the biotechnology industry.

Michael Cuchiara
Arizona State University - 2006 BS Bioengineering (summa cum laude)
Department:  Bioengineering
Faculty Advisor:   Dr. Jennifer West
Research Summary: 
I am developing biomimetic hydrogels for microvascular tissue engineering. More specifically, I am developing microfabrication techniques, such as soft lithography, for directing 3D microvascular development within bioactive polyethylene glycol hydrogels. I also hope to utilize this technology in order to address fundamental cell biology questions through direct manipulation of the cell-cell and cell-matrix microenvironment. After completing my PhD program at Rice, I hope to work for a medical device or biotechnology start-up company in order to facilitate the ground-up development of clinical therapeutics which seek to improve the human quality of life. 

Jeffrey Crawford
University of Texas at Austin -1997-BS Biochemistry & Microbiology
University of Texas Law School-1999-JD
Department:  Biochemistry & Cell Biology
Faculty Advisor:   Dr. Richard Gomer
Research Summary: 
Despite impressive advances, much remains to be understood about how cells differentiate from one type to another.   A subset of human blood monocytes differentiate into fibroblast-like cells called fibrocytes, which play a vital role in wound repair.  However, dysregulation of fibrocyte differentiation is believed to contribute to a variety of fibrosing diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis and ischemic cardiomyopathy.  Using an in vitro peripheral blood monocyte culture assay, the Gomer lab has identified serum amyloid P (SAP), a member of the pentraxin protein family, as the factor that prevents the rapid appearance of fibrocytes in a monocyte culture.  Because SAP inhibits the differentiation of monocyte precursor cells into fibrocytes, SAP could potentially be used as a therapeutic for fibrosing diseases where fibrocytes are increased.   My project focuses on elucidating the functional domains of SAP involved in the inhibition of fibrocyte cell differentiation.  Additionally, I will examine SAP as a therapeutic agent for ischemic cardiomyopathy, a fibrosing disease of the heart, focusing on the development of a peptide utilizing the functional domains of SAP.

Chris Durst
Georgia Institute of Technology-2004-BS Biomedical Engineering (highest honors)
Department:  Bioengineering
Faculty Advisor:   Dr. Jane Grande-Allen
Research Summary: 
My project involves designing an organ culture system for maintaining porcine aortic valves ex vivo.  After validating that my device can maintain the normal phenotype of a valve over extended culture durations, the device will have many uses in our lab.  I hope to potentially use this system to develop a tissue engineered aortic valve.  After Rice, I plan to obtain work in an industrial setting performing tissue engineering research.

Benjamin Elder
Yale University - 2003 -BS &MS Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry (magna cum laude)
Department:  Bioengineering
Faculty Advisor:   Dr. Kyriacos Athanasiou
Research Summary: 
I am a fifth year student in the joint Rice/Baylor MD/PhD program, working on tissue engineering articular cartilage. Specifically, I am examining the optimization of the self-assembling process, a scaffold-less approach to cartilage tissue engineering, through the use of exogenous growth factor application, hydrostatic pressure stimulation, and construct confinement. After the PhD program, I will return to Baylor College of Medicine to complete my medical school education, with plans to complete an orthopedic surgery residency with the eventual long-term goal of practicing academic orthopedic surgery such that I can translate tissue engineering strategies from the bench to the bedside.

Christy Franco
The University of Texas at Austin - 2006 -BS Biomedical Engineering (with highest honors)
Department:  Bioengineering
Faculty Advisor:   Dr. Jennifer West
Research Summary: 
My project involves working to create biomimetic scaffolds for brain tissue engineering. Through the use of functionalized hydrogels, I am investigating the effects of various adhesion peptides, growth factors, and coculture conditions on the expansion and differentiation of neural stem cells. Ultimately, my goal is to generate an implantable tissue engineered complex that could be used to treat stroke damaged regions of the brain and improve recovery. After obtaining my PhD at Rice University, I plan to begin work in industry in an area of tissue engineering. I also hope to eventually obtain an MBA and pursue a career in engineering management.

Jim Kretlow
Rice University-2003-BS Bioengineering and Mathematics (cum laude)
Department:  Bioengineering
Faculty Advisor:   Dr. Antonios Mikos
Research Summary: 
I am also a fifth year student in the joint Rice/Baylor MD/PhD program currently working on novel hydrogels for bone tissue engineering. Specifically, I am investigating the effects of mineralization as a means to harden injectable hydrogels in situ for craniofacial bone tissue engineering applications. I also assist on various other projects in the lab, including being involved in some work with animal models for evaluating tissue engineering scaffolds. This past summer I spent 3 months doing research at the National Center for Tissue Engineering in Shanghai, China. Upon completion of the PhD program, I will return to Baylor to finish up my medical school education; then I aspire to complete a surgical subspecialty residency with the ultimate long-term goal of practicing academic medicine such that I can work on moving tissue engineering strategies into the clinic. 

Christopher Loo
Department:   Bioengineering
Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Rebekah Drezek
Research Summary: 
My research focuses on using a novel class of nanoparticles, known as nanoshells as contrast agents for imaging of specific molecular markers.  To date, our studies have been able to harness the scattering properties of these nanoshells to image expression of HER2, a clinically relevant breast cancer marker, in SKBr3 breast cancer cells.  Using anti-HER2-labeled nanoshells, we have demonstrated increased optical contrast using a scattering-sensitive darkfield microscope, and have been able to quantify this contrast.  We have also had extensive collaborations with the laboratory of Dr. Jennifer West investigating the use of dual absorbing/scattering nanoshells for integrated cancer imaging and therapy applications.  Currently, we have completed a series of experiments assessing NIR-tunable immunotargeted nanoshells as contrast agents in breast tissue biopsies using reflectance confocal microscopy.

Kathryn Luke
Department: Biochemistry and Cell Biology
Faculty Advisor: Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede
Research Summary:
Role of the C-terminal tail in the hyper-thermophilic Aquifex aeolicus co-chaperonin protein
The co-chaperonin protein 10 (cpn10) is a highly conserved heptameric ring-shaped protein that works in conjunction with the chaperonin protein 60 (cpn60) in an ATP-dependent process to assist in the folding of a range of proteins. Cpn10 from the hyper-thermostable ancient bacterium Aquifex aeolicus (Aacpn10) contains a 25-residue C-terminal peptide extension in each monomer. This tail is unique among cpn10 proteins. This work aims to elucidate the role of the tail in thermostability, function, as well as in folding and assembly mechanisms of Aacpn10. Both Aacpn10 and a mutant where the tail has been removed (Aacpn10del-25) have similar thermal stability. Preliminary data suggest that GuHCl-induced perturbations result in coupled equilibrium unfolding/dissociation transitions for both Aacpn10 and Aacpn10del-25. The presence of the tail, however, increases the monomer-monomer affinity and seems to prevent the formation of stacked aggregates of Aacpn10.

Jordan Miller 
MIT-2003-BS Biology (minor in Biomedical Engineering; focus in Chemistry)
4th Year Graduate Student
Department:   Bioengineering
Faculty Advisor:    Professor Jennifer L. West
Research Summary: 
Cell adhesion and migration critically impact numerous biologic processes and influence many current challenges facing tissue engineering. In this work, a novel microfabrication technique—laser scanning lithography (LSL)—has been developed and is being used to micropattern bioactive ligands to better elucidate some of these critical factors. LSL, which utilizes a laser scanning confocal microscope for addressable irradiation, enables the micropatterning of features and the construction of scaffolds hundreds of microns in size with resolution on the order of one micron. Two-dimensional studies utilize self- assembled monolayers (SAMs) on a gold-coated surface to investigate the interplay between adhesive and migratory behavior of human dermal fibroblasts. Three-dimensional studies incorporate information gleaned from two-dimensional studies, and involve the construction of porous, proteolytically-degradable, hydrogel scaffolds for further exploration of factors affecting cell migration and tissue remodeling. Evaluation of these parameters is carried out with confocal microscopy and computer-aided three-dimensional reconstructions for morphological analysis, as well as gene expression profiling for additional insight. This research is broadly applicable to the fields of cell biology, tissue engineering, materials science, and surface chemistry.

Todd Mollan
Augustana College - 2001 BA/Biology & Philosophy; DePaul University College of Law - 2004 JD
Department:  Biochemistry and Cell Biology
Faculty Advisor:   Dr. John S. Olson
Research Summary: 
Alpha-Hemoglobin Stabilizing Protein (AHSP) is thought to facilitate hemoglobin synthesis in erythroid precursor cells, and my work involves using rapid mixing and spectroscopic techniques to probe AHSP function in vitro. I am also studying whether this protein can be used to enhance heterologous expression yields of recombinant hemoglobins in E. coli as part of the Olson Laboratory's efforts to develop recombinant hemoglobin as a blood substitute. After graduating from DePaul University College of Law, I was admitted to the Illniois Bar and practiced law in Chicago, IL, and following graduation from Rice I plan to work in patent law.  

Timothy J. Muldoon
Johns Hopkins University-2002-BS Biomedical Engineering
Department:     Bioengineering 
Faculty Advisor:    Rebecca Richards-Kortum
Research Summary:
Early detection of cancer has been shown to dramatically increase survival and reduce treatment-related morbidity. Through the use of minimally invasive optical techniques, our lab is developing a number of instruments that could be used to aid physicians in detecting cancers at earlier stages. My project will involve improving upon what is generally a limiting factor in all optical imaging techniques; the inability to image structures deep within tissue. Through the use of a coherent fiber microscope, it should be possible to achieve high resolution of subcellular structures that would aid in the diagnosis of dysplasia, an early form of cancer.

Stephanie Nemir
Yale University-2003-BS Biomedical Engineering
Department:  Bioengineering
Faculty Advisor:   Dr. Jennifer West
Research Summary: 
I am also a fifth year student in the joint Rice/Baylor MD/PhD program. I am studying the effects of substrate rigidity on mesenchymal stem cell behavior and differentiation for tissue engineering applications. After I complete my PhD, I will return to Baylor to complete my MD, then enter into a surgical residency. Ultimately, I would like to study the use of biomaterials and tissue engineering in reconstructive surgery.

Peter Nguyen
University of Texas-2001-BS Biochemistry / 2004-BA Philosophy
Department:  Biochemistry & Cell Biology
Faculty Advisor:   Dr. Joff Silberg
Research Summary: 
My project involves investigating temperature effects on protein-protein interactions, focusing on those found in hyperthermophilic organisms.  Since there currently exists no method for analyzing protein-protein interactions at these temperatures, I am developing an in vivo assay method based on protein fragment complementation which can be used in a thermophilic organism. Characterizing the temperature extremes at which protein-protein interactions can persist will provide insight towards understanding the limits of protein-based life in the universe. After Rice, I am quite interesteed in the intersect between synthetic biology and protein engineering. Thinking about engineering new protein circuits, novel proteins and enzymes, and retooling cellular phenotypes gets me pretty excited, so that's probably what I'll focus on next. Life ambitions? Hmmm ... maybe a nice vineyard on the coast. With a lab.

Michael Perham
University of Texas at Austin-2000-BS Chemistry and BA Math
Department:   Chemistry
Faculty Advisor:   Dr. Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede
Research Summary:
VlsE is an antigenic surface protein on the membrane of the spirochete that causes Lyme disease. My project involves elucidating its folding mechanism along with the folding and assembly mechanism of Human cpn10, the heptamer cap to co-chaperonin 60, which together cooperatively refold proteins that are not in their native conformation. Experiments with VlsE have indicated that in its native environment on the membrane surface VlsE’s conformation and stability diverge from those characteristics observed in solution. We are investigating the folding of VlsE in environments that approximate the cell environment to better understand the behavior of macromolecules in vivo. We are also investigating the assembly and folding of a multimer of seven subunits with Human cpn10. Both projects involve computational modeling which, when combined with experimental results, will improve our ability to predict the mechanisms of protein folding and assembly.

Donald Responte
University of Washington - 2007 BS Bioengineering
Department:  Bioengineering
Faculty Advisor:   Dr. Kyriacos Athanasiou
Research Summary: 
My project focuses on articular lcartilage tissue engineering. I work on a novel self-assembly process that creates tissue engineered cartilage with clinically relevant dimensions and improved mechanical properties. In particular, I concentrate on adding exogenous agents to enhance the mechanical integrity of the tissue engineered constructs.

April Smith
Southwestern University-2003-BS Biomedical Engineering / Texas A&M University-2003-BA Physical Science
Department: Bioengineering 
Faculty Advisor:   Dr. Jennifer West
Research Summary:
Currently in my research at Rice, I am investigating the control of vascular progenitor cells, specifically human bone marrow-derived progenitor cells and mouse embryonic cells, on peptide-modified hydrogels.  I am trying to differentiate these vascular progenitor cells into smooth muscle cells by modifying poly ethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogels with adhesive peptides as well as signaling moieties such as growth factors.  Thus far, the mouse embryonic cells have been found to adhere to hydrogels containing the RGDS adhesive peptide sequence.  Experiments have shown that these cells have been differentiated into smooth muscle cells after incubation with transforming growth factor – β (TGF-β) through Western blot confirmation.  Three smooth muscle specific markers are used to evaluate differentiation: smooth muscle α-actin, calponin, and γ-actin.  Next, TGF-β will be incorporated into the PEG hydrogel along with they adhesion peptide and differentiation will be evaluated.  The optimized hydrogel will be tested in a bioreactor to determine the effect of mechanical stress and strain on vascular progenitor cells’ differentiation into smooth muscle cells.

Mohammad Abbas Yaseen
Johns Hopkins University-2002-BS Biomedical and Electrical Engineering
4th Year Graduate Student
Department: Bioengineering
Faculty Advisor:  Bahman Anvari, PhD
Research Summary:
 “New Therapeutic Strategies for Laser Treatment of Cutaneous Vascular Malformations”. The project involves both experimental and theoretical experiments to develop more effective techniques specifically for the laster treatment of port wine stains.