Meet our team - Continue reading below to learn more
Prof. Christopher M. Jewell,
MPower Professor and Institute Professor for Translational Engineering; Research Biologist, United States Dept. of Veterans Affairs
Dr. Senta Kapnick, VA Career Development Awardee, Assistant Research Scientist
Dr. Veeru Patil, Lab Manager (Feb 2023)
Dr. Marian Ackun-Farmmer, Postdoctoral Scholar
Dr. Robert "Smitty" Oakes, VA Career Development Awardee
Chris Bridgeman, BIOE PhD Candidate
Dr. Sean Carey, NIH Doctoral Fellow, Clark Doctoral Fellow
Dr. Camilla Edwards, NIH Doctoral Fellow,
Clark Doctoral Fellow
Dr. Haleigh B. Eppler,
NIH F31 Doctoral Fellow, Molecular and Cellular Biology PhD
Current and prior UMD titles • Robert E. Fischell Insitute Professor for Translational Engineering • MPower Professor, MPowering the State • Minta Martin Professor of Engineering (Endowed), University of Maryland • Miegunyah Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Peter Doherty Inst. for Infection & Immunity • Professor, Fischell Dept. of Bioengineering, University of Maryland • Research biologist, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, BLR&D Service • Affiliate faculty, Immunology & Microbiology, University of Maryland Medical School • Full Member, Tumor Immunology, Marlene & Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center
Christopher M. Jewell is the MPower Professor and Robert E. Fischell Insitute Professor of Translational Engineering at the University of Maryland and a Research Biologist with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Dr. Jewell was also previously the MInta Martin Professor of Engineering and the Miegunyah Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection & Immunity during 2021. He is an elected Fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), the Controlled Release Society (CRS), the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), and the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT). Jewell previously served as the Associate Chair for Research and the Director of the BioWorkshop Core Instrumentation Facility. Dr. Jewell graduated from Lehigh University with high honors in 2003 with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and a B.S. in Molecular Biology. He attended graduate school at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, completing his PhD in Chemical Engineering with Professor David Lynn in 2008. Chris then joined the Boston Consulting Group in New York City as a consultant in the Healthcare practice, where his work focused on R&D strategy development for global pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients. In 2009, Dr. Jewell accepted a postdoctoral fellowship from the Ragon Institute to begin vaccine research at MIT with Professor Darrell Irvine in the departments of Materials Science and Biological Engineering. Dr. Jewell held a concurrent appointment as a Visiting Scientist in the Division of Vaccine Research at Harvard. In August 2012, Chris established his lab at the University of Maryland. His research focuses on understanding the interactions between synthetic materials and lymph nodes, and exploiting these interactions for therapeutic vaccination. He is also currently Associate Editor for Nature Publishing's Regenerative Medicine.
Dr. Jewell's work has been funded by more than $22M, resulting in more than 120 papers and patent filings, including papers in ACS Nano, Biomaterials, Cell Reports, Nature Materials, PNAS, Nature, Nature Biotechnology, Trends in Immunology, and others. These efforts have been recognized by awards for research and education, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) awarded by the White House. Dr. Jewell also previous served as an Associate Scientific Adviser for Science Translational Medicine, and has received the NSF CAREER Award, the Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award, the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy Young Investigator Award, the Melanoma Research Alliance Young Investigator Award, the University of Maryland Research and Scholar Award, and the University of Maryland's 2017 Graduate Faculty Mentor of the Year. Dr. Jewell has received the Outstanding Lectureship in Drug Delivery (2020) from the Materials Research Society (MRS), and the NSEF Young Investigator Award (2018) and Owens Corning Early Career Award (2018) from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. He also received the University of Maryland's Research Communicator Impact Award (2018) and Clark School of Engineering's Outstanding Research Award (2018). Dr. Jewell leads the lab's outreach efforts, working with more than 500 area high school students to promote STEM research exposure, building community awareness about STEM opportunities in the cancer field, and fundraising for local and national charities. Chris was previously the recipient of a Society for Biomaterials STAR Award, an American Association of Immunologists Trainee Award, and the Controlled Release Society T. Nagai Postdoctoral Achievement Award. In 2012, Dr. Jewell appeared in USA Today representing the Chemical Engineering discipline as a “New Face of Engineering” during National Engineers Week. Chris was also selected in 2013 as the state of Maryland’s Outstanding Young Engineer by the Maryland Academy of Science, the state’s highest professional honor awarded to an engineer under 36.
Dr. Senta Kapnick joined the Jewell Lab in 2020 as an Assistant Research Scientist, bringing with her expertise in the fields of cellular and molecular immunology. Senta graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Austin in 2005 with a Bachelor’s in Biology. After completion of her Master’s degree in Health Sciences from Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2008, she joined the Food and Drug Administration as an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Fellow developing assays in the mouse model that utilized whole-body bioluminescence imaging to characterize vaccinia virus dissemination and efficacies of experimental treatments and vaccines. Senta received her Ph.D. from Dr. Pam Schwartzberg’s lab through the Johns Hopkins University/National Institutes of Health Graduate Partnerships Program, where she investigated the role of proximal T cell receptor signaling components and the actin cytoskeleton in regulating cytotoxic T lymphocyte effector function using models of primary immunodeficiencies. In 2017, Senta moved to a postdoctoral position in the McGuire lab at the National Human Genome Research Institute to study the interplay between metabolism and immune cell function in a translational research setting. In addition to her significant scientific contributions to the fields of immunology and immunometabolism, she is also a dedicated teacher and mentor, both at the bench and in the classroom setting. In her free time, Senta enjoys traveling, fishing and kayaking with her husband.
Dr. Marian Ackun-Farmmer graduated from George Washington University in 2012 with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering. She then joined a three year rotational employment program at Baxter International. During that time, Marian rotated in various quality assurance roles at the Mississippi, North Carolina, and Indiana manufacturing facilities. In 2015, Marian joined the lab of Danielle S.W. Benoit, PhD at the University of Rochester, where she focused on developing drug delivery systems to improve acute myeloid leukemia treatments. During her PhD, Marian gained an appreciation for the interactions between immune system and biomaterials, which motivated her decision to join the Jewell lab. In her free time, Marian enjoys the arts including dancing, singing and acting. She also enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with friends and family in her free time.
Dr. Oakes graduated from Lenoir-Rhyne University in 2009 with a B.S. in Physics and B.A. in Theology, with the intention of pursuing a career in aerospace. Smitty altered his trajectory to bioengineering after reading an article on neural prosthetics and their ability to transform the lives of patients affected by neurodegeneration (e.g., ALS, Parkinson’s) and injury (e.g., amputees). He attained his PhD from the University of Utah in 2016, where he focused on development of biological coatings to improve the tissue integration of brain implants and neural prosthetics in the lab of Dr. Patrick A. Tresco. Dr. Oakes then pursued the first stage of his postdoctoral training at the University of Michigan under the guidance of Dr. Lonnie D. Shea and Dr. Jacqueline S. Jeruss. Smitty’s project at Michigan focused on the development of implantable sensors for the capture of inflammatory events during cancer progression and the onset of metastatic disease, which he developed into a computational signature for prediction of therapeutic outcomes. Smitty joined the Jewell Research Lab in Summer 2018 to conduct the second phase of his postdoctoral training, which focuses on development biologically-informed therapeutics for autoimmune disease. Dr. Oakes is currently an NIH T32 Postdoctoral Fellow. In his free time, Smitty enjoys spending time in the great outdoors through hiking, kayaking, and mountain biking.
Chris graduated from Florida Institute of Technology with a M.S. in Biomedical Engineering and B.S. in marine biology. During his M.S he worked with Dr. Vipuil Kishore to interrogate how tannic acid crosslinking drives collagen hydrogel architecture and cell proliferation. He then worked at Novartis in the Immuno-Oncology department studying novel immune therapeutic targets for clinical translation. Chris’s research interests include blending biomaterial and immuno-engineering principles to drive cell specific responses for therapeutic effect. In his free time Chris likes to fish, hike, and golf.
Sean Carey graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 2019. As an undergraduate, he worked in the Brown lab within the McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine. His research focused on host response to biomaterial implantation and aging. Sean began his graduate work pursuing a PhD at the University of Maryland in the Fall of 2019 and looks forward to working at the interface of biomaterials and the immune response. Outside of engineering, Sean enjoys reading, soccer, and playing guitar.
Camilla graduated magna cum laude from the University of Florida (go Gators!) in 2017 with a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering. While at the University of Florida, she developed PEG-peptide functionalized microparticles for use in pulmonary drug delivery in Dr. Jennifer Andrew’s lab. This work focused on processes to optimize particle size and behavior when swollen in a variety of mediums. Camilla was awarded funding from the University Scholars Program to conduct this research. Immediately following graduation, Ms. Edwards worked as a process engineer for Procter and Gamble in Ohio, before beginning her PhD in August 2019 as a Clark Doctoral Fellow at the University of Maryland. In the Jewell lab, Camilla looks forward to using her knowledge of biomaterials to help develop therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases. Outside of work and school, Camilla is an avid distance runner, Crossfit enthusiast, and enjoys spending time outdoors with friends and family.
Haleigh graduated from Indiana University in 2016 with a B.S. in Biotechnology and a B.A. in Computer Science. At Indiana University, she worked for Dr. Robert Vaughan developing an assay to use mass spectroscopy to determine peptide and protein structures. For this work, she earned first place in biotechnology in the Hutton Honor Research Symposium. Concurrently, she worked for Dr. Predrag Radivojac developing a genomic pathogenicity predictor using annotated Actinobacteria genomes. In the fall of 2016, she entered University of Maryland’s Molecular and Cellular Biology PhD program. Haleigh is an NIH F31 doctoral fellow and is studying modulation of antigen presenting cell function to promote immune tolerance. In her down time, she enjoys embroidery and cross stitch.
Shrey Shah received his bachelor's in chemical engineering from Nirma University and an M.S. in nanotechnology from the University of Pennsylvania. During his baccalaureate, he was a part of the team that developed novel nanoparticles for the detection of chemicals and wastewater pollutants. During his M.S. training he worked on two projects under the guidance of Dr. David Cormode to develop nanoparticles for treating oral biofilms and for CT imaging of Colitis. He is passionate about developing novel Nanomaterials and biomaterials to contribute to the field of medicine. In Dr. Jewell's lab, Shrey is working to develop novel materials to help solve immune system-related diseases. Outside of research, he loves playing tennis, table tennis, and badminton (or any other sport). He also likes watching sports and movies, and reading non-fiction books.
Undergraduate Researchers
Stay tuned!
Lab Alumni: Research Staff
Alexis Yanes (June 2020 - October 2022)
Alexis Yanes joined the Jewell lab as a Technician and Faculty Specialist in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering at the University of Maryland. Alexis graduated from University of Maryland in May 2019 with a B.S. in Animal Science. While at UMD, he worked and volunteered in a variety of veterinarian clinics and shelters before he made the switch to the lab field. Alexis then spent a gap year working under the Department of Laboratory Animal Resources (DLAR) as a care technician where he provided guidance to principal investigators regarding care, handling, post-procedure care, and sentinel surveillance. As a technician, he played an important role in supporting lab research and operations. In his free time, Alexis enjoys weightlifting, hiking, and cooking.
Dr. Xiangbin Zeng, Ph.D. (May 2015 - June 2022)
Dr. Xiangbin Zeng was the Lab Manager and technician for the Jewell Research Lab in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering at the University of Maryland. He joined the lab in May 2015 and ultimately earned the rank of Senior Faculty Specialist. Dr. Zeng received his Bachelors degree in preventive medicine from Shanghai Medical University in China in 1997, and his Ph.D. in Toxicology from Fudan University in China in 2002. Dr. Zeng then conducted postdoctoral research at Tulane University before joining the Department of Radiation Oncology at Emory University Medical Center as a Research Association in 2006. Dr. Zeng’s cancer research at Emory focused on the role of centrosome amplification during tumorgenesis in human mammary glands. Xiangbin also served as a volunteer at the NIH for 1 year investigating the role of adaptive immune reactions during drug-induced liver injury in mice. Dr. Zeng’s past work has resulted in more than a dozen peer-reviewed publications in the fields of immunology and cancer. In addition to coordinating Jewell lab operations, his position in the Jewell Lab utilized his expertise in molecular cell biology and immunology to help other lab members to push research projects forward. In his free time, Xiangbin is a tennis fan and enjoys spending time with his kids.
Next position: Biologist (Cell Manufacturing), National Institutes of Health
Dr. Geoffrey Lynn, Ph.D. (December 2016 - December 2019)
Dr. Geoffrey Lynn joined the Jewell Lab as a visiting scientist in 2016. Geoff is co-founder of the Baltimore, MD based start-up, Avidea Technologies. His research interests center around the development of polymer-based drug delivery systems for a variety of medicinal applications ranging from cancer immunotherapy and infectious disease prophylaxis to immune-suppression. Geoffrey has a B.S. in chemistry from Elon University and a D.Phil. in Biomedical Engineering from Oxford University.
Next position: Chief Executive Officer, Avidea Technologies
Sheneil Black, M.S. (October 2018 - August 2020)
Sheneil Black joined the Jewell Research Lab as a Technician and Faculty Specialist in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering at the University of Maryland. Sheneil graduated from Bard College in May 2013 with a B.A. in Chemistry. While at Bard, she worked with Dr. Swapan Jain to investigate the potential of xanthine phosphoribosyl transferase-guanine and other riboswitches as novel targets for antibiotics. Ms. Black then spent a gap year as a bedside pharmacy technician for Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy in Boston, before enrolling at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She graduated in May 2018 with a M.S in Biomedical Sciences, specializing in Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology. At Stony Brook, Sheneil joined the lab of Dr. Berhane Ghebrehiwet, focusing on modulation of complement proteins (gC1qR and C1q) and their effects during CD4+ T mediated disease. She joined the Jewell Lab to gain interdisciplinary exposure to the material science and bioengineering fields, and to build her technical and professional training. In her free time, Sheneil enjoys taking road trips, playing soccer, biking, and taking long walks. Next position: Meyerhoff Graduate Fellow, Pharmaceutical Sciences program, University of Maryland - Baltimore
Lab Alumni: Postdoctoral Scientists
Dr. Ashlee Tipton, Ph.D. (April 2014 - May 2015)
Dr. Ashlee Tipton joined the lab in 2014 as a postdoctoral research associate. Dr. Tipton received her B.S. in Biological Sciences from University of Maryland, College Park in 2008. She completed her graduate training at Georgia Regents University, earning a Ph.D in Biomedical Sciences with a major in Vascular Biology with Dr. Jennifer C. Sullivan in 2014. Dr. Tipton’s graduate work focused on elucidating the mechanism by which T cells contribute to hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and tested the hypothesis that there is a sex difference in the contribution of T cells to the maintenance of hypertension in SHR. Her research in the Jewell lab included engineering biomaterials for harnessing immune function during cardiovascular disease. She received an American Heart Association Fellowship for her proposal in this area (declined). Ashlee completed her time in the lab in 2015.
Next position: Program Officer, NIH, National Center for Complementary & Integrative Health
Dr. Yu-Chieh Chiu, Ph.D. (July 2013 - August 2016)
Dr. Yu-Chieh Chiu was an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow in the Jewell Research Lab. Dr. Chiu received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from National Taiwan University of Science and Technology in 2003. He completed his graduate training at the Illinois Institute of Technology, earning an M.S. in Chemical Engineering with Dr. Victor Perez-Luna in 2007 and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering with Dr. Eric Brey in 2011. After graduate school, Yu-Chieh accepted a postdoctoral position at Rice University with Dr. Antonios Mikos and was co-mentored by Dr. Cindy Farach-Carson in the department of Bioengineering. Dr. Chiu’s research focused on controlled delivery of growth factors from functionalized biodegradable scaffolds for bone and cartilage engineering. His work in the lab focused on self assembly of immune signals to to study and improve the generation of CD8+ T cell response during cancer vaccination. Yu-Chieh completed work in the lab in 2016.
Next position: Scientist II, U.S. Food and Drug Adminstration, Office of Vaccines Research and Review
Dr. Peipei Zhang, Ph.D. (August 2014 - June 2017)
Dr. Peipei Zhang was a postdoctoral associate in the Jewell Research Lab. Dr. Zhang received his B.S. in Bioengineering in Northwest A & F University in China in 2006. He continued his graduate study in Chemical Engineering at South China University of Technology from 2006-2008. He completed his graduate training at the Florida State University, earning his Ph.D. in Biomedical/Chemical Engineering with Dr. Jingjiao Guan in 2013. After graduate school, Peipei worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Worcester Polytechnic Institute with Dr. Ming Su. Dr. Zhang’s research focused on micro/nanofabrication of particulate device for biomedical applications, e.g. drug delivery and cell tracking. His research interests in the Jewell lab included using self-assembling materials to control immune polarization and using microfluidic devices to image cytoskeletal dynamics in free-floating tumor cells. Peipei enjoys reading and traveling, and likes to visit museums. Dr. Zhang completed his time in the lab in 2017.
Next position: Associate Professor, Beihang University, Beijing, China
Dr. Qin Zeng, Ph.D. (September 2015 - December 2018)
Dr. Qin Zeng was a postdoctoral scientist in the Jewell Research Lab in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering at the University of Maryland. Dr. Zeng received her B.S degree in Pharmacy from Hubei University of traditional medicine in 2009 and joined the Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System in Sichuan University. She completed a Master degree in 2012 and Ph.D degree in Pharmaceutics in 2015. Her master research focused on melanoma gene therapy using adenovirus complexed with a PEG derived polymer. During her doctoral studies, Qin constructed micelles-based cancer vaccines for melanoma immunotherapy. In the Jewell Lab, Dr. Zeng focused her work on using biomaterials, devices, and self-assembly to control TLR signaling and enhance cancer immunotherapy. Qin has published more than a dozen papers in top journals including Biomaterials, Journal of Controlled Release, and Biomaterials Science. Her work has been recognized by a number of awards, including a Trainee Award from the American Association of Immunologists. Dr. Zeng completed her time in the lab in 2018.
Next position: Tenure track faculty member, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
Dr. Yuan Rui graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 2015. She then joined the lab of Dr. Jordan Green at Johns Hopkins University. During her doctoral training, Yuan conducted research on developing biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles to enable cancer gene therapy. She was awarded an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and an NIH F31 Predoctoral Fellowship. Yuan obtained her PhD in Biomedical Engineering in 2021. Her interest in exploring how material properties can be altered to direct immune responses motivated her decision to join the Jewell lab for post-doctoral training. In her spare time, Yuan enjoys making and consuming baked goods, strolling through the gardening section at Lowe’s, and hanging out with her cat and human children.
Next position: Senior Scientist, AstraZeneca
Lab Alumni: Graduate Students
Dr. James I. Andorko IV, Ph.D. (January 2013 - June 2017)
Jim was an American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Graduate Fellow, a University of Maryland Graduate Dean's Dissertation Fellow, and previously received an NIH doctoral fellowship. Prior to joining the University of Maryland, he completed a combined degree program at Drexel University in Philadelphia, graduating magna cum laude in 2012 with a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Biomedical Engineering. Jim's master’s thesis focused on stealth drug delivery vehicles meant to avoid immune detection. During his time at Drexel, he worked in Dr. Margaret Wheatley’s Microencapsulation Laboratory at Drexel, and completed internships in Merck’s RNAi Therapeutics Division and at Synthes in the Biomaterials Division. Jim's doctoral work focused on how biomaterials used in vaccines impact immune signaling pathways. In particular, he studied the relationship between physical and chemical properties of biomaterial vaccine carriers and how the properties of these materials impact the lymph node environment. This information could be harnessed to improve the efficiency and potency of new vaccines. Jim received numerous awards including the Keystone Symposia Future of Science Fund Scholarship and the University of Maryland's Michael J. Pelczar Award for Excellence in Graduate Study. Jim completed his PhD in the lab in 2017.
Neil graduated cum laude from Bucknell University in May 2012 with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering. At Bucknell, Neil was an undergraduate researcher where he worked under the direction of Dr. Kathleen Bieryla to study clinical balance measures in older adults and also worked with mentors from the Geisinger Health System on pediatric medical device development. After graduation, he worked on the engineering team at BrainScope Company Inc., developing portable EEG devices to assess traumatic brain injury. Neil returned to school with a strong interest in biomaterials and is now looking to study their applications in immunology. Neil was an NIH NCI Fellow.
Next position: Systems Engineer, BrainScope.
Dr. Lisa H. Tostanoski, Ph.D. (January 2013 - December 2017)
Lisa was an NSF Graduate Fellow. Prior to joining the lab she received a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Bucknell University, graduating Magna Cum Laude and Tau Beta Pi honors. At Bucknell, Lisa was an undergraduate researcher in the biomechanics and injury prevention lab of Dr. Kathleen Bieryla. She gained additional research experience in tissue engineering, specifically orthopedic applications of regenerative medicine, through internships with the Union Memorial Hospital Orthobiologics Lab and at Bioactive Surgical, Inc. Lisa's PhD at the University of Maryland focused on directing immunological tolerance. She applied her work to therapeutic vaccines aimed at inducing immunological tolerance to treat autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis more selectively. Dr. Tostanoski published more than a dozen papers and received numerous awards, including the prestigious Lemelson-MIT Prize, the American Chemical Society's Peterson Award, and the Department's Fischell Fellowship. Throughout her time, Lisa maintained a strong commitment to STEM outreach and mentoring. Dr. Tostanoski completed her time in the lab in December 2017.
Next position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University - Center for Vaccine Research (Advisor: Dan Barouch)
Dr. Krystina L. Hess (January 2014 - August 2018)
Krystina graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor’s in Bioengineering in May 2013. She was a member of the Renée Crown University Honors Program and graduated cum laude. Krystina worked at the Syracuse Biomaterials Institute as an undergraduate researcher beginning in her sophomore year. Under the direction of Dr. Rebecca Bader, she synthesized hyaluronate–coated polysaccharide nanoparticles for active targeting to inflamed tissue in rheumatoid arthritis. At the University of Maryland, as a Department of Defense SMART Graduate Fellow, Krystina's work used self-assembling materials to regulate immune function during autoimmune disease. Dr. Hess published her research in several top journals, including Biomaterials and Advanced Functional Materials, also receiving multiple awards. Krystina was an advocate for graduate students as a University of Maryland Senator, and for the community as a mentor to many local high school students. Dr. Hess completed her time in the Jewell Lab in August 2018.
Next position: Scientist, Department of Defense R&D Command, Edgewood Chemical Biological Center.
Dr. Joshua M. Gammon (January 2013 - June 2020)
Dr. Gammon graduated in August 2012 with a B.S. in Bioengineering from the University of Maryland. As an undergraduate, Josh gained experience in medical device design as his capstone group achieved second place overall in the 2011-2012 UMD Bioengineering Capstone Design Competition. Josh completed a Masters of Science in Bioengineering in the Jewell Lab, working to develop a polymeric delivery system to help control neurodegeneration. He then continued as a PhRMA Foundation Doctoral Fellow, focus on several materials-based approaches for immunotherapy and therapuetic vaccines. Josh was the recipient of numerous awards including the World Biomaterials Congress Trainee award and the Pediatric Oncology Student Training award from Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. Dr. Gammon published more than a dozen papers, including in the Journal of Controlled Release and collaborative work in Nature Biotechnology. Josh completed his time in the lab in June 2020.
Next position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University, Ragon Institute (Advisor: Doug Kwon)
Dr. Lampouguin Yenkoidiok-Douti (March 2016 - July 2020)
Lampouguin graduated from the University of Maryland in 2015 with a B.S. in Bioengineering. He is a member of the engineering honors society Phi Theta Kappa and received a National Science Foundation Bridge-to-the-Doctorate Graduate Fellowship. Lampouguin’s doctoral research focused on Malaria area vaccine design, co-advised by by Dr. Carolina Barillas-Mury at the NIH Malaria Branch and Dr. Jewell. His efforts led to identification and testing of exciting new antigens, and collaborations with Togo Africa that could improve future dissemination of vaccine technologies. Lampouguin published multiple papers, including in impactful journals such as Scientific Reports, ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering, and PNAS. During his PhD, Lampouguin was selected to present his work at more than a dozen national and international meetings, and received numerous awards including the Keystone Future of Science Fellowship and an NSF Bridge to the Doctorate Graduate Fellowship. Outside of research, Lampouguin enjoys playing soccer and tennis. Lampouguin completes his time in the lab in July 2020.
Dr. Emily A. Gosselin (January 2016 - December 2020)
Dr. Emily Gosselin graduated from Tufts University in May 2015 with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering. She is a member of the engineering honors society Tau Beta Pi, and graduated Magna Cum Laude. While at Tufts, Emily worked in Dr. David Kaplan’s Laboratory using silk fibroin as a biomaterial scaffold for cornea tissue engineering applications. Dr. Gosselin's work in the Jewell lab focused on translation of new materials approaches to combat autoimmunity by reprogramming the function of lymph nodes. Her research revealed this idea can be used to generate selective tolerance without impairing healthy immune function in pre-clinical models that mimic distinct stages of human autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis. Emily is the recipient of an NIH F31 Doctoral Fellowship, along with numerous other awards, including the BMES Career Development Award. Her work has been presented in more than a dozen papers and conference proceedings, including a Nature Materials article features on the front cover. She is also a strong supporter of Boston sports! Emily completed her time in the lab in December 2020.
Next position: Scientist, Corner Therapeutics
Dr. Michelle L. Bookstaver (March 2016 - May 2021)
Michelle graduated from Brown University in 2013 with a B.S. in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering. She went on to receive her M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Brown in 2014. While at Brown, Michelle worked under the direction of Dr. Anubhav Tripathi to study the bioremediation of oil spills utilizing hydrocarbon-degrading marine bacterium. Her work on this subject led to two first author publications. In the Jewell lab, Michelle's research focused on using self-assembly to understand the trafficking and function of immune signals in the context of vaccination and immunotherapy. These studies revealed self-assembled immune signals exhibit distinct processing features - including accelerated internalization and activation - translating to unique immune outcomes in primary cells and pre-clinical animal models. These contributions have been published in top journals, including Trends in Immunology and Small. Likewise, Michelle's work was recognized by a number of awards including an NIH F31 NRSA Fellowship, a spot on the NIH T32 Host Pathogen Interactions grant, and the Robert E. Fischell Institute for Medical Devices Travel Fellowship. Dr. Bookstaver also served as co-team leader of our Self-Assembly team and an active contributor to lab outreach and service initiatives. In her free time, Michelle enjoys running and traveling.
Next position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University and Brigham and Women's Hospital (Advisors: Ana Anderson and Vijay Kuchroo).
Dr. Shannon J. Tsai (Jan 2017 - March 2022)
Shannon graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in May 2012 with a B.S. in Materials Science. After graduation, Shannon worked in the lab of Dr. Andrew Rhim, performing clinical tests on microfluidic chips to screen for breast, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers. Shannon then joined the lab of Dr. Rebecca Wells, where she worked as a technician studying the role of mechanical factors on liver fibrosis and the mechanism behind biliary atresia. In Fall 2016 Shannon enrolled as a doctoral student at the University of Maryland to focus on the application of biomaterials and bioengineering to immunology. During the first half of her PhD she used self assembly to connect the role of binding affinity and cargo availability to immune signal processing. Of note, Dr. Tsai showed these parameters ultimately impact therapeutic efficacy during cancer vaccination. Shannon also devoted significant effort to elucidating the role of local signal delivery to lymph nodes during autoimmunity, diseases in which the immune system mistakenly attacks host tissue. Using sophisticated transgenic animal models, Shannon revealed the role of signal localization to these tissues, and how this integration controls the recruitment and differentiation of T cells. Shannon was an NIH T32 Predoctoral Fellow in Host-Pathogen Interactions, a Clark Doctoral Fellow, and an NIH NCI Predoctoral Fellowship. Outside of her research in the Jewell Lab, Shannon enjoys cooking and competitive ultimate Frisbee.
Eugene Froimchuk graduated from the University of Maryland in 2016 with a B.S. in Biochemistry & Biological Sciences (specializing in Physiology & Neurobiology). After graduating, he worked in Dr. Kai Ge's lab at the National Institute of Health researching epigenetic regulation of adipogenesis as an NIH IRTA fellow. While at the University of Maryland, Eugene worked in Dr. Patrick Kanold's lab to investigate the physiological causes of tinnitus. He also worked in Dr. Nevil Singh's lab at the University of Maryland School of Medicine as part of the UM Scholar's program during the summer of 2015. While working in Dr. Singh's lab, Eugene studied the species-specific function of IL-2 protein. After working in Dr. Singh's lab, he discovered a newfound interest for immunology and joined the Jewell Lab as a Clark Doctoral Fellow and NSF Graduate Research Fellows. Eugene's work focused on self-assembly of immune signals in the context of autoimmunity. Outside of lab, he enjoys hiking, basketball, reading, and listening to music and podcasts.
Maryam Mukhamedova joined the lab in Sept 2012 and was a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Undergraduate Research Fellow. Prior to joining Dr. Jewell's lab, Maryam gained research experience working for Dr. Aleksander Jeremic in the Dept. of Biology at George Washington University. She investigated amylin fibrils in human mammalian cells to learn more about how amyloid fibrils formed in human diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, and Type II diabetes. Maryam work in the Jewell lab was based on delivery of self-antigens and regulatory immune signals to promote tolerance that could be harnessed to specifically control autoimmune reactions. During her free time, Maryam loves the outdoors, exploring new areas and is a big golf fan. Maryam graduated in 2014 and received a NIH Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training (IRTA) award to contact research in Dr. Reed Wickner's lab.
Next position: PhD candidate, Johns Hopkins University/NIH.
Eduardo Solano (Sept 2012 - Feb 2014)
Eddie Solano joined the lab in 2012 and was a Bioengineering and pre-med student. He graduated from Walter Johnson High School in 2010 after moving to the United States with his family from Colombia in 2007. Eddie was actively involved in research beginning freshmen year, participating in the Gemstone Honors Research program under the mentorship of Dr. John Fisher. His Gemstone research team studied the effects of electrical stimulation on the healing of diabetic foot ulcers. Eddie's work in the lab focused on design of a stereotactic injection device. Outside of school, Eddie enjoys reading, drawing/painting, and watching Spanish soap operas; he is also very fond of international cuisine, especially Chinese.
Next position: Training in cancer and medicine.
Elisabeth "Lily" Sooklal (Sept 2012 - Jan 2015)
Elisabeth “Lily” Sooklal joined the lab in 2012, pursuing a double major in Bioengineering and Spanish. She graduated from Franklin High School in 2012 and received a UMD Banneker Key Scholar. Lily's work in the lab focused on the design and composition of polyelectrolyte multilayer films in a collaboration with the University of Maryland medical school to design surface coatings that allow isolation and study of circulating breast tumor cells. When not studying or working in the lab, Lily enjoyed cooking, singing, traveling, and playing sports.
Next position: R&D Systems Engineer, Becton Dickinson (BD), Diagnostics Systems
Arjun Adapa (Jan 2013 - May 2016)
Arjun graduated with in May 2016 with a degree in Bioengineering. He was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in the Netherlands for one year after graduation. Arjun was a Banneker/Key scholar and undergraduate student in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering. He received a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Fellowship in the spring of 2015 for his work in the lab, and was also previously selected as a prestigious UM Scholar at the University of Maryland Medical School's summer pre-med research program. Prior to joining Dr. Jewell’s lab, Arjun worked at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine under the direction of Dr. Jonathan Powell in the Department of Oncology. He studied mechanisms governing immune cell activation and tolerance in the presence of cancer. His project in the lab focused on liposomal delivery of small molecule immune modulators to control inflammation during autoimmune disease. During his free time, Arjun plays the saxophone, and travels.
Next position: Medical school student, University of Michigan
Kevin Pineault (Jan 2014 - May 2016)
Kevin graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Bioengineering (Honors) in May 2016. He graduated from Concord High School in 2011 in Wilmington, Delaware. Kevin transferred to the University of Maryland in the Fall of 2013 and joined the Jewell Research Lab in the spring of 2014. Kevin is studied biomaterials used in vaccines and their impact on immune signaling pathways under the direction of Ph.D. candidate James Andorko. Kevin was an ASPIRE Fellow, received the Godo Biomedical Research Scholarship, the Maryland Summer Scholars Award, and the Outstanding ASPIRE Fellow of the year in 2015/2016. Outside the Lab, Kevin has an interest in improving engineering and pre-medical education, as well as hiking, backpacking, and volunteering at nearby medical centers and hospitals.
Next position: Medical school student, Johns Hopkins University
Anthony Trinh (Jan 2015 - May 2016)
Anthony (Tony) Trinh graduated in May 2016 with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and minor in nanoscale science and technology. Tony graduated from the International Baccalaureate Program at Richard Montgomery High School in 2012 and is currently a member of both the University Honors Program and the QUEST Honors Program. Prior to joining Dr. Jewell’s lab in Spring 2015, Tony had worked for a time at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in Bethesda, MD. Outside of the lab, Tony works as a Hospitalist Scribe at Suburban Hospital and as a Resident Assistant in Hagerstown Hall. He was also actively involved in both of his honors programs and a campus tutor with the Honors College for Chemistry, Biology and Business courses. In his free time, Tony is an avid sailor, swimmer, and fisher.
Next position: Medical school student, University of Maryland
Boyan Xia (Nov 2013 - May 2017)
Boyan graduated in May 2017 with a B.S. in Physiology & Neurobiology, and a minor in Statistics, during which she delivered the student commencement addressed. Boyan graduated from Thomas S. Wootton high school in 2013 and was part of the UMD honors college integrated life sciences program and a presidential scholar. Boyan joined the Jewell lab in the fall of 2013 and received a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Fellowship in the spring of 2015. Prior to joining the lab, she interned in the Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology at the National Cancer Institute from 2012 to 2013. Boyan's project in the lab focused on controlled release of immune signals to induce immunological tolerance. In her free time, Boyan enjoys cooking, and reading.
Next position: Postbaccalaureate IRTA Fellow, NIH, NIAID Vaccine Research Center, Douek Lab
Jessica Yau (Jan 2015 - May 2018)
Jessica graduated with a B.S. in Bioengineering (Honors) in May 2018. She attended Winston Churchill High School before coming to UMD, enrolling on campus in fall 2014. Jessica was part of the Honors College Gemstone Program and joined the Jewell lab in the spring of 2015. Prior to joining the lab, she interned in the Laboratory of Protein Dynamics and Signaling at the National Cancer Institute from 2012 to 2014. As an undergraduate research in the Jewell Lab, Jessica studied controlled delivery of metabolic cues to promote immune tolerance. Ms. Yau was awarded a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Fellowship in the Spring of 2016, which supported her final two years of research in the lab. During her free time, Jessica travels, bakes, and plays the violin.
Next position: Postbaccalaureate IRTA Fellow, NIH, NCI, Berzofsky Lab
Maeesha Noshin (Sept 2018 - May 2020)
Maeesha pursued a B.S. in Bioengineering and joined the lab in July 2018. She graduated from Wheaton High School in June 2016 in the top 5% of her graduating class after moving to the United States with her family from Bangladesh. Maeesha was actively involved in research within the Fischell Department of Bioengineering, having formerly worked in the Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Laboratory under the mentorship of Dr. John Fisher and Dr. Ting Guo. In the Jewell Lab, Maeesha earned an ASPIRE Fellowship and studied the stability of polymeric drug carriers to promote immune tolerance during autoimmunity. Maeesha received numerous awards, including the Jaffe Memorial Scholarship and the Mtech Outstanding ASPIRE Student Research Award. Maeesha enjoys running, weight training, and making art; she has been painting with watercolors since the age of 9 and now creates digital art in her free time.
Next position: Postbaccalaureate CRTA NCI Fellow, NIH (Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Jones)
Nishedhya Venkataraman (June 2019 - May 2021)
Nishedhya Venkataraman is from Clarksburg, Maryland. Nishedhya has worked as a grader at the Best Brains Tuition Center and run a tuition center teaching English to foreign exchange students. She also served as a member of UMD’s “She’s The First” club, as well as a dancer on UMD’s competitive classical Indian dance team named UMD Moksha. Nishedhya's research in the Jewell Lab was in collaboration with Dr. Michelle Bookstaver to understand how the assembly conditions of immune cues impact the interactions with and processing by immune cells. Understanding these design parameters could help support more rational vaccines and immunotherapies. Nishedhya is working toward a career in the medical field by entering and completing PA school.
Lab Alumni: High School Research Interns
Allie Amerman (Sept 2017 - Aug 2019)
Allie Amerman completed her time in the lab in August 2019, also graduating from Wheaton High School. Allie joined Dr. Jewell's lab in the fall of 2017 to work with Graduate Fellow Shannon Tsai. Her project focuses on using self-assembled materials to control T cell function to fight cancer. Allie's project earned her 3rd place in the Translational Medicine Category at the International Science and Engineering Fair. Following her time with the Jewell Lab, Allie enrolled at MIT for her undergraduate studies. During her free time, Allie codes video games and plays guitar and piano.