Harikrishnan Parameswaran

Harikrishnan Parameswaran is an Associate Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at Northeastern University’s College of Engineering. His research focuses on cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions in airways, particularly investigating mechanisms underlying airway narrowing and asthma pathology. He holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University and completed an NIH K99 postdoctoral fellowship there under Dr. Kenneth Lutchen.

Education:

• NIH K99 Postdoctoral Fellow, Boston University
• Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, Boston University (Advisor: Dr. Bela Suki)
• M.S., Biomedical Engineering, Boston University
• B.Tech, Electronics & Telecommunication, College of Engineering, Trivandrum, India

Research Interests: His lab, the Breathe Lab, explores ECM-driven hypercontractility in airway smooth muscle cells and its role in asthma. Key areas include mechanobiology of airway narrowing, ECM stiffness effects, and intercellular communication in smooth muscle physiology. His work bridges computational modeling and experimental approaches to understand disease mechanisms.

Awards & Grants:

• NSF CAREER Award (2021)
• NIH R01 (2020)
• American Thoracic Society Rising Star (2023)
• Principal Investigator on multiple NIH and institutional grants

Teaching: Courses include BIOE 5440 (Cell as a Machine), BIOE 5800 (Systems, Signals, and Controls), and GE2361 (Math Methods in Bioengineering).

Labs & Teams: Leads the Breathe Lab, collaborating with institutions like Boston University and the Institute for Mechanobiology. Research focuses on translational studies linking molecular mechanisms to clinical asthma therapies.