Gaurav Singh Rathore is a Researcher at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, affiliated with reNEW and the Kirkeby Lab where he advances stem cell and neuroscience research. His work centers on Stem Cell Research , Neuroscience , and Regenerative Medicine , specializing in Parkinson's disease therapy through dopaminergic neuron differentiation and neural development modeling. He employs human embryonic stem cells to investigate FGF17/cAMP patterning effects and microfluidic WNT gradients for cell replacement applications. Publication trends reveal a strategic focus on growth factor signaling and microfluidic technologies to direct neural fate specification, directly bridging developmental biology with translational Parkinson's disease treatments. His 2020 Nature Biotechnology paper on neural tube modeling garnered significant attention including 8 news outlets and patent references. Rathore actively contributes to the Kirkeby Lab's mission in neural differentiation and disease modeling, collaborating across international research networks as evidenced by multi-country publication co-authorships.
Juhong Chen serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech's College of Engineering. With research expertise spanning food safety engineering, biosensors, and bioinstrumentation, Dr. Chen develops cutting-edge technologies for pathogen detection in agricultural and food systems. His work integrates nanomaterials, bacteriophage engineering, CRISPR technology, microfluidics, and artificial intelligence to address critical food safety challenges. Dr. Chen earned his Ph.D. in Food Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2016 and completed postdoctoral training at both Cornell University and the University of California, Berkeley before joining Virginia Tech in 2019. His educational background includes a B.Eng. in Biological Engineering from East China University of Science and Technology. Research interests focus on developing innovative biosensing approaches to detect biological and chemical contaminants in food systems. Dr. Chen's lab specializes in creating functional antimicrobial surfaces, advanced magnetic nanosensors, engineered bacteriophages, CRISPR-Cas systems, and portable microfluidic chips. His work addresses major challenges in food safety including pathogen detection, antimicrobial resistance monitoring, and food authenticity verification. Analysis of recent publications reveals a strong trend toward CRISPR-based diagnostics, with increasing focus on amplification-free detection methods, portable point-of-care systems, and integration of multiple technologies for enhanced sensitivity and specificity. His research spans food safety, veterinary diagnostics, and medical applications, demonstrating the broad applicability of his biosensing approaches. Scientific recognition includes: Travel grant for Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Agriculture and Food Systems, Gordon Research Conference (2018) Outstanding contribution in reviewing the journal of Biosensors and Bioelectronics (2018) Withycombe-Charalambous Award for Graduate Student Symposium, Agricultural and Food Chemistry, American Chemical Society Dr. Chen has secured significant research funding including a $450,463 USDA NIFA grant for developing CRISPR-equipped engineered phages (CREEPs), a $20,000 Virginia Tech CeZAP grant for viral pathogen detection, and a $740,537 USDA NIFA co-PI grant for digital nanofluidic chip development. He teaches courses in unit operations, biological processing, and food process engineering. The Bioengineering and Biosensing (BeBs) Lab, led by Dr. Chen, focuses on sustainable agriculture and food systems challenges, developing innovative tools including CRISPR, phages, yeasts, and enzymes to improve food production and safety from farm to fork.
Sang-Joon Lee is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at San José State University. His research focuses on microfluidics for biomedical engineering and electronic displays, with emphasis on fabrication processes and fluid-structure interaction. He teaches courses in dynamics, fluid mechanics, microfluidics (ME 168), MEMS (ME 169), and biomechanics (ME 267). Education: Ph.D. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, B.S. from Stanford Industry Experience: Semiconductor systems engineering at Applied Materials, micro fuel cell research at Stanford His lab (http://www.sjsu.edu/mems/) explores multiphysics interactions in materials, focusing on microscale prototyping and experimental validation . Research advisees typically commit 16+ weekly hours including on-campus lab work. He previously served as Director of the Microscale Process Engineering Laboratory and Associate Director of the Materials Characterization and Metrology Center.
Pablo Giménez-Gómez is a researcher at Stockholm University's Department of Chemistry, specializing in microfluidic lab-on-a-chip devices for biomedical and environmental applications. With a PhD in Electrochemistry from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (2017) and extensive postdoctoral experience across Europe, he secures competitive grants and leads R&D projects with total budget of €1.1M. Chemical Engineer (2009, University of Murcia) Master in Occupational Health & Safety (2010, Bureau Veritas) Master in Electrochemistry (2011, Polytechnic University of Cartagena) PhD in Electrochemistry (2017, Autonomous University of Barcelona) His research focuses on: Microfabricated electrochemical transducers , Biofunctionalization techniques , Integrated biosensing systems , and Technological transfer in analytical chemistry . Recent projects include a DVD-readable opto-electrochemical Lab-on-a-Disc for obesity management and paper-based analytical devices for environmental monitoring. Publications demonstrate expertise in: Microfluidic extraction-quantification integration , Optical-microfluidic coupling , and Biocompatible sensor design . He has authored 34 publications including 24 peer-reviewed journal articles and 8 conference papers, with 1 licensed patent. 2023: First author on fiber-optic tissue stretch monitoring 2025: Developed cafetière-based soil nutrient PAD 2023: Created DIC quantification PAD for freshwater 2019-2025: Ongoing contributions to diabetes monitoring and environmental sensing Active in both fundamental research through his work with Nicole Pamme's group and applied technology development via industry contracts. His teaching includes Analytical Chemistry Basic Course (VT24).
Eiji Iwase is a Professor at the Department of Applied Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering , Waseda University , with concurrent roles at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) as Senior Scientific Research Specialist (2018-2020). His research focuses on Nano/micro-systems Origami/Kirigami-based flexible electronics Self-folding mechanisms for deployable structures Thermoelectric energy harvesting Research Interests span mechanics/mechatronics integration, intelligent robotics, and materials engineering for stretchable devices. He pioneered bilayer self-folding techniques using heat-shrink films and liquid metal interconnects with reduced contact resistivity, enabling robust flexible thermoelectrics. Article Trends show consistent work on Origami/Kirigami engineering Stretchable electronics Thermoelectric generators Self-healing mechanisms Flexible photonic devices Mechanical metamaterials with interdisciplinary applications in medical devices, wearable systems, and microfluidics. Scientific Awards include Waseda Research Award (2016) MEXT Young Scientists' Prize (2015) Marubun Research Encouragement Award (2016) Micro-Nano Science & Technology Division Prize from JSME (2017) Commendation for Science and Technology by MEXT (2015) reflecting his contributions to mechanical systems and flexible electronics.
Hideyuki Sawada is a Professor at Waseda University's School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering. He has been in this position since April 2017, following 7 years as a Professor at Kagawa University (2010-2017) and 11 years as an Associate Professor there (1999-2010). His academic career also includes visiting professorships at Universite de Savoie in France (2005, 2009) and previous research positions at Waseda University. His educational background is deeply rooted at Waseda University: Ph.D. in Pure and Applied Physics, Waseda University Graduate studies in Pure and Applied Physics, Waseda University (1995-1998) Graduate studies in Pure Physics and Applied Physics, Waseda University (1990-1992) Bachelor's degree in Applied Physics, Waseda University (1986-1990) Professor Sawada's research spans multiple interdisciplinary fields with a strong focus on robotics, human-computer interaction, and intelligent systems. His work bridges mechanical engineering, information science, and biomedical applications, with particular emphasis on tactile sensing, biomimetic robotics, and 4D space visualization. His laboratory actively explores shape memory alloy (SMA) applications in robotics, self-propelled droplet systems, and novel human interface technologies that enhance virtual reality experiences. His recent publication trends show a strong focus on tactile interfaces using shape memory alloys, self-propelled droplet systems leveraging Marangoni convection, continuum robotics for medical applications, and human-in-the-loop machine learning for robot control. These publications demonstrate his laboratory's interdisciplinary approach that combines fluid dynamics, robotics, and human perception studies. Professor Sawada has received numerous prestigious awards recognizing his research contributions: Best Paper Award Finalist at IEEE International Conference on Mechatronics and Automation (2025) Certificate of Editors' Choice from Biomimetic Intelligence and Robotics Journal (2025) Specially Selected Paper award from Information Processing Society of Japan (2024) Award for excellence in interdisciplinary research from The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (2024) Best paper award at the 7th International Conference on Sustainable Information Engineering and Technology (2022) Professor Sawada actively mentors students and researchers, as evidenced by numerous student awards where he appears as an advisor. His laboratory has secured funding for various research projects in robotics, human interface technology, and biomimetic systems. He serves on multiple editorial boards and program committees for international conferences, demonstrating his leadership in the academic community. His research group maintains strong international collaborations, particularly with institutions in France and Southeast Asia. His laboratory focuses on several key research directions: the development of SMA-based tactile interfaces and sensors, self-propelled droplet systems for micro-transport applications, continuum robotics for medical use, and 4D space visualization systems. The lab maintains strong industry connections, particularly in medical robotics and human interface technology development.
Matthew Ryen Lockett is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with strong affiliations to the UNC School of Medicine. His research focuses on developing innovative 3D cell culture platforms and measurement tools that better mimic in vivo tissue environments, with particular emphasis on oxygen's role in tissue homeostasis and cancer progression. Dr. Lockett received his BS in Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh in 2005, followed by a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2009 working with Lloyd M. Smith. He completed his postdoctoral training at Harvard University with George M. Whitesides from 2010-2013. His research program addresses two major areas: tissue engineering and surface chemistry. In tissue engineering, his lab develops paper-based 3D culture systems that maintain physiologically relevant microenvironments for studying cancer biology, drug metabolism, and cellular responses to oxygen gradients. For surface chemistry, his group creates novel methods for modifying carbon and silicon electrodes to improve stability and functionality for applications in electrocatalysis and sensing. His interdisciplinary approach integrates concepts from chemistry, biomedical engineering, cellular and molecular biology, materials science, and toxicology to solve complex biological problems. Dr. Lockett's recent publications reveal a strong trend toward increasingly sophisticated 3D tissue models with precise oxygen control, alongside continued innovation in surface modification techniques for electrochemical applications. His work bridges fundamental chemical principles with translational biomedical applications, particularly in cancer research and drug development. Dr. Lockett has received numerous prestigious awards recognizing his contributions to analytical chemistry and biomedical research: Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry (2024) The Analytical Scientist Power List, Mentors and Educators category (2023) Center for Environmental Health and Susceptibility Rising Star Award (2019) Top 40 under 40 Power List, The Analytical Scientist (2018) BioAnalysis Zone New Investigator Award (2017) Eli Lilly Young Investigator Award in Analytical Chemistry (2016) Dr. Lockett actively mentors graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in his lab, with several recent PhD graduates and undergraduate researchers. His lab operates with strong core values emphasizing creativity, inclusivity, and teamwork, maintaining a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of oppression. The lab has secured significant funding to support its research on tissue engineering and surface chemistry, enabling the development of novel platforms for studying cellular behavior in controlled microenvironments. The Lockett Lab maintains two primary research subgroups: a surfaces subgroup focusing on carbon-based electrodes for (photo)electrosynthesis and measuring wetting dynamics, and a cells subgroup developing microfluidic 3D liver models to quantify cellular metabolism. The lab is known for its collaborative spirit and interdisciplinary approach, working with researchers across chemistry, biomedical engineering, and toxicology departments.
Dr. Yong Wang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics within the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Arkansas. His research bridges physics, nanotechnology, and biology, focusing on single-molecule and single-cell biophysics. He leads an active research laboratory that develops cutting-edge biophysical tools to advance biological understanding and applies physical principles to solve biological problems. Dr. Wang's educational background includes: Ph.D. in Physics from University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) - 2011 M.S. in Physics from University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) - 2007 B.S. in Physics from University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) - 2005 Dr. Wang's research program focuses on the intersection of physics, nanotechnology, and biology. His laboratory develops and applies advanced biophysical techniques to investigate fundamental questions in biological systems. Current research directions include studying antibiotic mechanisms of metal nanostructures (nanoparticles, nanowires, and 2D materials), examining dynamics of biological molecules in living systems (bacteria and animal cells), investigating mechanical properties of biological systems (proteins, DNA and bacteria), and developing nano-bio sensors and devices for various applications. His work often involves single-molecule and single-cell measurements, combining experimental and computational approaches to uncover physical principles governing biological phenomena. Analysis of Dr. Wang's recent publications reveals a strong focus on bacterial response to nanomaterials, particularly silver-based nanostructures, and their antimicrobial mechanisms. His research also explores DNA mechanics and its applications in biosensing, as well as microfluidic systems for manipulating and studying microorganisms. The interdisciplinary nature of his work is evident in the diverse range of journals where his papers appear, spanning physics, microbiology, materials science, and engineering disciplines. Dr. Wang has received several significant research awards and grants, including: Tenure and promotion to Associate Professor (2022) Arkansas Biosciences Institute equipment grants for ddPCR and high-performance computing (2022) UA Chancellor's Gap Fund for Commercialization for bent DNA constructs development (2022) Arkansas Biosciences Institute grant for applying bent DNA to RNA research (2021) National Science Foundation I-Corps Program grant (2021) USDA/NIFA grant for studying antibiotic resistance genes in agricultural water (2020) His students have also received prestigious awards including the Ray Hughes Graduate Fellowship and the Chan and Chen Endowed Research Scholarship. Dr. Wang actively mentors numerous graduate and undergraduate students, with recent PhD graduates including Dr. Venkata Krishnamurthi, Dr. Ariel Rogers, and Dr. Diksha Shrestha. His laboratory has successfully guided multiple students through honors theses and research projects. He has secured substantial external funding from agencies including NSF, USDA, and the Arkansas Biosciences Institute, demonstrating the significance and impact of his research program. The Wang Lab at the University of Arkansas maintains a vibrant research environment with multiple PhD students, master's students, and undergraduates working collaboratively on cutting-edge biophysics projects. The lab utilizes advanced instrumentation for single-molecule imaging, nanofabrication, and bacterial studies, supported by recent equipment grants. Current research directions continue to expand the understanding of nano-bio interactions while developing novel biophysical tools with potential applications in medicine and environmental science.
Dr. Waseem Asghar serves as Associate Chair and Professor in both the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Department of Biomedical Engineering at Florida Atlantic University. Leading the Micro and Nanotechnology in Medicine Lab, his research develops revolutionary point-of-care diagnostic platforms for HIV, Zika, Ebola, cancer, and fertility applications. His work bridges engineering innovation with clinical impact, focusing on disposable, refrigeration-free technologies deployable in resource-limited settings worldwide. Dr. Asghar earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Arlington and previously held a position at Harvard University before joining FAU. His educational background underpins his interdisciplinary approach to biomedical device development. His research program centers on microfluidics and biosensors for decentralized diagnostics. Key projects include NIH-funded CD4+ T cell counters for HIV monitoring, smartphone-integrated Zika detectors for airport screening, and self-regulating CSF shunt devices developed with Boca Raton Regional Hospital. The lab specializes in paper-based microfluidics and flexible substrates that enable multiplexed biotarget detection without complex instrumentation. Recent work emphasizes eliminating cold-chain requirements for viral load testing and creating home-based semen analysis tools. Dr. Asghar's publication portfolio demonstrates consistent high-impact contributions in point-of-care diagnostics. His work spans infectious disease detection (Ebola, HIV, Zika), cancer diagnostics (circulating tumor cells), and reproductive health (sperm analysis), frequently appearing in journals like Nature Scientific Reports, Biotechnology Advances, and ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering. The research shows a clear trajectory toward field-deployable, low-cost solutions validated in clinical environments. His scientific recognition includes: NSF CAREER Award (2020) FAU Researcher of the Year (2020, 2023) ASEE SE New Faculty Researcher Award (2020) Engineers’ Council Outstanding STEM Educator Award (2018) Humanity in Science Award (2016) FAU Mentoring Award (2015) Dr. Asghar actively mentors PhD and Master's students, with recent graduates including Amy Makler (2023), Kabir and Bob (2021), and Mazhar Sher (2020). His NIH-funded projects provide robust research support, while industry collaborations ensure real-world relevance. Students regularly win awards for poster presentations and leadership, reflecting the lab's emphasis on professional development alongside technical excellence. The Micro and Nanotechnology in Medicine Lab operates as a dynamic interdisciplinary hub where electrical engineers, biomedical researchers, and computer scientists collaborate. The team focuses on translating lab innovations into deployable solutions, evidenced by media coverage from ABC, NPR, and Cheddar News. Current efforts target commercialization of Zika detection devices and HIV viral load assays, with strong emphasis on global health equity through accessible diagnostics.
Jesús Alberto Escarpa Miguel is a Professor in the Department of Analytical Chemistry, Physical Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at the University of Alcalá (UAH), Spain. He coordinates the Miniaturization and Analytical Nanotechnology research group, developing cutting-edge analytical tools for clinical diagnostics, forensic science, and food analysis. His research centers on nanotechnology-driven solutions for real-world diagnostic challenges. Key focus areas include electrochemical biosensors, microfluidic paper-based devices, and catalytic micromotors for point-of-care applications. His work bridges fundamental nanomaterial science with practical clinical tools, particularly for sepsis diagnosis, Alzheimer's biomarker detection, and food safety analysis. The lab emphasizes cost-effective, rapid testing solutions deployable in resource-limited settings. Recent publications reveal a strong trend toward clinical translation of micro/nanotechnologies. His team integrates micromotors with electrochemical detection for biomarker quantification in complex samples like blood and urine, while advancing paper-based platforms for smartphone-connected diagnostics. This work spans from nanomaterial synthesis to FDA-relevant clinical validation studies. Professor Escarpa Miguel actively secures competitive research funding, currently leading two major projects (2024-2027) totaling over 377,000€ from Spanish national and regional agencies. His lab provides students with hands-on experience in sensor fabrication, microfluidics, and clinical validation, fostering translation of academic research into practical diagnostic tools through strong industry and hospital partnerships. The Miniaturization and Analytical Nanotechnology group operates state-of-the-art facilities including electrochemical workstations, microfabrication tools, and clinical sample processing equipment. The lab culture emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration between chemists, engineers, and clinicians to develop diagnostics meeting real clinical needs, with current projects targeting neonatal sepsis, neurodegenerative diseases, and food contaminant detection.
