Amrinder Nain is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech. His research focuses on bio-inspired engineering, nanotechnology, and mechanobiology, with emphasis on understanding cellular interactions with fibrous environments. He leads the Spinneret-based Tunable Engineered Parameters (STEP) Lab, developing advanced materials and biomaterials for biomedical applications. Nain holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University (2007) and has held faculty positions at Virginia Tech since 2009. Education: Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 2007 M.S., Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 2007 B.E., Mechanical Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, 1990 Research Interests: Cellular dynamics and tissue engineering Nanofiber-based biomaterials Biomechanics of cancer and cellular migration Organ-on-a-chip technologies Advanced manufacturing of fibrous scaffolds Awards & Collaborations: John Jones Faculty Fellowship NIH-funded collaborations on blood-brain barrier models and cancer cell migration Global partnerships with institutions like Weizmann Institute of Science and Nara Institute of Science and Technology Labs & Teams: The STEP Lab pioneers nanofiber platforms to study cell-fiber interactions, with applications in drug testing and tissue engineering. Current projects include coiling dynamics of cellular protrusions, mitotic spindle orientation, and ultra-thin nanofiber mimics of biological membranes.













