Principle Investigator
Nathan D. Gallant
Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Florida
Graduate Faculty member, Department of Medical Engineering
Interdisciplinary Faculty member, Department of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering
Lab Members
Sarah McMaster
Ph.D. student, Mechanical Engineering
Project: Tumor hypoxia regulation of cell-matrix and cell-cell adhesion strength
Nicole Febles
Ph.D. student, Biomedical Engineering
Project: Using mechanical stimulation to regenerate the sensory hair cells lost during the hearing loss (co-adviser: Robert Frisina)
Asma Sharfeddin
Ph.D. student, Biomedical Engineering
Project: Matrix stiffness regulates fibronectin-mediated cell adhesion strength
Joel Cooper
Ph.D. student, Mechanical Engineering
Project: Biomaterial-free spatiotemporal cell organization using acoustic force (co-adviser: Rasim Guldiken)
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (Mentor: Gallant)
Greeshma Mohan
Ph.D. student, Biomedical Engineering
Project: Combinatorial biomaterials for mechanobiology
Olukemi Akintewe
Ph.D. student, Chemical Engineering
Project: Instabilities in responsive polymer structures for tissue engineering applications (co-adviser: Ryan Toomey)
UNCF-Merck Graduate Science Research Fellowship (Mentor: Gallant)
Martiza Muniz-Maisonet
Ph.D. student, Chemical Engineering
Project: Fiber density topography and surface chemistry regulate cell adhesion and spreading (co-adviser: Ryan Toomey)
Michael Cross
Ph.D. student, Physics
Project: Protein interactions with stimulus-responsive materials (co-advisers: Garrett Matthews and Ryan Toomey)
Lab Alumni
Ana Rioja, M.S., Biomedical Engineering
Thesis: Cell adhesion and migration on NDGA cross-linked fibrillar collagen matrices for tendon tissue engineering
Current Affiliation: Ph.D. student, University of Michigan
Asad Ahmad, M.S., Mechanical Engineering
Thesis: Surface functionalization and analysis thereof for an ovarian cancer diagnostic biosensor (co-advisor: Rasim Guldiken)
Current Affiliation: Ph.D. student, University of North Carolina
Zhixin Wang, M.S., Mechanical Engineering
Thesis: Polydimethylsiloxane mechanical properties measured by macroscopic compression and nanoindentation techniques (co-advisor Alex Volinsky)
Current Affiliation: USF Department of Pharmacy
Karen Mann, M.S., Biomedical Engineering
Thesis: Evaluation of transfer technologies to preserve shoulder function in SCI (co-advisor: William Lee)
Current Affiliation: Tampa VA Research Center of Excellence
Kranthi Kumar Elineni, Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering
Thesis: Regulation of cell adhesion strength by spatial organization of focal adhesions
Current Affiliation: Process Engineer, Intel, Hillsboro, OR
Cynthia Nwachukwu, M.S., Biomedical Engineering
Thesis: Electrospinning protein nanofibers to control cell adhesion
Current Affiliation: Engineering Management, University of South Florida
Past Undergraduate Researchers
Laura Blanco, Mechanical Engineering
Spencer Reed, Chemical Engineering and Physics
Sarah McMaster, Mechanical Engineering
Joel Cooper, Mechanical Engineering
Anthony Novak, Mechanical Engineering
Jacob Lashley, Mechanical Engineering
Kyle Stone, Mechanical Engineering
Edward Gregg, Biology
Karen Mann, Mechanical Engineering
