Our Team
We are an interdisciplinary group of scientists that are passionate about membranes.
Our research environment brings together scientists from different backgrounds – from engineering to synthetic biology to biochemistry – to explore fundamental questions about membrane biophysics and reimagine the way we design biomaterial devices.
ABOUT THE PI
Neha Kamat
Assistant Professor
Department of Biomedical Engineering
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
PhD University of Pennsylvania
Postdoc Harvard University and MGH
BS Rice University
NEHA’S BIO
Neha Kamat is an Assistant Professor in the Biomedical Engineering Department at Northwestern University. She is a member of the Center of Synthetic Biology and the Chemistry of Life Processes Institute and is a preceptor with the Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Graduate Program and the Molecular Biophysics Training Program.
The Kamat lab seeks to reimagine the way we engineer biomaterials for applications in medicine, environmental monitoring, and basic biology by using innovations and techniques in synthetic biology and applying them to biomaterial design.
She received a BS in Bioengineering from Rice University (Advisor: Jennifer West), a PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania (Advisor: Daniel Hammer), and completed her postdoctoral studies at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital (Advisor: Jack Szostak).
LAB MEMBERS
Postdoctoral Associates
Atiriya is a sophomore studying Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University. She is researching the effects of membrane proteins on membrane mechanical properties.
Jan Steinkuehler
Postdoctoral Associate
Jan is a postdoc interested in membrane biophysics and synthetic biology. He studied medical engineering (Dipl.-Ing.) at the Technical University of Aachen and obtained is PhD in the Lab of Dr. Rumiana Dimova at the Max Planck Institute of Interfaces and Colloids in Potsdam, Germany (MPICI). He then continued to work as a postdoc with Prof. Reinhard Lipowsky in the field of bio membranes. He is now studying information flow, dissipative processes and membrane remodeling in artificial cells.
Carina Fedosejevs
Postdoctoral Associate
Carina is a postdoc and recently finished her PhD in the medical and biological physics lab of Prof. Matthias F. Schneider at the Technical University Dortmund. She received her M.Sc. and B.Sc in medical physics from the Technical University Dortmund as well. During her PhD she worked on the characterization of thermodynamical phase states within cellular and synthetic lipid-based membranes. Carina is interested in exploring the role of the physical state of membranes within cellular processes and diseases.
Graduate Students
JUSTIN PERUZZI
PhD candidate in Chemical and Biological Engineering; NSF Graduate Fellow; 2020 ryan fellow
Justin is a sixth-year Chemical Engineering graduate student. He received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Virginia, where he worked in Professor Roseanne Ford’s lab. Justin is working with cell-free expression systems and designed membranes to construct vesicles/ artificial cells with new biosensing capabilities.
TIMOTHY VU
PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering; Biotechnology Training Program Appointee (2019-2021)
Tim is a fifth-year graduate student in Biomedical Engineering. He graduated with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of California, Irvine and received his M.S. in Bioengineering from Rice University. He is interested in designing vesicle-based biomaterials to control lymphocytes activity.
Taylor Gunnels
PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering; NSF Graduate Fellow
Taylor is a fourth-year graduate student in Biomedical Engineering. He graduated with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University where he worked in Dr. Xue Han’s laboratory. Before joining Northwestern, Taylor served in the United States Air Force as a test engineer evaluating upgrades to F-15 aircraft. He is interested in designing natural and synthetic biosensing vesicles for regenerative medicine and immunotherapy applications.
Vivian hu
PhD Candidate in Biomedical Engineering; NSF SynBAS National Research Trainee
Vivian is a third-year Biomedical Engineering graduate student. She received a B.S. in Bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh. During her undergraduate years, Vivian was a member of the Pittsburgh iGEM (International Genetically Engineering Machine) teams and completed a research internship at the National University of Singapore. Vivian is interested in using synthetic biology to design vesicles as therapeutic platforms.
Citlayi Villasenor
PhD candidate in Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences; Molecular Biophysics Training Program Appointee (2021-2023)
Citlayi is a third-year graduate student in the Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences (IBiS) program. She received a B.S. in Biochemistry from San Diego State University where she worked in Dr. Tom Huxford’s structural biochemistry laboratory. She is interested in studying the biophysical properties of lipid membranes and understanding their role in membrane protein folding.
Beth DiBiase
PhD student in Chemical and Biological Engineering; Ryan Fellow (2021-2022); NSF Graduate Fellow
Beth is a second-year Chemical and Biological Engineering graduate student. She received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and Biochemistry from Northeastern University where she conducted research in the lab of Abigail Koppes and completed 3 co-ops in the biotechnology industry. She is interested in bridging the gap between natural and synthetic vesicles to design more efficient therapeutics and vaccines.
Mary Kelly
PhD student in Biomedical Engineering; Regenerative Engineering Training Program Appointee
Mary is a second-year Biomedical Engineering graduate student. She received a B.S. in Chemical and Biological Engineering from the University of Colorado where she worked in Dr. Andrew Goodwin’s material science group and completed a research internship with the Biosciences Division at Argonne National Laboratory. She is working on encapsulating cell-free expression systems within hydrogels to design dynamic materials.
Delfin Buyco
PhD student in Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences; NSF SYNBAS NATIONAL RESEARCH TRAINEE
Delfin is a second-year PhD student in the Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences (IBiS) program. He received a B.A. in Chemistry and Linguistics (double major) from Swarthmore College before working as a research technician at the University of Pennsylvania. Delfin is interested in studying the biophysical properties of lipid membranes and understanding their role in disease.
Undergraduate Students
Lucas Sant’Anna
Undergraduate Researcher;
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
Lucas is currently a senior undergraduate student at Northwestern University studying Biomedical Engineering. He is interested in developing environmentally-sensitive vesicles that respond to stimuli such as biomarkers or pH, with applications in targeted drug delivery.
andre gu
Undergraduate Researcher;
Chemical engineering & Music studies
Andre is currently a senior undergraduate chemical engineering and music studies student at Northwestern University. He is designing synthetic compartments that engage in encapsulated reactions based on environmental stimuli.
Nina Galvez
Undergraduate Researcher;
Biomedical Engineering
Nina is currently a senior undergraduate student studying Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University. She is working to develop synthetic membranes that utilize two component systems.
Yazeed Alroogi
Undergraduate Researcher; Biomedical Engineering
Yazeed is a junior undergraduate student studying Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University. He is working on designing strategies to modify cellular interactions with cell derived vesicles.
Atiriya Iyer
Undergraduate Researcher; Biomedical Engineering
Atiriya is a junior studying Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University. She is researching the effects of membrane proteins on membrane mechanical properties.
Our Alumni
Graduate Students
- Maggie Boyd – PhD (BME 2017-2022) – NEXT: Postdoctoral Associate at PhenoVista Biosciences
- Miranda Jacobs – PhD (IBiS 2016-2022) – NEXT: Protein Scientist at Teledyne FLIR
Undergraduate Students
- Jessy Gonzalez – SynBREU, UCSB, Summer 2022
- Anna Davis – UG Researcher, 2019-2022 – NEXT: PhD Student in Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech
- Nora Chambers – UG Researcher, 2019-2022
- Kenneth Wang – UG Researcher, 2018-2021 – NEXT: Clinical Research Coordinator, the ANCHOR study
- Claire Hilburger – UG Researcher, 2017-2020 NEXT: PhD Student in Bioengineering at UC Berkeley
- Summer Duffy – UG Researcher, 2019-2020
- Jacob Brandner – REU, University of Massachusetts, Summer 2020
- Kayla Purdy – REU, Clarkson University, Summer 2019
- David Alex Fong – UG Researcher, 2017-2019 – NEXT: MS candidate, Northwestern University
- Kamryn Lewis (Murphy Scholar) – UG Researcher, 2017-2018 – NEXT: UT Southwestern Medical School
- Poonnam Srivastava – Postdoctoral Fellow April – June 2017 – NEXT: Research Scientist, Modern Meadow
