Faculty

Using biomaterials to investigate immune cell-fibroblast crosstalk during tissue fibrosis and regeneration in order to better understand disease pathogenesis and identify new therapeutic targets.

Huiwang Ai is an Associate Professor of Physiology & Biophysics, Chemistry, and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Virginia. Dr. Ai received his B.S. from Tsinghua University in 2003 and his Ph.D. from University of Alberta in 2008.

Timothy E. Allen teaches and mentors students in the areas of computational modeling of complex biological systems, molecular and cell biology assays, and medical device design.

Sameer Bajikar uses multidisciplinary approaches from human stem cells to computational models to understand how brain function goes awry in neurodevelopmental disorders to engineer new therapies for these diseases.

Thomas Barker explores and therapeutically exploits the fundamental links between fibroblast adaptation to their physical and biochemical microenvironment and their myofibroblastic differentiation during tissue repair, fibrosis and cancer.

Bryan received and his PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware. He was a post-doctoral fellow in the department of biochemistry & biophysics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Currently Bryan is associate professor of chemical engineering with a joint appointment in biomedical engineering.

Silvia Blemker uses experimental and computational models to characterize the relationships between muscle structure, biomechanical properties, biology, and function in order to develop new treatments for musculoskeletal disease

Philip E. Bourne leads a range of initiatives to encourage and facilitate the use of big data in large-scale research across the scientific and technological disciplines, with special emphasis on structural bioinformatics and systems pharmacology.

My lab’s research lies at the interface of soft (bio)materials and biology. We seek to understand and control the interactions between soft (bio)materials and living systems to solve challenges in sustainability and health. We do this using a combination of experimental and theoretical approaches.

The Caliari Lab designs, synthesizes, and characterizes new biomaterials to explore the dynamic interplay between cells and their microenvironment, applying these platforms to address fundamental human health challenges in understanding disease and engineering tissues.

David Chen is the founding Managing Director of the Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at the University of Virginia and Professor of Practice in Biomedical Engineering.

George Joseph Christ, Ph.D., develops basic and translational tissue engineering and regenerative medicine approaches to organ and tissue repair, reconstruction and replacement, with a focus on the musculoskeletal system, vasculature and lower urinary tract. Dr. Christ is an internationally recognized expert in muscle physiology.

Alex Clark, Ph.D., is a cell biologist and engineer who studies gene expression dynamics and molecular networks that drive heart development and function. 

Dr. Epstein is a world leader in advancing MRI myocardial strain imaging by developing and applying the cine DENSE (displacement encoding using stimulated echoes) MRI method.

Dr. Fallahi-Sichani leads a Systems Biology research program aiming to discover the fundamental mechanisms through which human cancer cells respond heterogeneously to environmental and therapeutic perturbations.

Brent A. French combines advanced methods of targeted drug and gene delivery with biomedical imaging in vivo to explore novel targets and treatment strategies in cardiovascular disease. Research interests of the Molecular Bioengineering Lab focus on developing new, more effective strategies for treating and preventing human disease.

Donald Griffin improves clinical translation of acellular and cellular therapies through enhanced hydrogel-tissue integration, specifically focusing on the development of passive and active instructional microenvironments using microscale building blocks.

Dr. Cameron Griffiths is a systems virologist who combines large datasets with molecular experiments to study host pathogen interactions.

My lab uses molecular biomechanics and engineering design to better understand movement of single cells and to improve the treatment of human disease. We also study human learning and use that knowledge to improve the delivery of core courses in biomedical engineering.

Brian Helmke researches the relationship between cell mechanics and cell function using new tools in materials science and molecular biology, with a focus on cardiovascular disease. His laboratory employs a multidisciplinary biomedical engineering approach to understand the relationship between intracellular mechanics and cell function.

Christopher Highley develops materials and fabrication technologies to enable the design and construction of complex cellular and material systems, with the goal of addressing fundamental and translational problems in biomedicine. 

John A. Hossack develops ultrasound imaging approaches for cardiovascular disease, including mouse heart imaging, catheter-based imaging and drug delivery, and molecular imaging for diagnosing stroke risk. He obtained B.Eng. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Strathclyde and his postdoc at Stanford University.

Mathews Jacob is is an expert in machine learning algorithms for biomedical imaging. He develops advance magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods for brain, lung, and heart applications.

Kevin Janes designs and uses systems bioengineering approaches to analyze cell signaling and transcriptional networks in cancer and infectious disease.

Kimberly Kelly uses computational methods and bioinformatics to develop more effective and less toxic cancer drugs through the identification of disease-relevant druggable targets, with a special emphasis on translation to the clinic and commercialization.

Nationally known in the field of vascular surgery, Melina R. Kibbe, MD, began her five-year appointment as UVA School of Medicine’s Dean and Chief Health Affairs Officer in September 2021. Her lab develops novel therapies for patients with vascular disease while simultaneously studying the mechanism of how these therapies impact the vascular wall.

Kelsey Kubelick leverages light, sound, nanoconstruct design and cellular engineering strategies to develop advanced theranostic imaging platforms. With a special interest in ultrasound and photoacoustics, her lab creates imaging tools that play a critical role in informing, guiding and enhancing therapies across a range of biomedical applications.

Work in the Lazzara Lab employs a combination of experimental and computational methods to study problems in cell signaling, the complex biochemical process cells use to make decisions.

Merry Mani, PhD, is advancing our understanding of the human brain through innovative imaging.

Kristen Naegle uses data- and computational-driven approaches to predict, and experimental approaches to test, the regulation and function of tyrosine phosphorylation in complex networks.

My systems neuroscience lab studies the neural code underlying motivated behaviors, like feeding, drinking, and social interaction, as well as how malfunction in associated brain areas leads to diseases like addiction and eating disorders.

Jason Papin, Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, develops computational models of cellular networks and performs experiments to characterize biological systems relevant to human disease. After his training in Bioengineering at University of California, San Diego, Jason Papin joined the faculty at University of Virginia in 2005.

Shayn Peirce-Cottler develops computational models and combines them with wet lab experiments and machine learning to study how tissues heal after injury and to develop new therapies for inducing tissue regeneration.

Dr. Price's research program centers on the development and implementation of image-guided drug and gene delivery systems for treating cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. Róża Kamila Przanowska is a Polish molecular biologist specializing in non-coding RNAs in cancer and development.

Dr. Rohde develops computational predictive models with applications in pathology, radiology, systems biology, and mobile sensing.

Jeff Saucerman, PhD, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, combines computational models and high-throughput experiments to discover molecular networks and drugs that control cardiac remodeling.

Dr. Sheybani leads a translational research program centered on innovating tools and paradigms for non-invasive precision cancer management.

Adrian Shimpi studies sources of cellular heterogeneity by integrating both experimental and computational approaches to understand the molecular networks regulating cellular phenotypes.

Kelsey Watts, Ph.D., is dedicated to unraveling the sex-specific mechanisms that govern cardiovascular disease in order to make healthcare more equitable.

Dean West is a transformational researcher, award-winning teacher and mentor, inventor, and entrepreneur. Her research focuses on the use of biomaterials, nanotechnology and tissue engineering, applying engineering approaches to studying biological problems and solving unmet medical needs, particularly in the fight against cancer. 

Aidong Zhang's research focuses on developing machine learning approaches to interpretable and fair learning, concept-based learning, federated learning, and generative AI. She also works on large language models for hypothesis generations for scientific discovery.

Eli Zunder analyzes stem cell fate using single cell mass cytometry and high-dimensional modeling of cell lineage trajectories. He received his Ph.D. in Biophysics from UCSF in 2009.