After obtaining my Bachelor’s in Engineering in 2002 with a minor in Mathematics, at the age of 19, I received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship with which I obtained my Master’s from the University of Cambridge in 2004 and my PhD at the University of Groningen in 2005 at the age of 21, becoming the youngest PhD in The Netherlands. After a short post-doctoral period at Harvard/US and at Ecole des Mines of Paris/France, I was the youngest recipient of the European Research Council Starting/ERC Grant at the age of 24 (out of ~9,100 applicants only 300 were funded that year), which I carried out at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, between 2008-2013. In 2013 I joined the University of Arizona as an Associate Professor, and since 2017 I have been an Associate Professor and Faculty Fellow at the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department of the University of Florida, where I setup the Laboratory of Nanomaterials for Energy and Biological Applications.
Education
BS, Michigan Technological Univ, 2002,MPhil, Univ of Cambridge (Pembroke College), 2004,PhD, Univ of Groningen, 2005
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Member
Teaching Interests
Li-ion Batteries, Energy Storage, Mechanical Design I
Research Interests
Katerina E. Aifantis focuses on using solid mechanics for understanding materials behavior at the nanoscale, such as dislocation-grain boundary and dislocation-graphene interactions. In addition to basic science questions, she uses her theoretical and experimental insight to predict the most promising materials systems that can be used in various applications, ranging from next generation electrodes for Li-ion batteries, to bone regeneration scaffolds and bioacompatible electrodes for deep brain stimulation.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
- Shuang F. G , Aifantis, K.E, Dislocation-graphene interactions in Cu/graphene composites and the effect of boundary conditions: a molecular dynamics study, Carbon 172, 50-70, 2021.
- Du Z., Feng X., Cao G., She Z., Tan R., Aifantis K.E., Zhang R., Li X. ,The effect of carbon nanotubes on osteogenic functions of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells in vitro and bone formation in vivo compared with that of nano-hydroxyapatite and the possible mechanism, Bioactive Materials 6, 333-345, 2021.
- Hu P.P, Peng W.P, Wang BG, Xiao D.P, Ahuja U.G, Réthoré R., Aifantis K.E., Concentration-Gradient Prussian Blue Cathodes for Na-Ion Batteries, ACS Energy Letters 5, 100-108, 2020.
- Shuang F.G, Deng H.A, Shafique A. B.G, Marsh S., Treiman D., Tsakalis K., Aifantis K. E. A first study on nanoporous tungsten recording electrodes for deep brain stimulation. Materials Letters, article #126885 (4 pg), 2019.
- Huang Y.G, Deng H.A, Fan Y., Zheng L., Che J.G, Li X., Aifantis K.E., Conductive nanostructured Si biomaterials enhance osteogeneration through electrical stimulation, Matls Sci. & Eng. C 103, article# 109748 (10 pg), 2019.
- Hu P.P, Dorogov M., Yan X., Aifantis K.E., Transforming single crystal CuO/Cu2O nanorods into nano-polycrystalline Cu/Cu2O through lithiation, ChemElectroChem 6, 3139-3144, 2019.
Dr. Allen’s research focuses on identifying biomechanical targets that can guide interventional decisions in rehabilitation and device design for individuals with ambulatory impairments. This work leverages musculoskeletal modeling and machine learning techniques to identify deficits in lower-extremity biomechanics and to predict how different interventions or devices will improve ambulatory function. Dr. Allen and collaborators have recently identified several potential biomechanical targets for reducing fall risk and improving mobility in older adults and stroke survivors that her group is following up in NSF and NIH funded projects.
Dr. Allen joins us from West Virginia University, where she is an Assistant Professor in Biomedical Engineering. She received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida and her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. She then completed post-doctoral training at Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. During her training, she was a recipient of both an NSF graduate research fellowship and an NIH F32 individual post-doctoral fellowship.
As a native (north) Floridian and UF Alum, Dr. Allen is excited to head back to Florida and to don the orange-and-blue again!
Professor Angelini received his Ph.D. in 2005 from the University of Illinois. His research interests include collective cell motion, mechanical instabilities in tissue cell assemblies, bacterial biofilm physics, soft matter physics, biomolecular self-assembly, and tribology of soft matter interfaces.
Education
Ph.D., 2005, University of Illinois
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
American Physical Society, Member
Society of Tribologist and Lubrication Engineers, Member
Teaching Interests
Soft Biological Mechanics, Soft Tissue Mechanics, Data Measurement and Analysis, Vibrations.
Research Interests
Collective cell motion, mechanical instabilities in tissue cell assemblies, bacterial biofilm physics, soft matter physics, biomolecular self-assembly, and tribology of soft matter interfaces.
Professor Banks has been active in orthopaedic and joint mechanics research his entire career. He is a member of several professional societies including ASME, the Knee Society, the American Society for Biomechanics and the Orthopaedic Research Society. Professor Banks served as President and annual conference host for the International Society for Technology in Arthroplasty in 2013, and remains a member of the Board of Directors. Professor Banks holds numerous medical device patents, works with several medical device companies, and has designed joint replacement implants that have been used in over 100,000 patients.
Education
Ph.D., 1992, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
M.Sc., 1988, B.Sc., 1985, Case Western Reserve University
Teaching Interests
Musculoskeletal biomechanics, measurement techniques and technologies, robotics and controls.
Research Interests
Biomechanics of human and animal joints in healthy, injured and replaced states. Techniques and technologies for quantifying musculoskeletal biomechanics. Musculoskeletal modeling for surgical planning and treatment design. Medical robotics for surgery and research.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Dr. Chen received her Ph.D from the Georgia Washington University in 2003 and jointed University of Florida in 2006. She was a recipient of DARPA Young Faculty Award in 2010 for “Predicting materials properties from their microstructural architecture”, DOE Early Career Award in 2011 for “Prediction of thermal transport properties of materials with microstructural complexity”, and nine US National Science Foundation Awards for multiscale studies of mechanics of advanced materials and thermal transport in heterostructures from 2009 to 2023. Six of her former Ph.D students are now university professors and two are US national laboratory scientists. Dr. Chen was selected as a Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering Doctoral Dissertation Advisor/Mentoring Awardee in 2022.
Education
Ph.D, 2003, The George Washington University
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
American Physical Society, Member
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Member
Materials Research Society, Member
Society of Engineering Science, Member
Teaching Interests
Continuum Mechanics, Vibrations, Nano and Micro Mechanics
Research Interests
Linking and Unifying Atomistic and Continuum Descriptions, Concurrent Multiscale Computational Methods, Atomistic and Multiscale Mechanics, Coupled Defect Dynamics and Phonon transport
Selected Publications
- A. Diaz, B. Gu, Y. Li, S.J. Plimpton, D.L. McDowell, Y. Chen, A parallel algorithm for the concurrent atomistic-continuum methodology, Journal of Computational Physics, 463 (2022) 111140.
- Y. Li, Z. Zheng, A. Diaz, S.R. Phillpot, D.L. McDowell, Y. Chen, Resonant interaction between phonons and PbTe/PbSe (001) misfit dislocation networks, Acta Materialia, 237 (2022) 118143.
- X. Chen, W. Li, L. Xiong, Y. Li, S. Yang, Z. Zheng, D.L. McDowell, Y. Chen, Ballistic-diffusive Phonon Heat Transport across Grain Boundaries, Acta Materialia, 136 (2017) 355-365.
- X. Chen, L. Xiong, D.L. McDowell, Y. Chen, Effects of phonons on mobility of dislocations and dislocation arrays, Scripta Materialia, 137 (2017) 22-26.
- L. Xiong, L., J. Rigelesaiyin, X. Chen, S. Xu, D.L. McDowell, and Y. Chen, Coarse-grained elastodynamics of fast moving dislocations.Acta Materialia, 2016. 104: p. 143-155.
- N. Zhang, N., S. Yang, L. Xiong, Y. Hong, and Y. Chen, Nanoscale toughening mechanism of nacre tablet.Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 2016. 53: p. 200-209.
- Y. Chen, S. Shabanov, and D.L. McDowell, Concurrent atomistic-continuum modeling of crystalline materials.Journal of Applied Physics, 2019. 126(10): p. 101101.
- Y. Chen, and A. Diaz, Physical foundation and consistent formulation of atomic-level fluxes in transport processes.Physical Review E, 2018. 98(5): p. 052113.
Dr. Costello’s research focuses on understanding the role of movement biomechanics and physical activity in musculoskeletal health, with an emphasis on knee osteoarthritis. This work utilizes motion capture, wearable sensors and machine learning to examine how time-varying, multidimensional joint loads experienced during human movement contribute to disease progression.
Dr. Costello joins us from a NIH F32 & T32 funded postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Physical Therapy & Athletic Training at Boston University and the Section of Rheumatology at the Boston University School of Medicine. She previously completed her doctoral work in biomedical engineering at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, a master’s degree in biomedical engineering at Virginia Tech and her undergraduate degree in biomedical and mechanical engineering at Duke University. Dr. Costello also spent a year doing research at the Steadman Philippon Research Institute in Vail, Colorado and a year completing a Fulbright scholarship at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
Prof. Warren Dixon received his Ph.D. in 2000 from Clemson University. He worked as a research staff member and Eugene P. Wigner Fellow at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) until 2004, when he joined the University of Florida in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, where he is now a Distinguished Professor, Dean’s Leadership Professor, and Department Chair. His main research interest has been the development and application of Lyapunov-based control techniques for uncertain nonlinear systems. His work has been recognized by the 2019 IEEE Control Systems Technology Award, (2017-2018 & 2012-2013) University of Florida College of Engineering Doctoral Dissertation Mentoring Award, 2015 & 2009 American Automatic Control Council (AACC) O. Hugo Schuck (Best Paper) Award, the 2013 Fred Ellersick Award for Best Overall MILCOM Paper, the 2011 American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Dynamics Systems and Control Division Outstanding Young Investigator Award, the 2006 IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS) Early Academic Career Award, an NSF CAREER Award (2006-2011), the 2004 Department of Energy Outstanding Mentor Award, and the 2001 ORNL Early Career Award for Engineering Achievement. He is an ASME Fellow (2016) and IEEE Fellow (2016), was an IEEE Control Systems Society (CSS) Distinguished Lecturer (2013-2018), served as the Director of Operations for the Executive Committee of the IEEE CSS Board of Governors (BOG) (2012-2015), and served as an elected member of the IEEE CSS BOG (2019-2020). His technical contributions and service to the IEEE CSS were recognized by the IEEE CSS Distinguished Member Award (2020). He was awarded the Air Force Commander’s Public Service Award (2016) for his contributions to the U.S. Air Force Science Advisory Board.
Education
Ph.D., 2000, Clemson University
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Member
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Fellow 2016
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Fellow 2016
Teaching Interests
Nonlinear Control, Adaptive Control, Control of Mechanical Engineering Systems
Research Interests
Adaptive nonlinear control, robotics, human-machine interactions, biomedical, visual servo control
Selected Publications
- R. Kamalapurkar, P. S. Walters, J. A. Rosenfeld, W. E. Dixon, Reinforcement Learning for Optimal Feedback Control: A Lyapunov-based Approach, Springer, 2018.
- A. Behal, W. E. Dixon, B. Xian, and D. M. Dawson, Lyapunov-Based Control of Robotic Systems, Taylor and Francis, 2009, ISBN: 0849370256.
- W. E. Dixon, A. Behal, D. M. Dawson, and S. Nagarkatti, Nonlinear Control of Engineering Systems: A Lyapunov-Based Approach, Birkhauser Boston, 2003, ISBN: 0- 8176-4265-X.
- S. Bhasin, R. Kamalapurkar, M. Johnson, K. Vamvoudakis, F. L. Lewis, and W. E. Dixon, “A novel actor-critic-identifier architecture for approximate optimal control of uncertain nonlinear systems,” Automatica, Vol. 49, No. 1, pp. 89-92 (2013).
- N. Fischer, R. Kamalapurkar, and W. E. Dixon, “LaSalle-Yoshizawa Corollaries for Nonsmooth Systems,” IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, Vol. 58, No. 9, pp. 2333-2338 (2013).
- P. M. Patre, W. MacKunis, K. Kaiser, and W. E. Dixon, “Asymptotic Tracking for Uncertain Dynamic Systems via a Multilayer Neural Network Feedforward and RISE Feedback Control Structure,” IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, Vol. 53, No. 9, pp. 2180-2185 (2008).
- C. Cousin, V. Duenas, C. Rouse, M. Bellman, P. Freeborn, E. Fox, and W. E. Dixon, “Closed-Loop Cadence and Instantaneous Power Control on a Motorized Functional Electrical Stimulation Cycle,” IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology, Vol. 28, No. 6, pp. 2276-2291 (2020).
- T.-H. Cheng, Z. Kan, J. R. Klotz, J. M. Shea, and W. E. Dixon, “Event-Triggered Control of Multi-Agent Systems for Fixed and Time-Varying Network Topologies,” IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, Vol. 62, No. 10, pp. 5365-5371 (2017).
Education
- PhD Mechanical Engineering, University of Florida 2013
- MS Mechanical Engineering, University of Florida 2006
- BS Mechanical Engineering, University of Florida 2004
Professor Fan joined UF in 2003. His research focus is to develop microfluidics and BioMEMS technologies and apply them to biomedical applications. Microfluidics involves device fabrication and manufacturing, study of fluid behavior in microscale, and exploiting the devices for a variety of applications including point-of-care testing, environmental monitoring, and detection of pathogens in the field.
Education
Ph. D., 1994, University of Alberta
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
American Association for the Advancement of Science, Fellow 2016
American Institute for Medical and Biomedical Engineering, Fellow 2021
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Fellow 2018
American Association for Cancer Research, Member
American Chemical Society, Member
Teaching Interests
Fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, microfluidics
Research Interests
Microfluidics, bioMEMS (biomedical microelectromechanical systems), sensors, medical diagnostics, and bioengineering
Selected Publications
- M. N. Le, Z. H. Fan, “Exosome Isolation Using Nanostructures and Microfluidic Devices”, Biomedical Materials, 16, 2021, 022005, DOI: 10.1088/1748-605X/abde70.
- K. Chen, P. Dopico, J. Varillas, J. Zhang, T. J. George, Z. H. Fan, “Integration of Lateral Filter Arrays with Immunoaffinity for Circulating-Tumor-Cell Isolation”, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 58, 2019, 7606–7610, DOI: 10.1002/anie.201901412.
- X. Jiang, J. C. Loeb, C. Manzanas, J. A. Lednicky, Z. H. Fan, “Valve-enabled Sample Preparation and RNA Amplification in a Coffee Mug for Zika Virus Detection”, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 57, 2018, 17211–17214, DOI: 10.1002/anie.201809993.
- J. L. Garcia-Cordero, Z. H. Fan, “Sessile droplets for chemical and biological assays”, Lab on a Chip, 17, 2017, 2150–2166, DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00366h.
- K. Ward, Z. H. Fan, “Mixing in Microfluidic Devices and Enhancement Methods”, Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, 25, 2015, 094001, DOI: 10.1088/0960-1317/25/9/094001.
- W. Sheng, T. Chen, W. Tan, and Z. H. Fan, “Multivalent DNA nanospheres for enhanced capture of cancer cells in microfluidic devices,” ACS Nano, 7, 2013, 7067–7076, DOI: 10.1021/nn4023747.
- K. Pitchaimani, B. C. Sapp, A. Winter, A. Gispanski, T. Nishida, Z. H. Fan, “Manufacturable Plastic Microfluidic Valves Using Thermal Actuation,” Lab on a Chip, 9, 2009, 3082–3087, DOI: 10.1039/b909742b.
- Z. Xia, R. Mei, M. Sheplak, and Z. H. Fan, “Electroosmotically-Driven Creeping Flows in a Wavy Microchannel,” Microfluidics and Nanofluidics, 6, 2009, 37–52, DOI: 10.1007/s10404-008-0290-8.
- B.J. Lutz, Z. H. Fan, T. Burgdorf, B. Friedrich, “Hydrogen sensing by enzyme-catalyzed electrochemical detection”, Analytical Chemistry, 77, 2005, 4969–4975, DOI: 10.1021/ac050313i.
- K. Fredrickson, Z. H. Fan, “Macro-to-micro interfaces for microfluidic devices”, Lab on a chip, 4, 2004, 526–533, DOI: 10.1039/b410720a.
Professor Greenslet received her Ph.D. in 1996 from Utsunomiya University in Japan. Her research interests include Magnetic field-assisted finishing; Surface functionalization and characterization; Ultra-precision surface finishing of optics; Surface and edge finishing of capillary tubes, catheter shafts and stents; and Medical device development.
Education
Ph.D., 1996, Utsunomiya University, Japan
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
CIRP (International Academy for Production Engineering), Fellow 2023
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Fellow 2015
Society of Manufacturing Engineers, Fellow 2016
SPIE (International Society for Optics and Photonics), Member
Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, Member
Teaching Interests
Manufacturing engineering, Fundamentals of production engineering, Nontraditional manufacturing engineering.
Research Interests
Magnetic field-assisted finishing, Sheet metal forming, Surface functionalization and characterization, Ultra-precision surface finishing of optics, Medical device development
After 20 years in the robotics industry, Mike came back to UF to teach the design courses.
Education
1991 Ph.D. University of Florida
1988 MSME University of Florida
1985 BSME University of Florida
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Member
Teaching Interests
Design, Kinematics, Statics, Numerical Methods
Research Interests
Kinematics, Statics, Screw Theory
Chase Hartquist is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Florida. He obtained his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he investigated the mechanics of fracture in soft network materials. He earned his B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, where he studied the mechanics of vascular surgery and biomedical materials. His research focuses on understanding the mechanical and failure behaviors of soft structures, networks, and polymers. This work leverages fundamental structure-property relationships across length scales to inform design of high-performing soft materials and structures for emerging applications in medical technology and clean energy.
Education
Ph.D., 2025, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MS, 2021, Washington University in St. Louis
BS, 2020, Washington University in St. Louis
Research Interests
Solid Mechanics, Soft Materials, Polymer Physics, Biomechanics, Medical Devices
Teaching Interests
Mechanics of Materials, Continuum Mechanics, Fracture Mechanics, Biosolid Mechanics, Soft Tissue Mechanics
Dr. Yong Huang is a professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Materials Science and Engineering. His research interests are two-fold: 1) processing of biological and engineering materials for healthcare/energy applications, and 2) understanding of dynamic material behavior during manufacturing and process-induced damage or defect structures. He served as the Technical Program Chair for the 2010 American Society of Mechanical Engineers International Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference (ASME MSEC 2010) and the 2012 International Symposium on Flexible Automation (ISFA 2012). He received various awards for his manufacturing research contributions including the ASME Blackall Machine Tool and Gage Award (2005), the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award (2006), the NSF CAREER Award (2008), and the ASME International Symposium on Flexible Automation Young Investigator Award (2008). He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2002 and is a Fellow of ASME.
Education
Ph.D., 2002, Georgia Institute of Technology
Teaching Interests
Manufacturing Engineering, Advanced Manufacturing Processes and Analyses, Mechanics of Materials
Research Interests
- Three-dimensional (3D) printing of biological and engineering materials from difficult-to-print ink materials using inkjetting, extrusion, and laser-induced forward transfer,
- Design and fabrication of microphysiological and engineered living systems, and
- Study of dynamic material behavior using jetting and machining.
Amor A. Menezes is an Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Florida, with affiliate appointments in Biomedical Engineering, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Genetics, and Chemical Engineering. He is a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Standing Committee on Advances and National Security Implications of Transdisciplinary Biotechnology. His research focuses on modeling and controlling biological processes for medical and space applications. His group develops feedback control systems for inflammation-mediated coagulation disorders; advances the theory of biomolecular positive dynamical systems; designs integrated space biomanufacturing systems; and genetically engineers microbes to reject extreme environments. As Principal Investigator of three multi-university experiments launched to the International Space Station, he established the viability of space microbial biomanufacturing. From 2017-2023, he was Science Principal Investigator of NASA’s Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space. Prof. Menezes’ research was recognized by the NSF CAREER award, the Synthetic Biology Leadership Excellence Accelerator Program, and the Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity Initiative. He has contributed to the Engineering Biology Research Consortium’s “Engineering Biology for Space Health Roadmap”, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy workshop on “Homesteading in Space”, and the National Intelligence Council Strategic Futures Group’s “Global Trends Report”. He is an Associate Editor of the IEEE Control Systems Society Technology Conference Editorial Board and the ASME Modeling, Estimation and Control Conference Editorial Board. He is a Senior Member of IEEE and a Member of AIAA, ASME, and ASGSR. Prof. Menezes received a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan, and completed postdoctoral training in aerospace engineering and bioengineering at the University of Michigan and the University of California, Berkeley, respectively.
Education
Postdoc, 2016, University of California, Berkeley;
Postdoc, 2011, University of Michigan;
Ph.D., 2010, University of Michigan;
M.S.E., 2006, University of Michigan;
B.A.Sc., 2005, University of Waterloo
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Member
American Society for Gravitational and Space Research, Member
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Member
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Senior Member
Teaching Interests
Modeling and Control of Biological Systems, Control of Linear and Nonlinear Systems, and Aircraft and Spacecraft Performance and Control.
Research Interests
Biological Control Systems, Biosecurity, Cellular Engineering, Nonlinear Control, Synthetic Biology, and Systems Biology.
Education
Ph.D., 2006, University of Maryland
Research Interests
Micro/nanoscale transport and nanotechnology for energy science and health applications; nanoengineering of functionalized membranes for energy conversion and storage and filtration/separation applications; heat and mass transfer in micro/nanostructures; microfluidic reactor platforms for fundamental energy research and reaction engineering; portable power
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
American Association for the Advancement of Science, Member
American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Member
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Fellow 2020
Institute of Electrics and Electronics Engineers, Member
Jing Pan received his PhD from Purdue University in 2017. His research focuses on developing nanoscale machineries for biotechnology applications. He conducted his postdoctoral research at Stanford University School of Medicine, where he demonstrated translational impact of his work in novel biosensors and molecular diagnostics.
Education
Postdoc, 2019 Stanford University
Ph.D, 2017 Purdue University
B.S, 2011 Xi’an Jiaotong University
Teaching Interests
Heat and Mass Transfer; Classical and Statistical Thermodynamics; Modern Optics and Imaging System Engineering; Biodesign
Research Interests
Macromolecular Machines; Directed Evolution; Self-assembly and self-organization; Bio-nanotechnology; Synthetic Biology; Medical Technology.
Dr. Umesh Persad obtained his Ph.D. in Engineering Design from The University of Cambridge (Cambridge Engineering Design Centre), with a special focus on Inclusive and Healthcare Design. His areas of interest include Engineering Design and Product Development, Applied Artificial Intelligence, Educational Innovation and Technology, and Academic Strategy and Leadership. Dr. Persad previously held the position of Associate Professor and Head of Department of the Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing and Entrepreneurship (MME) Department at The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), West Indies. He was also the co-director of the UTT Centre for Applied Artificial Intelligence Research (CAAIR).
Dr. Persad consults for companies across a range of industries in carrying out design and innovation audits, and in developing methods and tools that support product and process innovation. He is driven by the desire to develop creative young engineers, and to develop solutions that could help people and make technology available to those who need it the most. Dr. Persad’s greatest satisfaction comes from seeing students’ confidence grow in their own problem-solving abilities while developing the right attitudes to be successful lifelong learners and contributors to society.
Education
Ph.D. (2012), Engineering Design, University of Cambridge
B.Sc. (2000), Mechanical Engineering (First Class Honours), University of the West Indies
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Member
Teaching Interests
Engineering Design and Product Development
Creativity and Innovation
Design for People
Research Interests
Artificial Intelligence in Design
Computational Design Synthesis for Biomedical Applications
Inclusive/Universal Design
Design Management and Process Improvement
Engineering Design Education – Artificial Intelligence Applications
Selected Publications
Dr. Sarntinoranont grew up in Starke, Clermont and Gainesville, FL. Her degrees are in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis in Bioengineering. Dr.S’s research is driven by a vision to develop engineering tools for patient-specific drug therapy. Her lab is developing image-based computational models that predict flows and transport within the brain, spinal cord, tumors and bioreactors. She is an author on over 100 journal articles and conference proceedings and she is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. She has been the research advisor of over 25 graduate students and over 50 undergraduate students. In her free time, she likes to listen to rock music and garden.
Education
Ph.D., 1999, U.C. Berkeley
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Member
Teaching Interests
Biosolids mechanics, Biofluids & BioHeat Transfer, Mechanics of Materials, Continuum Mechanics, Soft Tissue Mechanics
Research Interests
Soft tissue biomechanics, physiologic fluid flow, and macromolecular drug delivery.
Professor Spearot received his Ph.D. in 2005 from the Georgia Institute of Technology. His research broadly includes the use of atomistic and mesoscale simulation techniques to study the mechanical and thermodynamic properties of materials, with particular focus on the behavior of interfaces. He was awarded the NSF CAREER Award in 2010 and was named 2020 Teacher of the Year in the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering.
Education
Ph.D., 2005, Georgia Institute of Technology
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
American Society of Electrics and Electronic Engineers, Member
The Minerals, Metals, & Materials Society, Member
US Association for Computational Mechanics, Member
Teaching Interests
Mechanics of materials, fracture mechanics, classical atomistic simulation methods.
Research Interests
Computational mechanics and materials science (including atomistic simulations, discrete dislocation dynamics simulations, and phase-field modeling), behavior of defects in materials, nanostructured materials, linking between atomistic and continuum length scales, and method development for atomistic and mesoscale computational modeling.
Professor Xin Tang received his Post-doctoral training from Harvard University and Ph.D. from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research centers at the interface of engineering, physics, chemistry, and biology. His lab studies cell and molecular mechanics in cancer, cardiovascular system, and neurons; unconventional mechano-electrophysiology; quantitative in vivo/vitro functional bio-imaging; AI/ML-powered bio-nanotechnology; and development of new biophysical tools to probe biological function/structure. His research is supported by NIH, NSF, AFOSR/DoD, UF Health Cancer Center, UF Opportunity Funds, and etc. He was awarded the NIH Maximizing Investigator’s Research Award (R35), American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Tumor Microenvironment (TME) Junior Investigator, Researcher of the Year 2024 Award in the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, NIH/NCI-designated UF Health Cancer Center Rising Star of the 2024 Year Award, and Faculty Advisor/Mentor of the Year 2025 Award in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering.
Education
Postdoc, 2017, Harvard University
Ph.D., 2013, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Teaching Interests
Active Soft Matter Biophysics; Biomechanics at Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Scales; Quantitative Optical Bio-imaging; Continuum Mechanics; and Finite-element Analysis
Research Interests
Biomechanics, Mechanobiology and Soft Matter: Cell and molecular mechanics in cancer development and metastasis, cardiovascular system, and neurons; unconventional mechano-electrophysiology; quantitative in vivo/vitro functional bio-imaging; bio-nanotechnology; and development of new biophysical tools to probe biological function/structure.
Recent Publications
Yin Xin, Keming Li , Miao Huang, Chenyu Liang, Dietmar Siemann, Lizi Wu, Youhua Tan, and Xin Tang, Biophysics in tumor growth and progression: from single mechano-sensitive molecules to mechanomedicine. 2023, Oncogene (Nature), https://www.nature.com/articles/s41388-023-02844-x.pdf.
Note: This article is selected as “The best of Oncogene 2023″.
Chenyu Liang, Qian Zhang, Xin Chen, Jiawei Liu, Mai Tanaka, Shu Wang, Sharon E. Lepler, Zeyuan Jin, Dietmar W. Siemann, Bo Zeng, and Xin Tang, Human cancer cells generate spontaneous calcium transients and intercellular waves that modulate tumor growth, Biomaterials (Impact Factor: 15.3), 2022, 290, 121823, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014296122200463X.
Chenyu Liang, Miao Huang, Tianqi Li, Lu Li, Hayley Sussman, Yao Dai, Dietmar W. Siemann, Mingyi Xie, and Xin Tang, Towards an integrative understanding of cancer mechanobiology: calcium, YAP, and microRNA under biophysical forces, Soft Matter (Impact Factor: 4.1), 2022,18, 1112-1148, https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2022/sm/d1sm01618k