Ph.D. Graduates

Doctor of Philosophy 2025

• Cagla Deniz Bahadir

  Thesis title: “Generative AI for Digital Pathology: Advancing Diffusion, Vision-Language, and Safety-Aware Models”

  Advisor: Dr. Mert Sabuncu

  We were incredibly fortunate to recruit Cagla to Cornell through the prestigious Fulbright Fellowship, following her outstanding undergraduate training at one of the top engineering programs in Turkey. Cagla was one of my very first graduate students at Cornell, and from the beginning she brought energy, curiosity, and a remarkable ability to forge her own path. After completing her master’s degree, Cagla spent a brief but meaningful time in industry at Siemens, gaining valuable perspective. I’m grateful I was able to convince her to return for a Ph.D.—because what followed was extraordinary. She fearlessly stepped into a brand-new research area—AI in digital pathology—that was as new to me as it was to her. Together, we explored uncharted territory, and Cagla led the way in building clinical collaborations and developing technologies with real potential for clinical impact. I’m immensely proud of what she has accomplished. Cagla’s work exemplifies the bold, boundary-pushing spirit we hope to nurture in all of our students. I can’t wait to see where her journey takes her next. Congratulations, Cagla!

• Erik Chow

  Thesis title: “Exploring the Role of the Glycocalyx in Extracellular Vesicle Biogenesis and Function Using Genetically Encoded Engineered Mucins”

  Advisor: Dr. Matthew Paszek

  Erik joined Cornell’s biomedical engineering graduate program after completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Texas at Dallas. Erik has been the leading force in the Paszek lab’s investigation of extracellular vesicles, tiny particles that cells secrete to communicate with each other. Erik’s work has provided new mechanistic insight into how secretion of extracellular vesicles by tumor cells is driven by their overproduction of a cell-surface biopolymer called Muc1. Inspired by this natural mechanism, Erik has developed new engineering strategies to tune cellular secretion of vesicles and the functional properties of these vesicles. The broad biomedical applications of this vesicle-based biotechnology include potential use as drug delivery vehicles and imaging contrast agents. He has been a valued member of the lab, adding positively to the group’s overall technical skill and collaborative spirit, generously lending his data analysis skills to others on campus. His consummate professionalism and skill in the kitchen will be greatly missed. Thank you and congratulations, Erik!

• Liz-Audrey Djomnang

  Thesis title: “Leveraging Cell-Free Nucleic Acids as Biomarkers for the Non-Invasive Monitoring of Kidney Disease”

  Advisor: Dr. Iwijn De Vlaminck

  Liz grew up in the western French speaking region of Cameroon. She earned her B.S. in biomedical engineering at the University at Buffalo, before joining our Ph.D. program in 2021. During her studies in the De Vlaminck lab, she pioneered highly-sensitive liquid biopsy tools to monitor kidney health from biofluids such as blood and urine. By melding molecular engineering with systems-level analytics, Liz has created noninvasive diagnostic tools that simultaneously screen for infection and quantify organ injury with remarkable specificity and sensitivity. Outside of the lab, Liz channels her creativity into singing, drawing, and baking.

• Alikhan Fidai

  Thesis title: “Bioactive Therapies for Degenerative Disc Disease”

  Advisor: Dr. Lawrence Bonassar

  Alikhan came to Cornell after receiving his B.S. in biomedical engineering from the University of Texas at Dallas. His thesis research focused on development of treatments for degenerative disc disease using native and gene-edited stem cells. His work represents a true bench-to-bedside approach taking cell-based therapies from in vitro and in vivo studies to assessment of safety and efficacy in human patients. He has presented his work at several conferences, including the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS), the ORS Spine Section, and the Global Spine Congress in Bangkok, Thailand. Based on this work, he published two first-author papers in JOR Spine and World Neurosurgery with two additional co-authored papers in World Neurosurgery. He has won several awards, including a Dean’s Excellence Fellowship, a Provost Diversity Fellowship, an NIH TL1 Training Fellowship, and was a Poster Award Finalist at the Orthopaedic Research Society. After graduation, he will pursue a career in industry as a medical science liaison and clinical trial manger. Congratulations, Alikhan!

• Wenting Gao

  Thesis title: “Development of Lateral Flow-Based Multiplex Diagnostics toward Point-of-Care Implementation in Low-Resource Environments”

  Advisor: Dr. David Erickson

  Wenting Gao’s Ph.D. research centered on advancing point-of-care diagnostic technologies, with a primary focus on two flagship projects: PoCBreCa, a novel platform for low-cost breast cancer screening, and FeverPhone 2.0, a mobile-based antigen test for the detection of Lassa and Ebola viruses. Her work combined assay development, device integration, and translational research to address diagnostic needs in low-resource settings. In addition to her core projects, Wenting contributed to several review papers on point-of-care technologies, including a major comprehensive review on cancer diagnostics for limited-resource environments. Her research highlights the potential of portable diagnostics to expand access to timely and accurate healthcare globally.

• Rachel Honigsberg

  Thesis title: “Tumor-Specific Draining Lymph Node CD8 T Cells Orchestrate an Anti-tumor Response to PD-1 Immune Checkpoint Blockade”

  Advisor: Dr. Olivier Elemento

  Rachel joined Elemento Lab in 2021, with a research focus in biomedical engineering and determining T cell response to PD-1 blockade in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Rachel earned a B.A. and B.S. in biomedical engineering at Boston University. She also obtained an M.S. from Cornell University. Rachel’s thesis redefines how immunotherapy exerts its effects in early-stage surgically respectable NSCLC. Challenging the long-standing view that checkpoint blockade acts primarily within the tumor microenvironment, her work reveals that the majority of therapy-responsive CD8⁺ T-cell clones originate from activated precursor populations within tumor-draining lymph nodes (tdLNs). Using single-cell trajectory mapping and T-cell receptor lineage tracing, Rachel demonstrated that these tdLN-derived T cells fuel systemic anti-tumor immunity. Her research further identified distinct migratory and transcriptional programs across tumor, blood and lymph node compartments—highlighting the compartmentalized nature of anti-tumor T cell responses. These findings have important clinical implications, supporting the use of neoadjuvant immunotherapy and lymph node–sparing surgical strategies to preserve this potential critical reservoir of responsive T cells. Rachel’s work provides a mechanistic foundation for understanding immunotherapy in surgical disease.

• Rebecca Irwin

  Thesis title: “Imaging the Microscale Mechanical Response of Articular Cartilage in Early Stage Osteoarthritis Treatments”

  Advisor: Dr. Lawrence Bonassar

  Becka is taking part in a long overdue celebration of her doctoral degree. She defended her Ph.D. thesis in 2020 in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and was scheduled to participate in a commencement ceremony that was cancelled. Her thesis focused on the micromechanics of cartilage interfaces, with specific focus on cartilage repair and arthritis treatment. This work generated important new insight on the mechanical basis of a variety of cartilage therapies, including injectable lubricants and cell delivery. She published four papers from her thesis work, with an additional paper currently in review. She received multiple awards in her time as a graduate student, including a GAANN fellowship and a grant from the American Arthroscopy Association. Since graduating from Cornell, Becka completed postdoctoral studies at Duke University and returned to Cornell for additional postdoctoral training. In July 2025, she will continue her academic career as an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Rochester. Congratulations, Becka!

• Amy Laflin

  Thesis title: “Turning Cold Tumors Hot: Co-Stimulatory Molecules, Trained Immunity, and Targeted mRNA-LNP Cancer Vaccines Improve Immunotherapy Effectiveness”

  Advisor: Dr. Shaoyi Jiang

  Amy Laflin completed chemical engineering and biochemistry degrees as an honor student from the University of Kansas and performed two-year postbaccalaureate immune engineering research. She came to Cornell’s biomedical engineering Ph.D. program with substantial research experiences in engineering, chemistry, and biology. She was among the first students to join my group when I moved to Cornell in 2020. As she is interested in cancer research, she has been tackling the challenging problem of turning cold tumors into hot tumors. She has focused on two unique approaches, including trained immunity and co-stimulation, to boost cancer immunotherapy and vaccines. Our collaborators at Weill Cornell Medicine, the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, and Houston Methodist Cancer Center are interested in implementing these discoveries into their translational work. As our new group at Cornell is integrating immunology into our research in biomaterials and drug delivery, her projects have contributed significantly to this goal. Amy has played a key role in setting up and maintaining our cell culture facility. She has also done an outstanding job of training and involving many undergraduate and master researchers in her research projects.

• Jiahao Li

  Thesis title: “Advanced Acquisition and Reconstruction Methods for Cardiac Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping and Clinical Application”

  Advisor: Dr. Yi Wang

  Jiahao Li joined Cornell University after earning his bachelor’s degree from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. During his Ph.D., Jiahao focused on developing novel data acquisition and reconstruction techniques for cardiac quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) in magnetic resonance imaging. His work led to the development of spiral-based cardiac QSM methods, including a free-breathing deep learning technique to solve the longstanding challenge of imaging the heart in the presence of motion. One of his techniques has since been integrated into clinical imaging protocols at Weill Cornell Medicine for clinical studies such as pulmonary hypertension and COVID-19. His dedication to MRI technology development and its clinical translation reflects his commitment to impactful, real-world problem solving. We congratulate Jiahao on his accomplishments and wish him continued success in the next chapter of his journey.

• Sophie Liu

  Thesis title: “Non-Invasive Drug Delivery for Otitis Media Treatment”

  Advisor: Dr. Rong Yang

  Sophie obtained her B.A.Sc. in chemical engineering from University of Toronto in 2020 and subsequently joined the Ph.D. program in biomedical engineering at Cornell. Her research focuses on acute otitis media, the primary reason U.S. children receive oral antibiotics.

• Serafina Lopez

  Thesis title: “The Role of Proteoglycans in the Modulation of Collagen Fiber Architecture and Mechanical Properties in Tissue Engineered and Native Meniscus”

  Advisor: Dr. Lawrence Bonassar

  Sera came to Cornell after receiving her B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of New Mexico. Her thesis work focused on understanding the role of proteoglycans controlling the formation and growth of collagen fibers in the meniscus. She used a variety of biochemical and genetic tools to tune collagen fibrillogenesis to enhance the structure and mechanical performance of engineered tissues for meniscus replacement. She presented her work at a number of conferences, including the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) and the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS). Her work at Cornell resulted in five published articles, with an additional paper currently in review. She is the recipient of a Dean’s Excellence Fellowship from Cornell, a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, and was an NIH T32 pre-doctoral fellow. She received awards for scientific presentations at ORS and the Cornell Center for Materials Research Symposium. She successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis in January 2025 and is pursuing postdoctoral training at the University of New Mexico. Congratulations, Sera!

• Alicia Matavosian

  Thesis title: “Real-Time Monitoring of Cell and Bio-Ink Properties Onboard a Syringe Using Dielectric Impedance Spectroscopy for Extrusion Bioprinting”

  Advisor: Dr. Lawrence Bonassar

  Alicia came to Cornell after receiving her B.S. in biomedical engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her thesis research focused on the development of cell sensing technology known at the Smart Syringe, which uses dielectric impedance spectroscopy to measure cell concentration and viability during cell harvest, bioprinting, and manufacturing. She has presented her work at several conferences, including the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) and the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS). Her first paper as primary author from her thesis work was recently published in the journal Biofabrication with two additional papers submitted for publication. She is a co-author on three additional papers from collaborations with colleagues at Weill Cornell Medical. She is a co-inventor on a patent application for the Smart Syringe and plans to commercialize this technology via a new startup company after graduation. Congratulations, Alicia!

• Nada Naguib

  Thesis title: “Optical Microscopy of C’dots in Cellular Environments”

  Advisor: Dr. Uli Wiesner

  I am thrilled to see Nada graduate. She has been a true force of nature in my group working on fluorescent nanoparticles referred to as Cornell dots or simply C dots. C dots are already translated to multiple human clinical trials. We are now working on understanding how they behave once entering cancer cells. To that end, Nada built a spinning disk microscope, identified how to use light to stimulate C dot uptake into the cytoplasm of cancer cells, and developed a generalizable strategy to label cell components with C dots for optical super-resolution microscopy. Along the way she developed algorithms providing image analysis metrics to optimize experimental conditions to achieve state-of-the-art resolution images. In parallel, she synthesized more than 250 individual C dot batches for collaborators. It was truly breathtaking to see her operate during her Ph.D. On top of all that she is the nicest and most caring person imaginable. From the bottom of my heart, I wish her all the best for her next career step after leaving Cornell. I am beyond convinced about her future successes and can’t wait to see where life will take her. Congratulations Nada to your Ph.D. achievements, extremely well done!

• Ioannis Ntekas

  Thesis title: “Towards Spatial RNA Multi-Omics: Extending Spatial Biology Through the Integration of Non-Host and Non-Coding Transcriptomic Signals”

  Advisor: Dr. Iwijn De Vlaminck

  Yannis Ntekas grew up in Piraeus, Greece, and earned his M.S. in chemical engineering from the National Technical University of Athens. After a year in Japan refining continuous-flow antibody production processes, he joined Cornell’s Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering in 2021. As a Ph.D. student in the De Vlaminck Lab, Yannis developed cutting-edge spatial transcriptomic methods that jointly map RNA and microbial cells in tissue. His work integrates innovative biochemistry with advanced computational analysis. He used his tools to explore how the gut microbiome interacts with host cells and to study the molecular biology of spermatogenesis in the mouse testis. Beyond the bench, Yannis is an arthouse-film enthusiast and craft-beer explorer.

• Ambika Pachaury

  Thesis title: “The Role of Coronavirus-Host Cell Membrane Interactions During Viral Entry as Mediated by Conserved Regions of the Fusion Peptide”

  Advisor: Dr. Susan Daniel

  During her thesis research, Ambika Pachaury has uncovered critical insight and biomolecular understanding of the role of the fusion peptide in coronavirus infection. The fusion peptide is a 40 amino acid long sequence within the larger structure of the spike protein and its job is to insert into the host membrane and initiate the process of membrane fusion that ultimately leads to a fusion pore through which the viral genome can enter the host cell. The amino acid sequence dictates this peptide’s function, and hence it impacts infectivity. Some of the amino acids within this sequence do not vary while others vary significantly, making it essential to find out why. Ambika took on the challenge to investigate these features holistically: she first developed a system to test how point mutations in this sequence would impact overall infectivity, then she developed tools to investigate how these mutations impact the peptide structure and function at the molecular level. Ambika developed two new areas of expertise during her time in the lab, one was circular dichroism, which is a tool that provides insight into the structure of peptides, and the second was a fusion assay, where she learned and perfected an approach to assay fusion function that was new to our lab. Using these tools, she was able to understand and describe how these conserved amino acids influence the function of the peptide. With this understanding, scientists can develop predictive tools for critical mutations that could lead to widespread infection or develop anti-viral medicines that target the fusion peptide function. Ambika’s groundbreaking work provides virologists and engineers alike fundamental understanding of this biomolecular machine that will surely contribute to the development of countermeasures to protect human health. Ambika received a prestigious NSF graduate fellowship to support her research and is a fellow of the NIH chemistry-biology interface training program. Ambika has presented her research at the American Virology Society as well as at international virology conferences. Last summer she interned at Pfizer, putting her scientific skills into translational impact. She has also been a fantastic lab and department citizen, participating in outreach and supporting young scientists-in-training.

• Marguerite Pacheco

  Thesis title: “Development of a Recombinant Protein Therapeutic to Induce MRL-like Scarless Tendon Healing”

  Advisor: Dr. Nelly Andarawis-Puri

  I was incredibly fortunate to welcome Marguerite Pacheco into my lab and serve as her Ph.D. thesis advisor. Maggie arrived with a clear passion for biomechanics and a deep commitment to using tissue engineering to advance tendon regeneration. From the start, she impressed me with her intellectual rigor, perseverance, and drive to translate complex biological processes into meaningful therapeutic strategies. Supported by prestigious fellowships—including the NSF GRFP and IMSD Scholar award—Maggie’s research explores the intersection of regenerative biology and protein-based therapeutics, grounded in rigorous work with mouse models. Just as inspiring as her research is her unwavering commitment to service and advocacy. Maggie has been a powerful leader within Cornell’s scientific and broader communities—championing inclusion through organizations like the Latino Graduate Student Coalition and the Building Allyship Series, mentoring younger students, and helping organize outreach through CURIE Academy and Girl Scout Engineering Day. Whether she’s mentoring, organizing events, or winning soccer championships, Maggie brings focus, tenacity, and heart to everything she does. She embodies the kind of scholar-advocate we need more of in academia, and I cannot wait to see the impact she’ll make as a future professor. Congratulations, Maggie!

• Cara Robertus

  Thesis title: “Multimodal Engineering Approaches to Circumvent P-Glycoprotein-Mediated Multidrug Resistance in Cancer”

  Advisor: Dr. David Putnam

  Cara came to Cornell and the Putnam group via Montana State University where she majored in chemical engineering and biological engineering. She first connected with the Putnam group through a phone call wherein she was deciding to stay in the west or to attend Cornell for her graduate training. We are all very glad that she took the leap and joined our group here in New York. Cara was awarded a prestigious NSF Fellowship during her time at Cornell, a testament to her scientific promise. Her research focused on the treatment of multidrug-resistant cancers. Specifically, she investigated new ways to target resistant cells and how to make them susceptible to treatment. She approached this challenge in two ways. First, to target resistant cells, she used molecules that bind to unique proteins on these cells and clustered them on water soluble polymers to increase their affinity for these cells. Second, to make these cells susceptible to treatment, she delivered nucleic acids called siRNA that work like a molecular scalpel to eliminate the proteins that make the cells resistant to treatment. From her work, she derived a series of equations that have the potential to assist cancer clinicians in their patient treatment plans because the equations correlate the drug resistance of cells to the doses of drugs that are needed to be clinically effective.

• Nicole Sempertegui

  Thesis title: “Biomaterials Properties of Osteogenic Niches Regulate Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis Progression”

  Advisor: Dr. Claudia Fischbach-Teschl

  Before starting at Cornell, Nicole earned a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Alabama, where she developed an early passion for cancer research. Her Ph.D. work at Cornell focused on investigating how bone matrix mineralization—a hallmark of the continuous bone remodeling that occurs throughout life—affects mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) behavior and contributes to breast cancer bone metastasis. By combining advanced biomaterials models, tissue engineering strategies, cutting-edge imaging techniques, and collaborations with researchers at Cornell and Weill Cornell Medicine, Nicole discovered that reduced bone mineral density, commonly seen with aging, inhibits MSC differentiation into bone-forming cells and instead promotes a phenotype that supports tumor growth and metastatic progression. Nicole’s excellence as a researcher is evidenced not only by her impactful publications but also by the numerous awards and fellowships she has received, including a Best Poster Award at a Gordon Research Conference and a research grant from the Rochester Breast Cancer Alliance. In addition to being a highly-skilled experimentalist and a key leader in the lab’s bone metastasis subgroup, Nicole has also excelled as a mentor and educator. She has guided BME undergraduate Yiwei Yan—who is also graduating today—and held leadership roles in the Biomedical Engineering Society and the BME Graduate Women’s Group. Her exceptional teaching contributions as a TA in the senior-level molecular, cellular, and systems engineering lab further highlight her dedication to education. We will truly miss Nicole’s scientific rigor, creative problem-solving, and humility, and we wish her all the best as she begins her next chapter as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Colorado in Denver.

• Caroline Thompson

  Thesis title: “Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis: From Mechanics to Mitochondria”

  Advisor: Dr. Lawrence Bonassar

  Carol came to Cornell after receiving her B.S. in biomedical engineering from the University of Connecticut. Her thesis research focused on understanding mechanical mechanisms of initiation of osteoarthritis and developing treatments for osteoarthritis using stem cells to deliver mitochondria to injured chondrocytes. She presented her work at several conferences, including the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) and Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) and published this work as a first author in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research. Her awards include a fellowship from the New York State Stem Cell Science program (NYSTEM). She also co-founded a company, Theratru, Inc., aimed at developing biomaterial delivery platforms for arthritis treatment. After graduating, Carol will begin her career as a research analyst at the Center for Naval Analysis. Congratulations, Carol!

• Ruben Trujillo

  Thesis title: “Investigation of Poly(Acrylic Acid) Microgels for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis: Cartilage Lubrication, Sustained Drug Delivery, and Prolonged Residence Time”

  Advisor: Dr. David Putnam

  Ruben came to Cornell and the Putnam group via the University of New Mexico where he majored in chemical engineering. He joined the Putnam group after a series of conversations during his first semester; however, at that time the group was not planning to accept new graduate students. But when talent like Ruben’s comes around, we would be crazy not to take him on. Ruben was awarded a prestigious NSF Fellowship during his time at Cornell, further supporting his scientific promise. Ruben’s research focused on a new way to treat osteoarthritis, particularly in the knee. He designed and synthesized micron-sized and squishy beads that can be injected directly into the joint to act as biocompatible ball bearings when the joint moves. In fact, the materials he designed could lubricate cartilage as well as the natural lubricants in the knee joint. In addition to impressive lubrication, Ruben discovered that his beads could also encapsulate drugs that can treat osteoarthritis, and release those drugs over a period of months. His work also caught the eye of Cornell’s technology transfer office, resulting in a grant to determine if the beads can be manufactured at scale. Ruben’s work has set the foundation for a new treatment of osteoarthritis with the potential to relieve joint pain for millions of patients.

• Erica Wagner

  Thesis title: “Controlled 3D Stem Cell Culture and Differentiation Using Noise-Free and Specific Signaling Zwitterionic Hydrogel Culture Systems”

  Advisor: Dr. Shaoyi Jiang

  Erica Wagner received her B.S. in bioengineering from Northeastern University with extensive research experience. During her undergraduate years, she actively organized or participated in STEM education and mentorship programs for students with limited opportunities. Because of her extraordinary performance, she received a 2019 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. She was among the first students to join my group when I moved to Cornell in 2020. Erica received an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship in 2021. She has been working on the controlled expansion and differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) in zwitterionic hydrogels in collaboration with researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine. She has developed hydrolytically stable, functionalizable, and tunable zwitterionic hydrogels for 3D cell culture within a non-fouling microenvironment in partnership with a chemistry postdoctoral fellow in our group. These highly effective and robust zwitterionic hydrogels are used in not only her research projects, but also many other projects in our group from cell therapy to gene editing. Erica has played a central role in maintaining our lab operation at Weill Hall from organizing monthly lab cleaning to maintaining the cell culture facility. She has also done an outstanding job of training and involving several undergraduate researchers in her research projects.

• Ana Witkowski

  Thesis title: “Characterization of Subchondral Bone Modifying Treatments and Pain in a Model of Load-Induced Osteoarthritis”

  Advisor: Dr. Marjolein van der Meulen

  Ana came to Cornell from Clarkson University, where her research had focused on biomaterial polymers. Ana joined the van der Meulen group during a stressful time, the start of the pandemic. She weathered the many online research group meetings and weekend hikes. She transitioned to working on natural tissues, primarily cartilage, to lead our efforts in examining pain during the development of joint damage associated with osteoarthritis. During her time at Cornell, Ana had the good fortune of being supported on an NIH training grant that enabled her to spend a semester at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan and expand her New York State experiences from upstate to downstate. As she completes her thesis, I look forward to seeing what Ana pursues next. We will miss her positive presence in the lab.

• Chengqi Xu

  Thesis title: “Machine Learning Approaches for Drug Combination Discovery”

  Advisor: Dr. Olivier Elemento

  Chengqi joined Elemento Lab at Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM) in 2021. Throughout her time at WCM, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to computational biomedicine, multimodal learning, and precision medicine research. Chengqi holds a B.S. in molecular genetics from the University of Edinburgh and an M.E. from Cornell University. In the summer of 2023, Chengqi expanded her expertise as a summer associate intern at Tempus AI, a company that specializes in advancing data-driven precision medicine with through artificial intelligence research. Chengqi’s thesis focuses on discovering computational modeling approaches that can accurately predict personalized synergistic drug combinations by integrating patient-specific molecular data. Through her work she developed PAIRWISE, a deep learning framework that leverages large-scale preclinical screening data to predict synergistic drug combinations, advancing precision oncology. To assess safety, Chengqi developed DDI-GPT, a novel approach that integrates knowledge graphs into language models for accurate drug-drug interaction prediction.

• Rick Zirkel

  Thesis title: “In Vivo Imaging of Cerebral Blood Flow and Neural Activity Changes in the Contexts of Alzheimer’s Disease and Psychedelics”

  Advisor: Dr. Chris Schaffer

  After Rick Zirkel’s Ph.D. defense, someone (me) remarked that he’d had a relatively “easy” Ph.D. What I really meant was that Rick made it look easy. In truth, Rick took on some of the most technically challenging and scientifically risky projects in our lab. With a combination of intellectual acumen, experimental rigor and steady perseverance, he pushed each of them to the point of delivering definitive scientific insights. Rick led two ambitious projects using in vivo optical imaging to explore how brain function is altered in disease and in response to drugs. In mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease, he imaged neural activity in the visual cortex and discovered that degraded encoding associated with the disease could be corrected by increasing cerebral blood flow. In another study, he showed that psilocybin alters the normal coupling between neural activity and blood flow, a finding that reshapes how we interpret human imaging data in studies of psychedelic drug mechanisms. Beyond his own projects, Rick was a valued contributor across the lab—evaluating novel magnetogenetic tools, helping validate a virtual reality system for mice, and consistently mentoring junior colleagues. He was also an outstanding teaching assistant and an engaged leader in the biomedical engineering student community. None of this was easy. But Rick’s clarity of thought, calm persistence, and joy in discovery gave the impression that he was simply doing what he was meant to do. And that, perhaps, is the mark of a truly exceptional scientist.