Principal Investigator
Steven Caliari
Associate Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
Department of Biomedical Engineering
University of Virginia
Education and Training
NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania (2013-2016)
PhD, Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2013)
MS, Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2010)
BS, Chemical Engineering, University of Florida (2007)
Email: caliari at virginia dot edu
Office: Wilsdorf 204
Phone: 434.243.1821
ORCID: 0000-0002-7506-3079
Graduate Students
Mackenzie Skelton
5th Year (joined Fall 2019)
PhD Candidate, Department of Biomedical Engineering
BS, Chemical Engineering, University of Florida (2019)
Hometown: Sarasota, FL
Interests: Hiking, reading, exploring, skiing, baking sourdough loaves
Email: mg7qw at virginia dot edu
Kelly Bukovic
4th Year (joined Fall 2020)
PhD Candidate, Department of Chemical Engineering
BS, Chemical Engineering, University of Florida (2020)
Hometown: Orlando, FL
Interests: Painting, art history, refinishing furniture, crocheting, traveling, wine
Email: kmb5pu at virginia dot edu
Leilani Astrab
4th Year (joined Fall 2020)
PhD Candidate, Department of Biomedical Engineering
BS, Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida (2020)
Hometown: Melbourne, FL
Interests: Eating, traveling, reading, spending time with friends & family, drinking coffee
Email: la4re at virginia dot edu
James Gentry
4th Year (joined Fall 2020)
PhD Candidate, Department of Biomedical Engineering
BS, Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University (2018)
Hometown: College Station, TX
Interests: Baking, reading, spending time with family, music
Email: jg9zk at virginia dot edu
Geshani Bandara
3rd Year (joined Fall 2021)
PhD Candidate, Department of Chemical Engineering
BS, Chemical Engineering, University of Peradeniya (2020)
Hometown: Matale, Sri Lanka
Interests: Spending time with family & friends, journaling, cooking, traveling, meditation
Email: bek2hm at virginia dot edu
Ryann Boudreau
3rd Year (joined Fall 2021)
PhD Student, Department of Biomedical Engineering
BS, Bioengineering, University of New Hampshire (2021)
Hometown: Londonderry, NH
Interests: Baking, ultimate frisbee, board games, zumba, hanging out with friends & family, puzzles
Email: zns8mx at virginia dot edu
Manasi Krishnakumar
1st Year (joined Fall 2023)
PhD Student, Department of Biomedical Engineering
BS, Biomedical Engineering, NC State University & UNC Chapel Hill (2023)
Hometown: Morrisville, NC
Interests: Music, traveling, spending time with friends and family, Greys Anatomy
Email: jkd6ng at virginia dot edu
Jeremy Ortmann
1st Year (joined Fall 2023)
PhD Student, Department of Biomedical Engineering
BS, Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech (2023)
Hometown: Hobe Sound, FL
Interests: Basketball, video games, running
Email: jmo3pay at virginia dot edu
Olivia Morren
1st Year (joined Fall 2023)
PhD Student, Department of Biomedical Engineering
BS, Biochemistry-Molecular Biology, Gettysburg College (2022)
Hometown: Allentown, PA
Interests: Pilates, visiting coffee shops/bakeries, traveling, visiting family and friends, dance
Email: rrh6cs at virginia dot edu
Undergraduate Students
Tanvi Bhat
4th Year (joined Spring 2022)
Major: Psychology
Hometown: Chantilly, VA
Interests: traveling, bubble tea, yoga, horseback riding, and spending time with friends
Email: tb4eh at virginia dot edu
Zach Tentor
4th Year (joined Spring 2022)
Major: Chemistry (specialization in Biochemistry)
Hometown: Richmond, VA
Interests: Distance running, board games, reading
Email: zt5vn at virginia dot edu
Lily Burns
4th Year (joined Fall 2022)
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA
Interests: traveling, gymnastics, thrifting, and going to the beach
Email: lgb3em at virginia dot edu
Sabrina Liskey
3rd Year (joined Fall 2022)
Major: Chemical Engineering
Hometown: Fort Defiance, VA
Interests: dancing, weightlifting, music, traveling
Email: sel7qy at virginia dot edu
Brynn Earl
3rd Year (joined Spring 2023)
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Minor: Engineering Business Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA
Interests: Running, board games, hiking, plants, journaling, hanging with friends
Email: qnm9wm at virginia dot edu
Sophia Godfrey
4th Year (joined Summer 2023)
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Hometown: Lexington, VA
Interests: baking, tennis, hiking, and reading
Email: sgg9rzz at virginia dot edu
Sarth Pathak
2nd Year (joined Summer 2023)
Major: Chemical Engineering
Hometown: Herndon, VA
Interests: Building things, drinking coffee, listening & arranging music
Email: kyn6hw at virginia dot edu
Cooper Wyatt
3rd Year (joined Fall 2023)
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Hometown: Decatur, AL
Interests: skiing, running, soccer, lacrosse
Email: pmq4zx at virginia dot edu
Lab Alumni
Doctoral Students:
Jenna Sumey (PhD, Chemical Engineering), Fall 2018 – Spring 2023
Dissertation: Engineering mechanically dynamic hyaluronic acid hydrogels to investigate stromal cell mechanosensitivity
Current: Investigator, Downstream Process Development at GSK (King of Prussia, PA)
Beverly Miller (PhD, Chemical Engineering), Fall 2017 – Fall 2022
Dissertation: Supramolecular Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogel Fibers for Translational Tissue Engineering Applications
Current: Translational Research Scientist at inSoma Bio (Durham, NC)
Ivan Basurto (PhD, Biomedical Engineering), Fall 2017 – Spring 2022
Dissertation: Designing Biomaterials for Skeletal Muscle Tissue Engineering Following Volumetric Muscle Loss Injury
Current: Scientist I, Research & Development at Anika (Boston, MA)
Erica Hui (PhD, Chemical Engineering), Fall 2016 – Fall 2021
Dissertation: Designing Spatiotemporally Tunable Viscoelastic Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogels to Study Cell Mechanobiology During Fibrosis
Current: Investigator, Drug Development, Downstream at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) (King of Prussia, PA)
Masters Students:
Deniz Unal (MS, Chemical Engineering), Fall 2017-Fall 2019
Thesis: Studies of Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cells in 3D Hyaluronic Acid Scaffolds
Undergraduate Students:
Samir Muhammed (BS, Biomedical Engineering), Summer 2021-Spring 2023, Current: Technology Business & Integration Analyst at Accenture (Philadelphia, PA)
Peyton Johnston (BS, Biomedical Engineering), Summer 2021-Spring 2023
Mikayla Jackson (Biomedical Engineering), Summer 2021-Spring 2022
Emily Pham (BS, Biomedical Engineering), Summer 2021-Spring 2022, Current: Data Scientist Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton (McLean, VA)
Abigail Harrell (BS, Chemistry), Summer 2021-Spring 2022, Current: Chemical Engineering PhD Student at the UC – Boulder (Boulder, CO)
Austin Amacher (BS, Biomedical Engineering), Spring 2020-Spring 2022, Current: BME Patent Examiner at U.S. Patent Office (Washington, D.C.)
Audrey Hansrisuk (BS, Chemistry), Spring 2019-Spring 2022, Current: Bioengineering PhD Student in the Webber Lab at Notre Dame (Notre Dame, IN)
Gregg Gardner (BS, Chemical Engineering), Spring 2019-Spring 2022, Current: Engineers in Leadership Trainee at Emerson (Austin, Tx)
Kathryn Smith (BS, Chemical Engineering), Summer 2019-Spring 2021, Current: Technical Solutions Engineer at Epic Systems (Verona, WI)
Kathryn Gimeno (BS, Biomedical Engineering), Summer 2018-Spring 2021, Current: Manufacturing Scientist at Eli Lilly (Indianapolis, IN)
Erin McIlhinney (Biomedical Engineering), Fall 2019-Summer 2020
Priyanshi Jain (BS, Biology), Fall 2016-Fall 2019, Current: Medical student, New Jersey Medical School
Sarah Zagorin (BS, Biomedical Engineering), Fall 2017-Spring 2019, Current: Biomedical Patent Examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (Washington DC)
John Quezada (BS, Biomedical Engineering), Summer 2019, Current: Medical Scribe at UVA Health (Charlottesville, VA)
Emily Zezas (Speech Pathology), Fall 2018-Spring 2019
Mark Mora (BS, Biomedical Engineering), Summer 2017-Spring 2019, Current: Masters Student in Translational Medicine at Keck Graduate Institute (Claremont, CA)
Oliver Phoa (BS, Chemical Engineering), Fall 2016-Fall 2018, Current: Rotational Development Program Associate at Amgen (West Greenwich, RI)
Rebecca Earhart (BS, Chemical Engineering), Summer 2017-Spring 2018, Current: Associate Specialist, Engineering at Merck (Elkton, VA)
Grant Guan (BS, Computer Science), Fall 2016-Spring 2018, Current: Associate at Boston Consulting Group (Chicago, IL)
Visiting Students:
Alex Harmon (undergraduate, Hampton University), Summer 2022
Amber Jackson (undergraduate, George Mason University), Summer 2018
Noah Hester (high school student), Summer 2018
Caliari Lab 