University of Pennsylvania · Department of Bioengineering

Lab Members


Research Assistant Professor
Zhiliang Cheng, Ph.D

Research Associate
Ahmad Amirshaghaghi, Ph.D

Post-doctoral Researchers
Burcin Altun

 Graduate Students
Alex Chan
Bonirath Chhay
Bian Jang
Fabiana Zappala
 Lab Alumni

Zhiliang Cheng, Ph.D

Research Associate Professor, Department of Bioengineering, 2012 - present
Email: zcheng AT seas.upenn.edu

Education

Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.R. China
Ph.D, Department of Chemistry, 2002

Anhui Normal University, P.R. China
B.S., Department of Chemistry, 1996

Work Experience

University of Pennsylvania,Philadelphia, PA
Department of Bioengineering
Research Specialist, 2007 – 2012

University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Department of Chemistry
Research Associate, 2004 – 2006

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and University of Zurich, Switzerland
Department of Biology
Postdoctoral Associate, 2002 – 2004

Ahmad Amirshaghaghi

Research Associate, Department of Bioengineering, 2020- present
Email: ahmadam AT seas.upenn.edu

Education

Tarbiat Modares University, Iran
Ph.D, Polymer Engineering, 2010

Iran Polymer & Petrochemical Institute, Iran
M.S., Polymer Engineering and Science, 2003

Tabriz University, Iran
B.S., Applied Chemistry, 2001

Work Experience

University of Pennsylvania,Philadelphia, PA
Department of Bioengineering
Post-doctoral Fellow, 2015– 2019

Burcin Altun

Post-doctoral Fellow, Department of Bioengineering, 2015 - 2018, 2019 - present
Email: baltun AT seas.upenn.edu

Education

The Open University, United Kingdom
Ph.D, Molecular Genetics, 2014

Istanbul University, Turkey
M.S., Molecular Biology and Genetics, 2011

Istanbul University, Turkey
B.S., Molecular Biology and Genetics, 2009

  

Alex Chan

Ph.D Candidate, Department of Bioengineering. 2019 – Present
Email: chanalex AT seas.upenn.edu

Education

Penn State University, PA
B.S., Biomedical Engineering, 2018

Bonirath Chhay

Ph.D Candidate, Department of Bioengineering, 2018 – Present
HHMI-NIBIB Interfaces Program
Email: bchhay AT seas.upenn.edu

Education

Harvard University, MA
S.B., Engineering Sciences - Bioengineering Track, 2018





  

Bian Jang

Ph.D Candidate, Department of Bioengineering, 2018 – Present
Email: bajang AT seas.upenn.edu

Education

Pukyong National University, Republic of Korea
M.S., Biomedical Engineering, 2017
B.S., Biomedical Engineering, 2016

  

 

Fabiana Zapalla

Ph.D Candidate, Department of Bioengineering, 2016 – Present
Email: fzappala AT seas.upenn.edu

Education

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA
S.B., Chemical-Biological Engineering, 2016





  





Lab Alumni
Postdoctoral Researchers
Lesan Yan, Ph.D. 2014 – 2018
Kido Nwe, Ph.D. 2011 – 2017
Ching-Hui Huang, Ph.D. 2009 – 2016
Jayesh Thawani, M.D. 2014 – 2016
Yang Song, Ph.D. 2012 – 2014
Xuemei Zhang, Ph.D. 2009 – 2013
Jason Poff, M.D. 2010 – 2011
Ha-Young Lee, Ph.D. 2008 – 2008
Jing Lu, M.D, Ph.D. 2007 – 2008
Clare Zhang, M.D.

 2006 – 2007
Graduate Students
Elizabeth Dempsey Ph.D., 2019
Dissertation: Engineering novel nanomaterials from ultrasmall gold clusters for use in cancer therapy
Hejia (Henry) Wang Ph.D., 2019
Dissertation: Cytosolic delivery of inhibitory antibodies with cationic lipids
Jessica Liu Ph.D., 2018
Dissertation: Harnessing non-linear magnetic fields to control nanoparticle delivery and drug release
James Hui Ph.D., 2015
Dissertation: Engineering a light-activated protein domain for the site-specific conjugation of native IgGs
Rob Warden-Rothman Ph.D., 2015
Dissertation: The development, use, and optimization of sortase-tag expressed protein ligation
Ajlan Al Zaki Ph.D., 2014
Dissertation: Gold and iron loaeded micelles: a multifunctioanl approach for combined imaging, therapy, and improved pharmacokinetics
Sam Crayton Ph.D., 2012
Dissertation: ICP-MS analysis of lanthanide-doped nanoparticles: a quantitative and multiplexing approach to investigate biodistribution, blood clearance and targeting
Drew Elias Ph.D., 2011
Dissertation: Chemical and biological strategies for improving the sensitivty of SPIO-enhanced MR imaging
Julie Czupryna Ph.D., 2010
Dissertation: The development, characterization and implementation of a reactive oxygen species-responsive ratiometric bioluminescent reporter and its use as a sensor for programmed cell death
Daniel L. Thorek Ph.D., 2009
Dissertation: Monitoring of immune cell response to B cell depletion therapy and nerve root injury using SPIO enhanced MRI
Antony K. Chen Ph.D., 2008
Dissertation: Quantitative imaging and high-throughput analysis of RNA in living cells using molecular-beacon conjugates