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BIOINSPIRED MATERIALS LAB
Advanced Functional Materials for Robotics, Healthcare, and Sustainability
2023 BIM Lab
Zane, Cecelia, Yushen, Lakshman, Abdon, Chuqi, Caroline
2023 MSE welcome picnic
Yiqun, Cecelia, Abdon, Zane, Caroline, Madison, Chuqi
Summer 2021 - Rappourt Happy Hour
With the Loebel group
2023 BIM Lab
Zane, Cecelia, Yushen, Lakshman, Abdon, Chuqi, Caroline
1/18
If interested in joining our team, see details here.
Abdon Pena-Francesch ("Don")
Assistant Professor (2021-...)
Materials Science & Engineering
Macromolecular Science & Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Robotics Institute
2018-2020 Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (Stuttgart, Germany)
2013-2017 Ph.D. (Engineering Science and Mechanics), Penn State University (PA, USA)
2011-2013 M.Sc. (Chemical Engineering), Institut Químic de Sarrià (Barcelona, Spain)
2006-2011 B.Sc. (Mechanical Engineering), Institut Químic de Sarrià (Barcelona, Spain)
Bio & personal info here
Email: abdon@umich.edu
Dezhong Tong
Postdoctoral fellow
Research: robotics, simulation, machine learning, controls
Personal: basketball, swimming, hiking
2023 Ph.D. (ME), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
2018 B.Sc. (MSE), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU, CN)
Email: dezhong@umich.edu
Lidia Kuo
Postdoctoral fellow
Research: bioinspired materials, solution processing, composites, sustainability
Personal: thrifting, sustainable fashion, singing, bass guitar
2023 Ph.D. (MSE), Northwestern University, IL
2018 B.Sc. (MSE), Rice University, TX
Email: lidiakuo@umich.edu
Carlos Fitzgerald Grandes Reyes
Postdoctoral fellow
Research: zwitterionic polymers, RAFT polymerization, stimuli-responsive polymers, coatings.
Personal: cycling, soccer, gym.
2022 B.Sc. (Chem), University of Queensland (AUS)
2017 B.Sc. (BioEng), University of Queensland (AUS)
Email: carlor@umich.edu
Sudeep Sharma
Postdoctoral fellow
Research: 2D bioelectronics, stretchable and flexible electronics, wearable physical sensors, polymer nanocomposites
Personal: traveling, watching movies, gym
2023 Ph.D. (EE), Kwangwoon University (KR)
2015 B.Sc. (ECE), Tribhuvan University (NPL)
Email: sudeeps@umich.edu
Jeong Eun Park
Postdoctoral fellow
Research: de-icing, surface modification, microfabrication, magnetic actuation
Personal: cooking, listening to music, watching drama
2023 Ph.D. (PSE), Inha University (KR)
2017 B.Sc. (PSE), Inha University (KR)
Email: jeunpark@umich.edu
Sumbul Hafeez
Postdoctoral felow
Research: macromolecular architecture, polymers, surface modification, sensors, environmental and biomaterial applications
Personal: travelling, cooking, photography
2020 Ph.D. (MSE), Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IN)
Email: sumbulhafeez03@gmail.com
Ph.D. Students
Zane Zhang
Ph.D. student (MSE)
Research: soft magnetic materials, nanocomposites, soft actuators
Personal: road trips, cooking
2021 M.Sc. (MSE), UMich
2019 B.Sc. (MSE), Beijing University of Chemical Technology (BUCT, CN)
Email: zzenghao@umich.edu
Cecelia Kinane
Ph.D. student (MACRO)
Research: polymer design, structure-property relationships, hydrogels, 3D printing
Personal: rowing, baking, camping, cats, museums
2019 B.Sc. (Chem), University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, MN)
Email: cakinane@umich.edu
Chuqi Huang
Ph.D. student (MSE)
Research: soft responsive materials, functional biopolymers, microrobotics
Personal: baking, cats, dogs, swimming, travel
2019 M.Sc. (MSE), Cornell University
2014 B.Sc. (MSE & ME), Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST, CN)
Email: chuqi@umich.edu
Caroline Harms
Ph.D. student (MSE)
Research: functional polymeric coatings, bioinspired materials, polymer design and characterization
Personal: baking, running, writing, crocheting
2023 B.Sc. (MSE), Northwestern University (Evanston, IL)
Email: cfharms@umich.edu
Qiming Li
Ph.D. student (MSE, co-advised with Tuteja)
Research: polymer synthesis, functional polymers, materials interfaces
Personal: cats, cooking, basketball
2021 M.Sc. (MSE), Cornell University
2017 B.Sc. (MSE), Donghua University (CN)
Email: qiming@umich.edu
Kanyarat Mantala (Nong)
Ph.D. visiting student (MSE, VISTEC, TH)
Research: polymer synthesis, self-healing materials, colloids
Personal: travelling, listening to music, cooking
2019 M.Sc. (Polym. Sci. Technol.), Mahidol University (TH)
2015 B.Sc. (Chem), Mahidol University (TH)
Email: kmantala@umich.edu
M.Sc. Students
Yiqun Li
M.Sc. student (MSE)
Research: 3D printing of soft functional materials
Personal: soccer, traveling, cooking, gym
2023 B.Sc. (MSE), Ohio State
Email: yiqunli@umich.edu
Lakshman Sivakumar Vijay
M.Sc. student (MSE)
Research: self-assembly, proteins, functional polymers
Personal: motorsport, painting, history
2022 B.Tech. (ME), Vellore Institute of Technology (IN)
Email: lakshvj@umich.edu
Yushen Liu
M.Sc. student (MSE)
Research: polymer synthesis, soft mechanics
Personal: soccer, basketball, music
2022 B.Sc. (ESM), Penn State University
Email: nickliu@umich.edu
Undergraduate Students
Ernesto Gomez
B.Sc. student (EECS)
Research: embedded systems, electronics, controls
Personal: running, lifting weights, philosophy, travelling
Email: netog@umich.edu
Madison Forstner
B.Sc. student (MSE)
Research: rheology, biofluids, soft matter physics,
Personal: hiking, rock climbing, reading, herpetology
Email: madifay@umich.edu
Noah Black
B.Sc. student (Biophys)
Research: protein dynamics, nanostructure, nanocharacterization, machine learning
Personal: gym, hiking, and travel
Email: noahbl@umich.edu
Margot Helft
B.Sc. student (MSE)
Research: mechanical properties of biomaterials, microstructure analysis
Personal: violin, blacksmithing, hiking
Email: mhelft@umich.edu
Hailey Kuncoro
B.Sc. student (ChE)
Research: hydrogels, 3D printing, self-healing materials, biopharmaceuticals
Personal: cooking, traveling, music, dance
Email: haileyku@umich.edu
Where are we from?
Alumni
​​Hyungwoo Kim, Ph,D. (MSE, visiting prof) - 2023
Now at: Chonnam National University, KR
Tiwa Yimyai, Ph,D. (ChE, VISTEC, visiting) - 2022-2023
Now at: PTT Global Chemical, Bangok, Thailand
Pol Cabanach, Ph.D. (Bioengineering, Max Planck Institute / IQS-GEMat) - 2021
Now at: ABLE Human Motion, Barcelona, Spain
Tathya Shinde, M.Sc. (MSE, UM) - 2022-2023​
Now at: Owens Corning, OH
Shuo Zhang, M.Sc. (Macro, UM) - 2021-2023
Now at: UC Berkeley, CA
Yi-Hua Chen, M.Sc. (MSE, UM) - 2021-2023
Now at: Applied Materials, Santa Clara, CA
Leah Marks, M.Sc. (MSE, UM) - 2021-2022
Now at: Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, OH
Chia-Heng Lin, M.Sc. (MSE, UM) - 2021-2022
Now at: TSMC, Phoenix, AZ
Rich Kaplan, M.Sc. (Macro, UM) - 2021
Now at: UPenn, PA
Dario Perez Balaguer, M.Sc. (Max Planck Institute / IQS-GEMat) - 2020
Now at: Venair GmbH, Freiberg am Neckar, Germany (silicones team)
Laszlo Cline, B.Sc. (MSE, UM) - 2023
Now at: Argonne National Laboratory
Reegan Ketzenberger, B.Sc. (MSE, UM) - 2022
Now at: MSE, UM
Leela Mukherjee, B.Sc. (CS, UMich) - 2021-2022
Now at: SpaceX, FL
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