•Research, development, and implementation of in-house positive sequencing controls for oncological NGS panels•Management/maintenance of cancer cell lines used as reference materials for sequencing panels•Creation of SOPs for processing nucleic acid reference materials derived from FFPE blocks, fresh frozen cell pellets, and cell-free culture media•Involved in on-going positive control and quality control improvement efforts

•Hepatic differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from healthy and diseased donors (Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)).•Designed and developed acellular liver scaffold system used to mature iPSC-derived hepatocytes and for high-throughput applications such as scaffold modification and drug screening.•Developed bioreactor system and methodology used to recellularize intact liver scaffolds via portal vein infusion. A small-scale rat model was developed which isolated the caudate lobe to minimize the number of cells required to repopulate a perfusable graft that can be used in a partial liver transplant model.•Modified scaffolds with synthetic peptides which enhance the maturation of iPSC-hepatocytes.•Optimized 3D culture systems for iPSC-derived hepatocytes including spheroid and ECM-derived hydrogel encapsulation cultures.

Biothermodynamics and Biomechanics Lab – Mechanical Engineering Department• Modulated mechanical, optical, and biodegradation behavior of silica-collagen hydrogel using novel deposition techniques in order to mimic the properties of corneal tissue• Used nanoparticles, e.g. nanocrystalline cellulose and magnetic nanowires, to change the microstructural properties of self-assembling collagen gels and therefore improve optical transmittance• Designed and implemented sterile procedure to make lens implants for ex vivo and in vivo biocompatibility experiments in collaboration with the ophthalmology department at Mayo Clinic• Imaged hydrogels using scanning electron microscopy to relate microscopic features to optical and mechanical behavior● Performed light scattering simulations using Matlab to understand microstructural effects of collagen hydrogels on optical behavior

Conducted recitations, taught main lectures, and developed and implemented new experiments for thermal energy, engineering measurements, heat transfer, and thermodynamics courses.