
The people who make the magic happen :)
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Daeyeon Lee
Evan C Thompson Term Chair for Excellence in Teaching
Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Seoul National University, 2001
Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, MIT, 2007
Postdoctoral training: Experimental Soft Condensed Matter Group, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 2007-2008
email: daeyeon@seas.upenn.edu
phone: 215.573.4521
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS

Rajarshi Chattaraj, Ph.D.
Graduated From: University of Colorado, Boulder
Hometown: Durgapur, India
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Joined Lab: May 2018 (co-advised by Profs. Chandra Sehgal and Daniel Hammer)
Research: Ultrasound-responsive, protein-stabilized microbubbles for theranostic applications

Christopher S. O'Bryan, Ph.D.
Graduated From: University of Florida
Hometown: Vero Beach, FL
Major: B.S. Aerospace Engineering; Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering
Joined Lab: August 2018 (co-advised by Russ Composto)
Research: Polymer adsorption on metal surfaces; soft matter 3D printing; polymer physics

Min Jun Oh, Ph.D.
Graduated From: Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon
Hometown: Yangsan, Republic of Korea
Major: Chemical Engineering
Joined Lab: August 2020 (co-advised by Profs. Hyun (Michel) Koo and Geelsu Hwang)
Research: Functional microcapsules for delivery of dental therapeutics

Hyejoong Jeong, Ph.D.
Graduated From: Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
Hometown: Bucheon, Republic of Korea
Major: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Joined Lab: February 2021 (co-advised by Prof. Junhyong Kim)
Research: Sub-celluar sequencing

Jaehyun (Jay) Kim, Ph.D.
Graduated From: Sungkyunkwan University, Korea
Hometown: Seoul, Republic of Korea
Major: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Joined Lab: February 2021 (co-advised by Prof. Russell J. Composto and Dr. Remi Dreyfus)
Research: Gold nanoparticle capsule-based plasmonic sensor

Siwon Lee, Ph.D.
Graduated From: KAIST, Daejeon, South Korea
Hometown: Cheonan, South Korea
Major: Material Science and Engineering
Joined Lab: Sept. 2021 (co-advised by Prof. Raymond J. Gorte)
Research: Polymer upcycling

Hong-Huy Tran, Ph.D.
Graduated From: Université Grenoble Alpes, France
Hometown: Phan Rang-Thap Cham, Vietnam
Major: Materials Science
Joined Lab: April 2022 (co-advised by Prof. Hyun (Michel) Koo)
Research: Biofilm removal

Yoon-Ho Hwang, Ph.D.
Graduated From: Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Korea
Hometown: Deagu, Korea
Major: Chemical Engineering
Joined Lab: April 2022 (co-advised by Prof. Dave Issadore)
Research: Precise and scalable production of lipid nanoparticles

Baekmin Kim, Ph.D.
Graduated From: KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
Hometown: Gwangju, Republic of Korea
Major: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Joined Lab: May 2022
Research: Dynamic behaviors of soft materials near/at interfaces
GRADUATE STUDENTS

Katie Rose
Year: PhD Candidate (co-advised by Prof. Russ Composto)
Graduated From: Case Western Reserve University
Hometown: Boulder, Colorado
Major: Polymer Science and Engineering
Joined Lab: Fall 2016
Research: Prevention of infection transmission using active coating technology (REACT II)
Interests: Hiking and anything involving the outdoors, photography, reading, and exploring new places and cultures

Wilfredo Méndez Ortiz
Year: PhD Candidate
Graduated From: University of Puerto Rico- Mayagüez
Hometown: Aguada, Puerto Rico
Major: B.S. in Chemical Engineering and B.S. in Industrial Biotechnology
Joined Lab: Fall 2017
Research: Interfacial complexation
Interests: I love gaming, reading and trying out new types of food.

Jingyu (Alex) Wu
Graduated From: Pennsylvania State University
Hometown: Shanghai, China
Major: B.S. in Chemical Engineering
Joined Lab: Fall 2017
Research: Scale-up of microfluidic processes
Interests: Rock music (Huge Zeppelin fan) & classical music, Guitar, Basketball, reading, and cooking.

Bharath Venkatesh
Year: PhD Candidate
Graduated From: National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli
Hometown: New Delhi, India
Major: B.S. in Chemical Engineering
Joined Lab: Fall 2016
Research: Polymer infiltration into nanoparticle packing
Interests: Travel, Cinema and Novels

Yiwei Qiang
Year: PhD Candidate
Graduated From: East China University of Science and Technology
Hometown: Wuxi, China
Major: Materials Science and Engineering
Joined Lab: January 2017
Research: Polymer nanocomposite films
Interests: Traveling, music, watching tennis and photography

Tiancheng (Arthur) Wang
Year: PhD Candidate
Graduated From: Beihang University
Hometown: Beijing, China
Major: Materials Science and Engineering
Joined Lab: April 2017
Research: Bijels
Interests: fitness training, travelling

Joseph Rosenfeld
Year: PhD Candidate
Graduated From: The City College of New York
Hometown: Monsey, N.Y.
Major: B.S. in Chemical Engineering
Joined Lab: Fall 2018
Interests: Activities in Nature, Health and Fitness, Music Theory

Year: PhD Candidate
Graduated From: Princeton University
Hometown: Bangkok, Thailand
Major: BSE in Chemical and Biological Engineering, Highest Honors
Joined Lab: Fall 2018
Interests: Novels (especially fantasy), comics, animation, video games, sports (all sorts), martial arts, and learning/trying out new things (particularly food) :)

Jessica O'Callaghan
Year: PhD candidate
Graduated From: Penn State
Hometown: Millbrook, New York
Major: B.S. in Chemical Engineering
Joined Lab: Fall 2018
Interests: I love traveling, art, and music. I also enjoy yoga and eating good food.

Tian Ren
Year: PhD Candidate
Graduated From: Tsinghua University
Hometown: Zhengzhou, China
Major: B.S. in Chemical Engineering
Joined Lab: Fall 2018
Interests: I love running marathons and meeting new people. I also enjoy traveling and reading.

Yuxuan (Ivy) Dai
Year: PhD Candidate
Graduated From: The Pennsylvania State University
Hometown: Changsha, China
Major: B.S. in Chemical Engineering
Joined Lab: Fall 2019
Research: Bijels as reaction media
Interests: Travelling, Movies, and DOGS!

Lilia Escobedo
Year: PhD Candidate
Graduated From: Cornell University
Hometown: Ithaca, NY
Major: B.S. in Chemical Engineering
Joined Lab: Fall 2019
Research: Protein-inspired superhydrophilic surface design to create non-fouling surfaces
Interests: I like watching movies, cooking, and playing with my dogs. I also practice Taekwondo, and I'm in the process of learning how to ice skate!
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Anastasia Neuman
Year: PhD Candidate
Graduated From: MIT
Hometown: Abingdon, MD
Major: B.S. in Chemical-Biological Engineering
Joined Lab: Fall 2019
Research: Effect of extreme nanoconfinement on the thermodynamics and transport phenomena in multiphasic nanocomposite films
Interests: field hockey, cooking, trying every kind of food, reading, traveling
Website: https://sites.google.com/seas.upenn.edu/annaneu/presentations?authuser=0

Trevor Devine
Year: PhD Candidate
Graduated From: University of Pittsburgh
Hometown: Marlton, NJ
Major: B.S. in Chemical Engineering
Joined Lab: Fall 2020
Research: Effect of extreme nanoconfinement on the thermodynamics and transport phenomena in multiphasic nanocomposite films
Interests: food and drink tasting, exploring the city, hockey, cooking, and audiobooks

Alexander Johnson
Year: PhD Candidate
Graduated From: Rowan University
Hometown: Oaklyn, NJ
Major: B.S. in Chemical Engineering
Joined Lab: Fall 2020
Research: Protein-inspired superhydrophilic surface design to create non-fouling surfaces
Interests: I enjoy getting outside to hike, play golf, or play hockey on the pond in the winter. I am interested in trying new foods in the city and I am a fan of all Philadelphia sports.

Owen Land
Year: PhD Candidate
Graduated From: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Hometown: North Vernon, IN
Major: B.S. in Chemical Engineering
Joined Lab: Fall 2020
Research: Microbubble extraction of algal oil for biodiesel production and bio-refinery pptimization
Interests: Hiking, music, ultimate frisbee, craft beer, traveling, anything outdoors really

Anirban Majumder
Year: PhD Candidate
Graduated From: IIT Kharagpur
Hometown: West Bengal, India
Major: B.S. in Chemical Engineering
Joined Lab: Fall 2020
Research: Polymer Upcycling
Interests: Traveling, chess, music, movies, books, cooking and working out
CK Yeh
Year: PhD Candidate
Graduated From: Rutgers University
Hometown: Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Major: B.S. in Chemical Engineering
Joined Lab: Fall 2020
Research: Microbubbles for therapeutic and diagnostic applications
Interests: Chilling out with the crew in the schoolyard, doing things for the lolz xD, helping a worthy cause, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

Emery Hsu
Year: PhD Candidate
Graduated From: National Taiwan University
Hometown: Taipei, Taiwan
Major: B.S. in Chemical Engineering
Joined Lab: Fall 2021
Interests: Traveling, writing, reading and classical music

Hoang Dinh
Year: PhD Candidate
Graduated From: MIT
Hometown: Hanoi, Vietnam
Major: B.S. in Chemical Engineering
Joined Lab: Fall 2021
Research: Distributed Ribonucleic Acid Manufacturing (DReAM) using bijel.
Interests: baking, badminton, jazz, and J-Pop

Yingjie Shi
Year: PhD Candidate
Graduated From: Ohio State
Hometown: Shanghai, China
Major: B.S. in Chemical Engineering
Joined Lab: Fall 2021
Research: Design of co-surfactant systems to promote PEPs-REE complex adsorption
Interests: Boxing, working out, detective movies, smooth Jazz, and hip hop music.

Siddharth Sharma
Year: PhD Candidate
Graduated From: Penn State
Hometown: New Delhi, India
Major: B.S. in Chemical Engineering
Joined Lab: Fall 2021
Research: Bioprocess upscaling using microfluidics
Interests: Movies, Traveling, Painting, Dancing.
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Danielle Sclafani
Year: Undergraduate Student, Junior
Hometown: Penn Valley, PA
Major: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Joined Lab: July 2017
Research: Anti-Viral Surface Coatings
Interests: Ballet, baking, hiking, flute, sewing

Dorine Aimee Izere
Year: Undergraduate Student, Sophomore
Hometown: Rwanda
Major: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Joined Lab: September 2021
Research: Pending
Interests: Community service, Cooking, music

Stefanie Xin Pfahnl
Year: Undergraduate Student, Sophomore
Hometown: Fort Collins, Colorado
Major: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Joined Lab: January 2022
Research: Microbubbles
Interests: Baking bread, skiing, hiking

Phuong Ngo
Year: Undergraduate Student, Sophomore
Hometown: Buffalo, NY
Major: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Joined Lab: January 2022
Research: Polymer upcycling
Interests: Boating, swimming, cooking
VISITING SCHOLARS

Jiwon Kim
Name: Jiwon Kim
Year: Visiting Scholar (PhD Candidate, co-advised by Prof. Jonghoon Choi)
Graduated From: Chung-Ang University
Hometown: Seoul, Republic of Korea
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Joined Lab: Mar 2022
Research: Development of biomaterials for antimicrobial sensing and therapy
Interests: Photography, traveling, and exploring new places

Sohyun Kim
Year: Visiting Scholar (Master's student, co-advised by Prof. Hyunsik Yoon)
Graduated From: Seoul National University of Science and Technology
Hometown: Nowon, Republic of Korea
Major: Nano Bio Engineering
Joined Lab: Feb 2022
Research: Microneedle
Interests: Traveling, music, and dancing
VISITING PROFESSOR

Minsub Chung
Professor of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering at Hongik University
Ph.D. of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University
Postdoctoral scholar of Bioengineering, UC Berkeley
B.S. of Chemical Engineering, Seoul National University (Summa cum laude)

Jonghoon Choi
Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Chung-Ang University
Ph.D. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland
Postdoctoral scholar of Chemical Engineering, MIT
B.S. of Chemical Engineering, Seoul National University
Website: http://nml.creatorlink.net/