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The people who make the magic happen :)

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Yijiang Mu, Ph.D.

Graduated From: The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Hometown: Hangzhou, China

Major: Materials Chemistry

Joined Lab: October 2022 

Research: Synthesis of Janus colloids with disctinct optical properties

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Jaekyoung Kim, Ph.D.

Graduated From: Seoul National University of Science and Technology (Seoul, Korea)
Hometown: Namyangju, Republic of Korea
Major: Chemical Engineering
Joined Lab: March 2023
Research: Functional films by surface engineering, Mass production of microdroplets in microfluidics

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Sunghee Lee, Ph.D.

Graduated From: Ewha Womans University, Korea 
Hometown: Namyangju, Republic of KoreaHometown: Seoul, Korea
Major: Chemistry
Joined Lab: March 2023 (co-advised by Profs. Hyun (Michel) Koo) 
Research: Oral biofilm

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Taeyoung Heo, Ph.D.

Graduated From: Hongik University, Republic of Korea
Hometown: Seongnam, Republic of Korea 
Major: Chemical Engineering 
Joined Lab: April 2023 (co-advised by Prof. Robert A. Riggleman) 
Research: Polymer-Infiltrated Nanoparticle Films

GRADUATE STUDENTS

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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

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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

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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) :)

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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 

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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

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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.

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Sophie Haddad

Year: PhD Candidate 

Graduated From: Lebanese University, Faculty of Medical Sciences
Hometown: Beirut, Lebanon
Major: Bioengineering
Joined Lab: Fall 2022
Research: Theranostic Microbubbles
Interests: Traveling, cooking, trying new foods

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Jesse James Efymow 

Year: PhD Candidate
Graduated From: Drexel University 
Hometown: Audubon, New Jersey
Major: B.S. in Chemical Engineering 
Joined Lab: Fall 2022
Research: Microfluidics 
Interests: I love sports, hiking, and reading. 

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Philip Iaccarino

Year: PhD Candidate

Graduated From: Stony Brook University

Hometown: Farmingdale, New York

Major: M.S. and B.E. in Chemical and Molecular Engineering 

Joined Lab: Fall 2022

Interests: Ultimate frisbee, cooking, watching sports, live music, good food

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Kaiwen Wang

Year: PhD Student

Graduated From: Johns Hopkins University

Hometown: Nanjing, China

Major: B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Joined Lab: Spring 2023

Research: Polymer Upcycling

Interests: Video games, board games, cooking, singing, good food and good drinks. 

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Stuti Dureja

Year: Master's Candidate 
Graduated From: University of Delhi 
Hometown: Delhi, India
Major: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Joined Lab: Jan 2023
Research: Isolation and Purification of RNA
Interests: Movies, podcasts, boxing, trying new food

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

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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

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Awahan Sapkota

Year: Rising Sophomore (Undergraduate student)

Hometown: Kathmandu, Nepal

Major: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering 

Joined Lab: May 2023

Research: Biodiesel synthesis from algae, cavitation, microbubbles

Interests: Hiking, cycling, and traveling to new places 

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Lorenzo Galang

Year: Rising second-year undergraduate
Hometown: Richmond, Virginia
Major: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Joined Lab: May 2023
Research: Algal cell lysis by ultrasonically induced cavitation
Interests: Football, traveling, cooking

VISITING SCHOLARS

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João Victor Mattioni

Year: Visiting Scholar (PhD student, advised by Prof. Henrique Toma and co-advised by Prof. Fernando Menegatti de Melo)
Graduated From: University of São Paulo

Hometown: São Paulo, Brazil
Major: B.S. in Chemistry
Joined Lab: July 2022
Research: Iron oxide nanoparticles synthesis and assembly for strategic metals capture
Interests: Formula 1, rock music, anime, chess, sports and e-sports

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Roberto Vaquero

Year: Visiting Scholar ( undergraduate student, co-advised by Prof. Daeyeon Lee & Siddharth Sharma) 
Graduated From: currently studying at University of Puerto Rico-Humacao 
Hometown: Humacao, Puerto Rico
Major: Industrial Chemistry
Joined Lab: June 2023
Research: Microfluidic cell fabrication for emulsions 
Interests: music, traveling, art and history 

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Nia Bellopede

Year: Visiting Student (Rising Junior at Rowan University)

Hometown: Sewell, NJ

Major: Biomedical Engineering

Joined Lab: May 2023

Research: Boosting subcellular assay throughout via colloidal arraying by capillary assembly

Interests: reading and traveling

VISITING PROFESSOR

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Dong-Sik Shin

Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Sookmyung Women's University
Assistant project scientist of Biomedical Engineering, UC Davis

Postdoctoral scholar of Chemical Engineering, UC Berkeley

Ph.D. of Chemical Engineering, Seoul National University
B.S. of Chemical Engineering, Seoul National University 
Website: https://www.biomatlab.net/

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