Our Team

Principal Investigator

Yevgeny Brudno, PhD

Associate Professor, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics (DPMP), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Associate Professor, Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University
Postdoc, Harvard Engineering | Harvard Medical School
PhD, Organic Chemistry, Harvard University

Research Faculty

Pritha Agarwalla, PhD

Research Assistant Professor
PhD, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology

Research Technicians

Israt Jahan Tulip

Research Technician/Assistant (2024-)

UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics (DPMP), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
MS, Biochemistry, Department of Medical Science, Hallym University, South Korea
BS, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh

Cellular therapies hold immense promise for revolutionizing healthcare by harnessing the power of our own cells to treat various diseases and conditions. So, Tulip is intrigued by crafting novel and cost-effective cellular therapies that seamlessly transition into clinical practice. Outside of the lab, she enjoys cuddling with her son, spending time with family and friends, travelling, exploring and crafting a variety of culinary delights, and watching movies.

Postdoctoral Fellows

Christopher Moody, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow (2021-)
PhD, Biomedical Engineering, Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, UNC-CH and NCSU
BS, Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University

Christopher is a postdoc and our informal lab manager and is working on improving efficiency and simplicity of our scaffold mediated transduction technology by looking at different biomaterials and formulations. Christopher has a wife and two daughters (1 & 3 years old) that he enjoys seeing them experience the world! Outside of lab, Christopher enjoys going to sporting events (football, basketball, and hockey), traveling, and exploring parks, zoos, aquariums, and science centers.

Sharda Pandit, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow (2023-)
PhD, Biomedical Engineering, Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, UNC-CH and NCSU
BDS, MGV’s KBH Dental College and Hospital
MT, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India (IITB)

Vishal Srikanth, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow (2024-)
PhD, Mechanical Engineering, North Carolina State University
MS, Mechanical Engineering, North Carolina State University
BTech, Aerospace Engineering, Amrita University, India

Vishal Srikanth is a mechanical engineer specializing in computational multi-physics. Vishal is developing a mathematical model of the interaction between cells and viruses during liquid flow at the microscopic level to investigate the mechanics of transduction. His previous research interests span the fields of turbulent flow physics, data-driven modeling, and textile and aerospace engineering. Outside of work, Vishal enjoys quiet evenings spent at home or by the lakeside.

Dimitra Apostolidou, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow (2024-)
PhD, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University
MS, Microsystems and Nanodevices, National Technical University of Athens
BS, Applied Mathematical and Physical Sciences, National Technical University of Athens

Dimitra is interested in the development of targeted and materials-free therapeutic approaches for cancer treatment. Outside of the lab, she enjoys going to the gym, running (especially on trails), hiking, and watching movies.

Graduate Students

Madelyn VanBlunk

PhD Candidate (2021-)
Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, UNC-CH and NCSU
BS, Chemical Engineering, University of Notre Dame

Maddy is interested in creating innovative and affordable cellular therapies that can be easily translated to clinical settings. Currently, her project involves manufacturing CAR T cells using mini biomaterial scaffolds to treat glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer and the most common brain malignancy in adults with no cure. Outside of the lab, Maddy loves running, hiking, baking, reading books, playing her Nintendo Switch, and cuddling with her cat, Kovu.

Micah Mallory

PhD Candidate (2021-)
Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, UNC-CH and NCSU
BS, Biomedical Engineering, Geneva College

In the lab, Micah is attempting to understand why and how our alginate scaffolds (DryDux) work so well. He is exploring alternative biomaterials to evaluate different classes and types of materials’ transduction potential. Through this exploration, Micah is finding key governing parameters that can be leveraged for next generation material and process design for genetically modifying cells. In his free time, Micah loves spending time with his awesome, beautiful wife Brittany and his cute goldendoodle Rylee, traveling around, going on walks and planting/harvesting in our garden. When not spending time with them, he is probably officiating a soccer or futsal match in the area. He also thoroughly enjoys a good podcast, in depth conversations with friends, a good book, visiting his local farm, making yummy food, and fixing anything that is broken.

Rukesh Chinthapatla

PhD Student (2021-)
Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, UNC-CH and NCSU
BS, Biochemistry | Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University

Rukesh is dedicated to pioneering advancements in drug delivery technologies. He has worked on two distinct technologies in the Brudno Lan. The first is a materials-free drug delivery system we call Tissue Anchoring Reactive Pharmaceuticals (TRAPs). We developed two different conjugates, TRAP-Paclitaxel and TRAP-Dexamethasone, which are now being evaluated in equine subjects to treat ocular squamous cell carcinoma and severe asthma, respectively. The second is a universal transfection reagent to improve in vitro and ex vivo intracellular delivery of non-viral vectors, such as lipid nanoparticles. The encompassing intellectual property has already been licensed to two biotechnology companies, for clinical as well as research use. Outside of the lab, he enjoys spending time with friends and family, going on hikes, and watching movies.

Treyvon Davis, DVM

PhD Student (2022-)
Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina State University
DVM, Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University
BS, Biology, University of New Mexico

In 2011, Treyvon completed his DVM at NC State University and has since been working as a clinical veterinarian. In 2021, he returned to NC State to pursue his PhD in Immunology. Currently, he is investigating the use of genetically modified T cells (CAR T cells) as an immunotherapeutic for dogs with solid and round cell tumors. He hopes this serves as successful adjunct therapy for canine patients suffering from cancer. Outside of research and clinical practice, he most enjoys spending time engaging with his family, studying the Bible, and teaching.

Mabel Barreiro

PhD Student (2023-)
Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University
MS, Chemistry, McMaster University
BS, Chemistry, University of Havana

Projects that apply interdisciplinary science to create practical solutions are always exciting for Mabel. Currently, she is working on the development of localized drug delivery strategies to improve the efficacy and safety of active molecules. Outside the lab, she enjoys spending time with family and friends. Exploring new places, cultures, and food is always a blast. Even better when she gets to combine everything at the same time!

Emily Joe

PhD Student (2024-)
UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics (DPMP),
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
BS, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Emily is currently working on injectable materials for long term CAR T cell delivery and is interested in the translational space of immunotherapeutic biologics. Outside of lab, she loves to read books, dance, crochet, and make Spotify playlists.

Undergraduate Students

Belen Neumann-Rivera, Chemical Engineering major, NCSU

Hannah Haynes, Biomedical Engineering major, UNC-CH and NCSU

Nidhi Rane, Biomedical Engineering major, UNC-CH and NCSU

Emma Grace Johnson, Biomedical Engineering major, UNC-CH and NCSU

Arissa He, Animal Science major, NCSU

Alumni

Staff:

Jennifer Sollinger

Postdocs:

Sandeep Palvai, 2021

Graduate Students:

Sharda Pandit, PhD, 2023

Christopher Moody, PhD, 2021

Tiffany Ferrell, MS, 2021

Mary Adams, MS, 2019

Justin Chen, MS, 2019

Undergraduate Students:

April Brown

Bevin Neill

Kristen Froehlich

Andrew Page

Nathanael Patton

Bhairavy Puviindran

Courtney Rogers

Dante Tomaino

Anna Castillo