Bioengineering Winter/Spring 2026 Newsletter

We are excited to announce our new BIOE courses developed by Prof. Dhruv Seshadri and Juan Aceros!

BIOE 396/496: Equitable Innovation: Lehigh x India (Prof. Dhruv Seshadri): Lehigh’s spring course “Equitable Innovation: Lehigh x India” immerses bioengineering students in high-impact, real-world problem solving at the intersection of technology, health, and global engagement. Led by Dhruv Seshadri, the course partners with the KGiSL Institute of Technology in India. Read more

BIOE 398/498: Assistive Technology Design (Prof. Juan Aceros): Lehigh University students are bridging the gap between engineering theory and life-changing clinical impact. Led by Dr. Juan Aceros, the curriculum begins with an immersive shadowing experience at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation, where students observe firsthand the daily challenges faced by clinicians and patients.

Faculty Highlights

Anand Jagota was an invited seminar speaker at the University of Houston Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering department (Houston, TX, 2026).

Anand Ramamurthi was invited as a session speaker at the 15th Consortium of Indian Industries (CII) Global Higher Education Summit in New Delhi, India.

Will Xia participated at the BMES Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering 2026 Conference with his talk entitled "Molecular-targeted optical coherent microscopy as an optical biopsy tool for early detection of cancer".

Dhruv Seshadri participated as speaker at multiple conferences including the Wearable Health Equity Workshop at Georgia Tech and the Wearable Technology and AI Short Course in Kanchipuram, India.

Tomas Gonzalez-Fernandez was an invited speaker for the 18th ICRS World Congress (Boston, MA) and a panelist for the BMES Annual Meeting in San Diego.

• Role of Wettability, Adhesion, and Instabilities in Transitions during Lubricated Sliding Friction. H Dong, RY Siddiquie, X Xiao, M Andrews, B Bergman, CY Hui, A Jagota. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 122 (32), e2421122122 (2025).
• Understanding Viral-Glycocalyx Interactions Using Brush-Linked to Cross-Linked Models. M Ziarnik, D Hou, XF Zhang, A Jagota. Langmuir 27, 17716–17724 (2025).
• Machine Learning for Biosensing and Diagnostics Using Carbon Nanotubes. Y Yang, Z Yaari, M Kim, M Zheng, D Heller, A Jagota. Handbook of Carbon Nanomaterials: (In 2 Volumes), 455-488 (2026).
• Wearable Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Device to Quantify Rehabilitation Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Case Study on Division I Collegiate Football Athletes. J Amitrano, M Zarrinfar, M Giuliani, K Cahill, MA Seeley, DR Seshadri. Biomedical Engineering Advances, 10, 100193 (2025).
• A Case Study on the Impact of Ramadan on Biomechanical and Physiological Markers in a Female Collegiate Student-Athlete. J Amitrano, T Ameer, G Lewandowski, L Calabrese, DR Seshadri. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 7, 1576424 (2025).
• Heart Rate Monitoring From Smartphone Neck Videos Using Remote Photoplethysmography. Rahman, M. M., and Taebi, A. ASME. ASME J of Medical Diagnostics, 9(2): 021009 (2026).
• Digital Twin-Based Investigation of Seismocardiogram Sensitivity to Tissue Mechanics and Myocardial Motion. Monfared, M., Kakavand, B., Gamage, P. T., and Taebi, A. ASME. J Biomech Eng, 147(12): 121007 (2025).

BIOE Faculty Join the STEM-SQUAD 2026: Profs. Niels Holten-Andersen and Tomas Gonzalez-Fernandez have joined the STEM Squad outreach event. This event will take place in March 27th 2026 and will bring hands-on engineering to K-12 students in the Lehigh Valley. Read more about STEM-Squad

Exciting Clinical Collaboration in Women's Health

Dr. Taneka Jones has established a collaboration with a leading gynecologist at Lehigh Valley Health Network to study placenta accreta, a serious pregnancy complication in which the placenta embeds in the uterine wall and cannot detach after delivery. The team is focusing on cases in which women who previously had a cesarean section develop placenta accreta in a subsequent pregnancy, with the placenta embedding in the scar tissue from the prior C-section. This collaborative research between Lehigh's bioengineering program and local clinicians bridges the gap between engineering research and clinical practice, enabling access to real patient data and clinical expertise that can accelerate the development of diagnostic tools and treatment strategies with direct impact on maternal health outcomes.

• Regina Ruiz, Emma Jovanovic, and Nicholas Evaristo — Presented their research at the IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC) in October 2025. The students are Global Social Impact Fellows through the Creative Inquiry Program. The team is advised by Khanjan Mahta, Eric Obeysekare, and Dhruv Seshadri.
• Zelalem Ayalew — Won the Inclusive Leader Award at the Future Makers Convocation. Zelalem was recognized for championing equity, empathy, and belonging — ensuring that progress includes every voice and vision. Read more
• Lehigh BIOE student-athletes excelled across multiple sports, including women's track and field, men's rowing, and women's soccer. Grace Kennedy was the fastest runner at the Lehigh Opener, and Amina Baruwa was selected to the Third Team All-Patriot League. Read more
• Trevor Busch and Ben Childs of the Gonzalez-Fernandez Lab have been awarded Research Forum Grants to conduct undergraduate research during the spring 2026 semester.
• Juan Azmitia Delgado and Chiebuka Okpara (PhD student) have been awarded the Rossin Research Scholarship to support their research at the TGF Lab for the 2026–2027 academic year.
• Several students have been nominated for the 2026 David and Lorraine Freed Undergraduate Research Symposium, including Zelalem Ayalew, Ben Childs, and Juliana Magarelli. | Read More >>

We are thrilled to celebrate the impressive achievements of our students in BIOE 025 CAD for Bioengineers

This semester, 29 students successfully earned their Certified SolidWorks Associate (CSWA) credential, demonstrating professional-level competency in 3D modeling, assembly design, and engineering drawings. Often called the "universal language" of medical device design and prosthetic development, SolidWorks mastery is a critical skill for the modern bioengineer. By earning this industry-recognized certification, these students have proven they possess the technical rigor and spatial reasoning needed to transform innovative biological concepts into tangible engineering solutions. Congratulations to our newly certified associates on this significant professional milestone!

 

SRM & VIT partnerships:

We bid a fond farewell to our 2025-26 undergraduate research scholars from SRM University in Chennai, India. Chandana Mohanty, Vyasa Anbaghazan, Sneha Sanjeev, Rhea Biju Luke and Sowmya Vijayabaskar spent 6 months contributing their talents and gaining technical and professional skills in BioE faculty-mentored research. We are also happy to welcome new research scholars, Chehal Minocha and Arjita Nandi, who are joining us as the first cohort of BS-MS students from Vellore Institute of Technology, Bhopal.

• Chiebuka Okpara (PhD student, Gonzalez-Fernandez Lab) won a Best Poster Award at the 21st Annual Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders Scientific Symposium on November 12, 2025, in Philadelphia.
• Josh Graham (PhD student, Gonzalez-Fernandez Lab) was awarded the Koerner Family Foundation (KFF) Fellowship, which distinguishes outstanding senior PhD candidates planning careers in research within academia, industry, or government.
• Mohammadali Monfared and Aysha Mann of the Taebi Lab reconnected at the ASME IMECE meeting in Memphis last November, where he presented his research on Developing Deep Learning and Finite Element Methods to Study Myocardial Motion.
  
   

MS Degrees Granted

Nine students successfully completed their master's program requirements. Shunkai Zhu, Maggie Campbell, Jose Galarza, Dina Gofman, Kyani Jemmotte, Jyothi Tangirala, Rhianna Ambrosie, Sivani Ramachandran, and B. Bhagyavati completed their MS degree requirements and had degrees conferred in January. Our most recent Lehigh graduates are securing positions in companies across industry sectors from biomedical devices and products, such as BD Biosciences and Nephros, Inc to food & beverage manufacturing such as Bimbo Bakeries, USA and Lion Brewery, as well as furthering their education in PhD programs.

 

Past Graduate Student Association (GSA) Events

• The GSA adopted 3 families and donated gifts for families in need through a collaboration with New Bethany Community.
• Graduate Student Seminar with Prospective Students (February 27) — Nine current Bioengineering graduate students delivered flash talks on their research, giving prospective students a firsthand look at the breadth and depth of work happening in the department.
  
   

Future GSA Events:

• Nazareth Science Fair (March 21) — GSA students swill serve as judges at the Nazareth Science Fair, engaging with the local community and supporting the next generation of scientists.
• Trip to Mütter Museum (March 28) — GSA students will take a trip to the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia for an educational and social outing exploring the intersection of medicine, science, and history.
• Water-Powered Robotics and Prosthetics — Participants will operate a wearable hydraulic robotic hand powered entirely by water pressure, using syringe-based pistons to control mechanical fingers. Graduate students will guide them through the underlying engineering principles, connecting the demonstration to real-world applications in prosthetics, medical devices, and robotics.

• Preom Sarkar (B.S. '18) completed her Ph.D. in Civil & Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon in 2025. She is currently a Postdoctoral ORISE Fellow, and she recently began an Adjunct Professor position at Columbia Univ. in Earth and Environmental Engineering.
• Nate Scalia (B.S. '24) began medical school at NYITCOM (NY Inst of Tech Coll of Osteopathic Medicine).
• Scott Grant (B.S. '17) is pursuing an MBA at UVA Darden School of Business, and recently accepted an offer from Mckinsey & Company as a Summer Associate.
• Michelle Mazzeo (B.S. ChemE, M.S. BioE) was recently promoted to Staff Engineer at Regeneron.
• Caitlin Fodor (B.S. 12, MEng HSE '18) just started a new position as Senior Manager of Provider Operations at Seven Starling.
• Vibhu Shakelli (B.S. '19) just started a new role at Henry Schein One as a Senior Product Manager.
• Rachel Caffrey (B.S. '21) started a new position at Celltrion as a Sr. Principal Engineer in TS/MS Contamination Control Strategy.
• Nicole Pellechia (B.S. '18) a Customer Centered Design Integrator at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, recently completed her MBA at Villanova.