Current Lab Members

Ezra Cho

PhD Student, NSF GRFP Fellow 

Ezra is a PhD student interested in interrogating DNA structures to improve therapeutic drug targeting. He completed his undergraduate degree in bioengineering with a minor in statistics at the University of Maryland, with research experience in bioinformatics.  During his free time, he spends his time cooking, working out, and recordkeeping his lifestyle habits. 

Meredith Davis

PhD Student 

Meredith is a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering. She earned her Master of Science in BME from Boston University in 2024 and her Bachelor of Science in BME from the University of Virginia in 2022. As an undergraduate, she conducted research in Dr. Rebecca Pompano’s lab, where she developed and validated a computational model to predict the spatial resolution of an experimental technique for detecting cytokine secretion in lymph node tissue. Her research interests include immunology, tissue engineering, and nanomedicine. Outside of the lab, Meredith enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, and exploring new restaurants.

Siyi Zheng

PhD Student, SB2 Trainee Awardee

Siyi is a PhD student interested in DNA-targeted immunotherapy. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology at Hunan University, China. She completed her master’s degree in biomedical engineering at Boston University, where she conducted research in Dr. Hadi Nia’s lab studying the residual solid stress in murine brains. Her research interests focus on nanomedicine and tissue engineering.

Anna Maria Ferrante

PhD Student, TRB Trainee Awardee

Anna Maria is a PhD student interested in the intersections of immunology, nanotechnology, and drug delivery. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. Outside of the lab, she enjoys playing soccer, baking, and hiking.

Matthew Gatto

PhD Student, SB2 Trainee Awardee

Matthew is a PhD student interested in developing drug delivery mechanisms to engineer the immune system. He received both his undergraduate degree in biochemical engineering and his master’s degree in pharmacy from the University of Georgia where he completed research in liposomal drug formulation. In his free time, he enjoys spending time outdoors, working out, and watching Boston sports teams win championships.

Julia Nowak

PhD Student, NSF GRFP Fellow

Julia is a PhD student interested in engineering drug delivery systems to impact the immune system for improved cancer and disease therapies. She completed her undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering with a concentration in nanotechnology at BU, and is excited to continue these studies in her graduate work. In her free time she enjoys exploring Boston, reading, and spending time with friends.

Emma Hudson

Masters Student, BU MLK Fellow

Emma Hudson is currently pursuing a Masters of Science in Biomedical Engineering. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from American University. During this time she researched how vertical farms could be deployed as a social intervention for chronic disease and performed case studies on how gold nanoparticles could be used as a diagnostic tool for pulmonary hypertension with United Therapeutics. Her research interests focus on immunology and drug delivery. In her free time, she runs a nonprofit focused on empowering food insecure communities with precision farming technology.

Tushar Kotamraju

Masters Student

Tushar is a current Master's student in the Biomedical Engineering department. He is interested in developing drug delivery mechanisms in the context of cancer immunotherapy and infectious disease control. He completed his undergraduate degree in the University of California, Davis in Biomedical Engineering. Working under Dr. Robert Canter in the Surgical Oncology department and under Dr. R.V. Prabhushankar in the Health Informatics department, he combined wet laboratory immuno-based techniques with computational skills to target metastatic cancers such as sarcomas and diseases such as Alzheimer's. In his free time, he enjoys playing sports, playing video games, and creating the ultimate food list for Boston.

Aaliyah Abel

Masters Student

Aaliyah is pursuing a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering. She completed her undergraduate degree at Tufts University with research experience in drug delivery, tissue engineering, and 3D printing. Now she’s focused on learning more about immunotherapies, nanoparticles, and the protein corona that modulates nanoparticle localization. Outside of the lab, she loves reading, visiting new bakeries with friends, and trying new workouts.