Principal Investigator

Jennifer L. Puetzer, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Departments of Biomedical Engineering & Orthopaedic Surgery

PostDoc, Materials & Bioengineering, Imperial College London
Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University
B.S., Biomedical Engineering, NC State
email: jlpuetzer AT vcu.edu

Graduate Students

Ethan Brown

Ph.D Candidate
B.S., Biochemistry, Minor in Chemistry, Virginia Tech, 2016
Research: Musculoskeletal enthesis development, bone integration
email: brownme9 AT vcu.edu

​

Austin Gouldin

Ph.D. Candidate
B.S., Biological Systems Engineering, Minor in Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Tech, 2018
Research: Effects of Ageing on Musculoskeletal collagen and cells
email: gouldinag AT vcu.edu

Leia Troop

Ph.D. Student
B.S., Biomedical Engineering, Minor in Chemistry and Biology, Mercer University, 2021
Research: Effects of Mechanical Loading on Hierarchical Fiber development and LOX expression
email: troopld AT vcu.edu

Kelly Ott

PhD Student
​B.S., Biomedical Engineering, VCU, 2022
​Research: Kelly's thesis research is investigating how slow growth elongations mirroring postnatal growth rates effect hierarchical collagen fiber development. 
email: ottkr AT vcu.edu
​

Tristan Strayer

PhD Student
​B.S., Chemical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, 2022
​Research: The Role of Focal Adhesion Kinase in Hierarchical Collagen Fiber formation and Fiber Dysregulation with EDS
email: strayert AT vcu.edu

Undergraduate Students

Saagar Sheth

Biomedical Engineering, 
​Expected graduation May 2023
​Research: Zonal cell differentiation within engineered ligament-to-bone attachments
email: shethsn AT vcu.edu

Reem Hammad

Chemistry, 
​Expected graduation May 2024
​Research: Development of high density fluorescent collagen gels for tracking of cellular collagen turnover in extended tissue culture
email: hammadri AT vcu.edu

Raza Haider

Biomedical Engineering, Biomechanics Track
Expected graduation May 2024
Research: Combating age-related Advanced Glycation End-product Accumulation in Tendons with Mechanical stimulation
email: haiderra AT vcu.edu

Alex Samson

Biomedical Engineering 
Expected graduation May 2024
Research: Combating age-related Advanced Glycation End-product Accumulation in Tendons with Mechanical stimulation
email: samsonag AT vcu.edu

Rudav Kathiravan

Biomedical Engineering 
Expected graduation May 2026
Research: Zonal cell differentiation within engineered ligament-to-bone attachments
email: kathiravanr AT vcu.edu

Alumni​

Graduate Alumni
Ethan Brown, PhD -  Working at PPD

Undergraduate Alumni
​Kyle Warner - Class of  2020 - Working in Industry
Madison Bates - Class of 2021 - Now PhD Student at Vanderbilt University
Panth Doshi - Class of 2021 - Now MD Student at VCU
Charlie Bass - Class of 2021
Dedelolia Olungew - Class of 2022
Elna Manoj - Class of 2025
Sophia Murphy - Visiting REU Alumnus

Interested in joining the team? Get in touch!