Principal Investigator

Jennifer L. Puetzer, Ph.D.

Associate 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

Postdoctoral Fellows

Akshay Bhatt, Ph.D.

Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, India and Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
M.S., Biotechnology, Vellore Institute of Technology, India, 2017
B.S., Biotechnology, Priyadarshini Institute of Technology, India, 2015
​
Research: Evaluating how cells sense dynamic mechanical cues in hierarchical collagen fibers
email: bhatta AT vcu.edu

Ph.D. Students

Leia Troop

PhD Candidate
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 Candidate
​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

Andrea Frankel

PhD Student
​B.S., Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, 2024
​Research: Investigating sex differences in hierarchical fiber regulation and the contribution of estrogen to increased meniscal injuries in females 
email: frankelam AT vcu.edu

Masters Students

Afrah Nirar

MS Student
​B.S., Biomedical Engineering, VCU, 2024
​Research: Investigating the role of Anti-Oxidants in driving Collagen Fiber formation with Aged Human Meniscus Cells
email: nirarak AT vcu.edu
​

Alex Samson

MS Student
B.S., Biomedical Engineering, VCU, 2024
Research: Combating age-related Advanced Glycation End-product Accumulation in Tendons with Mechanical stimulation
email: samsonag AT vcu.edu

Reem Hammad

MS Student
​B.S., Chemistry, VCU, 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

Undergraduate Students

Rudav Kathiravan

Biomedical Engineering 
Expected graduation May 2025
Research: Zonal cell differentiation within engineered ligament-to-bone attachments
email: kathiravanr AT vcu.edu

Sunaina Naik

Biomedical Engineering
​Expected graduation May 2026
Research: Investigating Changes in Cellular Focal Adhesions during Hierarchical Collagen Fiber Formation
email: naikss AT vcu.edu

Graceyn Martin

Chemistry
​Expected graduation May 2026
Research: Development of high density fluorescent collagen gels for tracking of cellular collagen turnover in extended tissue culture
email: jonesgc3 AT vcu.edu

Simone Chapman

Biomedical Engineering
​Expected graduation May 2027
Research: Developing monitoring system for long-term bioreactor culture
email: chapmansv2 AT vcu.edu

Julian Penn

Biomedical Engineering
​Expected graduation May 2026
Research: Combating age-related Advanced Glycation End-product Accumulation in Tendons with Mechanical stimulation
email: pennj3 AT vcu.edu

Alumni​

Graduate Alumni
Ethan Brown, PhD -  Working at PPD
​Austin Gouldin, PhD - Working at Johnson & Johnson

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, Now QMS Engineer at Elsevier
Dedelolia Olungew - Class of 2022 - Working at NGIA
Saagar Sheth - Class of 2023 - Now MD Student at UVA
Raza Haider - Class of 2024
Elna Manoj - Class of 2025
Sophia Murphy - Visiting REU Alumnus

Interested in joining the team? Get in touch!