Principal Investigator

Ashutosh Agarwal
Assistant Professor
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Miami
Department of Pathology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute
Profile: Google Scholar      UM-BME      IEEE-TNB    NIDDK-HIRN

Email: a.agarwal2@miami.edu
Phone: (305) 243-8925
Address: Life Science & Technology Park 1951 NW 7th Ave #475 Miami FL 33136
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Doctoral Students

Dennis McDuffie
Project: Liver on a Chip

Dennis graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.S. in biomedical engineering in 2018. He joined the lab in August 2018 and is co-mentored by Dr. Emmanuel Thomas from the University of Miami department of pathology. Dennis is developing a liver chip to study chronic viral hepatitis, and its role in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma. 

Charles Alver
Projects: Metastasis on a Chip, Glomerular Hyperfiltration on a Chip, and Pancreatic Beta Cell Regeneration on a Chip 
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Charlie was born in Tampa, Fl and got his S.B. in Engineering Sciences – Bioengineering from Harvard University in 2017. He is currently a part of the University of Miami Medical Scientist Training Program doing his graduate studies in Biomedical Engineering. After completing his first two years of medical school he has joined us in the PMLab where he is working on biomimetic filtration barriers and improving pancreatic cellular regeneration.

Emma Drabbe
Project: Retinal Organoids

Emma joined the lab in Fall 2020 and is from the Netherlands. She graduated with a B.S. and M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Eindhoven University of Technology. Her project is about the development of a bioreactor to culture retinal organoids in a controlled microenvironment, which is co-mentored by Dr. Daniel Pelaez.

Research Assistants

Carlos Aguila
Project: 

Bio
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Madeline Helm
Project: Liver Zonation on a Chip and Integrated Liver and Kidney on a Chip

Madeline graduated from the University of Miami with a BS in Biomedical Engineering. During her post-baccalaureate year she is working in the lab and applying to medical school. She joined the lab in 2020 and is now working on developing an integrated liver and kidney chip.  Madeline presented her liver zonation chip research at the Society for Biomaterials 2021 Annual Meeting.

Undergraduate Students

Albert Cordoves
Project: Cancer Metastasis in Human Bone Marrow on a Chip 

Albert is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Miami on track to graduate with a B.S. in Microbiology and Immunology. Since joining the lab in 2019, Albert has worked towards the development and implementation of simulating cancer metastasis in human bone marrow on a chip in order to learn more about gene expression and potential therapeutics. After graduating, Albert intends to continue working in the lab through his post-baccalaureate year while pursuing his goal of attending medical school.

Niani Mays
Project: Metastasis on a Chip, Glomerular Hyperfiltration on a Chip, and Pancreatic Beta Cell Regeneration on a Chip ​

Niani is currently a junior working for her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering with a concentration in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering at the University of Miami. She joined the PMLab her sophomore year as a JANUS fellow in 2020. She is now assisting on a glomerular hyperflitration chip, a metastasis chip, and a pancreatic beta cell chip.​

Timothy Arcari
Project: Retinal Organoids

Tim is currently a junior working towards his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering with a concentration Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering at the University of Miami. He joined the lab in the summer of 2021 and is using his knowledge of 3D printing and biology to assist on a retinal organoid bioreactor.
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