Tae-Youl Choi
Position: Principal Investigator
Email: Tae-Youl.Choi@unt.edu
Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley (2002)
My research interest is in thermal and fluid science and engineering at small scales, i.e., micro and nanoscale. I have developed a microthermal sensing technology to characterize cellular thermal properties, which can be used for cancer detection and identification of cancer boundaries during surgical procedure.
Denise Perry Simmons
Position: Co-Principal Investigator
Email: denise.simmons@unthsc.edu
Ph.D. Biological Sciences UT Austin and UT MD Anderson; Postdoc Medicinal Chemistry. UT Austin College of Pharmacy, Fellow NIH-National Cancer Institute
My expertise and interests span the spectrum of transdisciplinary to affect translational outcomes. With a focus on leveraging the notion of the “cell as a material”, I seek to inform the life cycle of the cell’s transition from normal to diseased at the intersections of materials science and engineering, the physical sciences, and the biological sciences.
Ramesh Shrestha
Position: Research Associate
Email: rameshshrestha@my.unt.edu
Thermal characterization of thermal fluids, micro-nano materials, thin films, and biological cells using micro-pipette thermal sensor and laser point heating. Develop the numerical model for the experiment using COMSOL simulation and MATLAB Simulink.
Rohini Atluri
Position: Ph.D. Candidate
Email: rohiniatluri@my.unt.edu
My research is focused on thermal characterization of cancer cells, specifically, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM; brain cancer) and epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Research interests also include developing 3D spheroid models representing tumor, to identify the boundaries between normal and cancer cells based on thermal properties of the cells and combination treatment for GBM using Silver nanoparticles and low-level laser.
Sebastiao Mira
Position: Ph.D. student
Email: sebastiaomira@my.unt.edu
Detection and elimination of circulating tumor cells with magnetic Nanomaterials - Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are disseminated cancer cells through blood stream (metastasis). The conceptual process design of my research work using magnetic Nano Particle to catch CTC’s cells pulling them for a filter where they will be separated of clean blood and these CTC’s Cell will be addressed to a Heater to be eliminated while cleaned blood goes back to the body.
Kailash Chandra Shivaji Paturi
Position: Ph.D. student
Email: ChandraShivPaturi@my.unt.edu
Parsa Afkhami
Position: Post Baccalaureate intern
Email: parsa.afkhami@outlook.com
B.S. Nutritional Sciences, University of Texas at Austin (2019)
After graduation, I am continuing my work in the field of research. My work focuses on micro-scale fabrication of thermal sensors used for thermal characterization of biological cell.
Andrew Jarrett
Position: Undergraduate student
Email: andrewjarrett@my.unt.edu
I am a junior in the mechanical and energy engineering program at UNT. My research is in micro scale fabrication of micropipette sensors and the development of artificial neural networks to solve for heat parameters.
Samuel McCaulley
Position: High School Junior UNT Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science
Email: SamuelMcCaulley@my.unt.edu
I am using thermocouple materials properties to optimize the sensitivity of our MTS-2016, shown to distinguish a normal cell from its malignant transformed cell. The optimized MTS-2020 will be applied towards the use of thermal markers to detect early stage epithelial ovarian cancer.
Jasmine Tandon
Position: High School Junior UNT Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science
Email: jasminetandon@my.unt.edu
My research focuses on investigating thermal conductivity and diffusivity as thermal markers and TRPV6 as a biomarker during epithelial ovarian carcinogenesis. This work will include collaboration with Sam to test and validate his optimization of MTS-2020.
Jennifer Ai
Position: Incoming High School Junior UNT Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science
Joining the Research Group Summer 2020. High school sophomore, Jennifer Ai comes to the group as an early entry UNT Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science. She will spend her high school junior and senior years in college level classes at UNT and will begin her research advancing biomedical findings in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).