Staff Directory

I graduated from UCLA with a BS in Bioengineering in the class of 2024. After graduation, I worked at Terasaki Institute in Dr.Jiang’s lab, where my work focused on using AI machine learning for single-cell analysis to uncover immune cell patterns and to develop models that connect these immune signatures with patient outcomes and tumor viability across cancers. Look forward to building on my computational background while moving into hands-on tissue engineering and organ-on-a-chip work to study breast cancer metastasis and immune cell interactions with Ilaria in the GVN lab.

Outside of the school and lab, I enjoy playing tennis and watching MLB.

Yi is an undergraduate Biology major at Barnard College with a longstanding interest in the cardiac system and related diseases. She is currently conducting research with Dr. Idit Goldfracht on ischemia–reperfusion injury and vascularization in cardiac tissue.

Outside the lab, Yi is passionate about sports and actively advocates for social equity for individuals with disabilities.

Research Interests:

Kinase signaling in iPSC-derived Cardiomyocytes and Engineered Cardiac Tissue

Education:

B.S. in Biological Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, China, 2008

Ph.D in Biochemistry, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, 2014

Xiaokan received her PhD degree at Hunter College, City University of New York, where she worked on mechanisms of transcriptional control and regulation in mammalian cells. Then she conducted postdoctoral research at Columbia University, on the effect of mitochondrial enzyme acetylation and metabolism on cardiac function in human cardiovascular diseases, especially in heart failure.

She joined Prof. Vunjak-Novakovic laboratory working with Dr. Barry Fine in 2019. Her major research project is to investigate the mechanism behind how STK25 regulates the cardiac signaling pathways in human cardiovascular diseases and to demonstrate the physiologic significance of that regulation in cellular based assays using human inducible pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes as a model.

Xianghai grew up in Shanghai and obtained his PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Hong Kong, China. He performed his research at Columbia University Medical Center, focusing on cardiovascular disease. He established the mechanisms underlying ER stress-induced macrophage apoptosis and autophagy during atherosclerotic plaque necrosis and identified mechanisms by which ceramide causes apoptosis and autophagy in the failing heart. He also worked on epigenetic regulation and transcriptional regulation of heart failure with an emphasis on long non-coding RNAs and their interacting proteins to expand the mechanistic understanding of heart failure.

He joined Dr. Vunjak-Novakovic's lab in 2024. He is working on creating a non-human tended micro-physiological system, also known as organ-on-chips, to study the physiological responses to space flight-related stressors, using multiple engineered tissue models from gene-edited iPSCs.

Vanessa is an M.S. candidate in Biomedical Engineering from Nagoya, Japan, and Shanghai, China. She joined the Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering in September of 2022. Vanessa is an aspiring scientist in biomaterials, tissue engineering, and health equity. She received her undergraduate degree in Chemistry and Sociology from Wellesley College. As a part of her honors thesis, Vanessa explored the role of water transfer printing in micropatterning hydrogels onto 3-dimensional nonplanar surfaces to replicate microenvironments in the human body.

Over the summer of 2022, Vanessa gained interest in studying the heart after engineering iPS cell-derived heart organoids to investigate cardiac fibrosis at the Center of iPS Cell Research and Application at Kyoto University. Vanessa’s current work focuses on understanding cardiovascular diseases in lupus patients using engineered heart tissues. Outside the laboratory, she can be found playing classical music, trying new restaurants, and exploring New York City.

Sue serves as the Director of Grants and Research Operations for the Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering. With over a decade of experience in biomedical research administration, she leads the operational strategy and day-to-day management of a dynamic, interdisciplinary lab focused on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. She plays a key role in supporting the lab’s scientific mission by aligning financial planning with research goals and fostering a culture of efficiency, safety, and innovation. 

Affectionately known as the “Captain” of the GVN Lab, Sue keeps the ship running—from coordinating complex, multi-institutional research projects to lending a sympathetic ear in times of crisis. If it’s broken, she’ll fix it; if it’s on her post-it, she will make it happen. A native New Yorker with a near-telepathic recall of city streets and restaurants, Sue is the go-to for directions, last-minute calendar reminders, and everything in between. She is also a co-founder of Xylyx Bio (xylyxbio.com), a startup advancing tissue-specific biomaterials for regenerative applications.

Sue holds an M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from NYU and a B.S. in Physical Science from St. John’s University.

Richard was born Beijing and grew up in Auckland, New Zealand. He completed his B.Eng. in Materials Science and Engineering at Imperial College London in 2018. While at Imperial, he worked with Prof. Julian Jones on using sol-gel constructs for diagnostics of respiratory disease. Richard completed his M.S in Biomedical Engineering is now a PhD student at Columbia University. His current work focuses on applying optogenetic tools to cardiac tissue engineering to better understand cardiac maturation. In his free time, Richard enjoys exploring the restaurants and bars of New York, where science leaves him alone.   

Pamela received her MS degree in Chemical Engineering from Rowan University where, after earning her BS degree, she was first introduced to tissue engineering.  Under the guidance of Dr. Andrea Jennifer Vernengo, Pamela engineered and characterized stimuli-responsive biomaterials for applications in intervertebral disc degeneration and spinal cord injury. Pamela went on to join Dr. Kara Spiller’s lab for Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine at Drexel University in 2014, where she developed an in vitro model of biomaterial vascularization to investigate how macrophages, immune cells that regulate the inflammatory response, can be harnessed to direct blood vessel growth. In support of this work, Pamela received a U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation Travel Grant award and a Louis and Bessie Stein Fellowship to conduct research in Prof. Shulamit Levenberg’s Lab at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.

After earning her PhD in Biomedical Engineering, Pamela joined Dr. Ankur Singh’s lab at Cornell University, where she completed postdoctoral research using ex vivo organoid models to characterize how tissue microenvironments instruct immune cells in health and disease.  She joined Prof. Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic’s lab in 2020, where she is currently using a multi-tissue platform to model and delineate the contributions of tissue resident immune cells to pre-metastatic niche formation and tumor metastasis.

Montse is a Master’s student in Biomedical Engineering who joined the lab in Fall 2025. She is currently working with Naveed on a translational approach to studying the hematopoietic and immune systems by developing models that mimic the bone marrow niche. She earned her B.S. in Biotechnology Engineering from ITESM in Mexico. She previously worked in Dr. Shin’s lab at Harvard Medical School, where she focused on 3D bioprinting iPSC-derived constructs for volumetric muscle loss to enhance tissue regeneration.

Outside the lab, Montse enjoys practicing yoga, biking, visiting museums, and is a Level 7 Google Reviewer.

I joined the lab in August 2022 after completing 2 years of general surgery residency. I completed my first year of residency at Mount Sinai hospital, and my second year was completed at SUNY Downstate.

I will be studying whole lung tissue engineering utilizing the cross-circulation platform developed in the GVN lab and partake in Cystic Fibrosis research.

I joined the lung team in the GVN Lab to pursue translatable solutions for lung disease patients. My early research interest in elastomers, curiosity about the mechanics and immense cellular diversity of the lung, and heartbreak over witnessing patients struggle to breathe due to radiation-induced lung injury and other pulmonary diseases are synergistic motivators for my current work with the team.

In 2019, I earned a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and defended my honors thesis on a new osteoconductive scaffold for long bone defects. Currently, I’m an MD-PhD student at Columbia. Outside of lab, I am an amateur home coffee roaster, love hiking and running whenever possible, and am working on becoming a licensed Zumba instructor. Look for an overcaffeinated lung team dance number coming soon.

Originally from the Netherlands, Margaretha Morsink joined the lab in September 2021 as a PhD student. She graduated cum laude with a master's degree at the University of Twente in Biomedical Engineering, specializing in Bioengineering Technologies. Her research focused on the ER-to-Golgi trafficking of mucin-2, providing insights in the pathophysiology of inflammatory bowel disease. Previously, she worked in the lab of Dr. Shin at Harvard Medical School to develop an in vitro tissue model of liver fibrosis. She is thrilled to pursue cutting-edge research in engineering functional tissues and modeling disease pathologies.

When she is not in the lab, Maggie loves exploring hiking areas and trying out the different cuisines found in New York.

Khan graduated from UCLA with a B.S. in Psychobiology and a minor in Spanish. He is now a Dental student at Columbia University and works closely with Ilaria and the OOC team. He is excited to be surrounded by brilliant minds, all committed to the development of the field of tissue engineering.

Outside of school and the lab, Khan enjoys running, exploring NYC’s music culture, and is currently working on his West-to-East Coast conversion.

Keith Yeager is a design engineer with expertise derived from design and prototyping of well over 100 devices spanning a range of technologies: including bioreactors for tissue engineering, imaging systems, diagnostic devices, surgical instruments, and custom instrumentation for research labs.  Keith is an enthusiastic problem solver with extensive applied experience with machining, 3D printing, printed circuit boards, thermoforming, laser cutting, injection molding, and other fabrication processes.   He received a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from The Cooper Union and for the past nine years, he has been the go-to guy for design and prototyping needs in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University.  After several years of collaborating with the Lab for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Keith has finally become an official member of the lab and continues to work with the team on developing some really cool technologies.

Kate is an undergraduate student studying Biomedical Engineering. She works with Maggie to research molecular and cellular mechanisms related to cardiac diseases. She is particularly interested in how these pathways can inform approaches in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Outside the lab, Kate enjoys spending time in bookstores, knitting, and sailing.

Dr. Kacey Ronaldson-Bouchard is an Associate Research Scientist at Columbia University’s Department of Biomedical Engineering in New York City. She received her Ph.D. at Columbia in 2015 under the advisement of Dr. Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic. Her research focuses on engineering multicellular systems from pluripotent stem cells, including the advanced maturation of iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes into mature, functional cardiac microtissues. In addition, Dr. Ronaldson-Bouchard has an interest in integrating multiple engineered tissue models for studying inter-organ interactions, towards the development of patient avatar models for the realization of personalized medicine. She has published peer-reviewed articles in journals including Nature, Cell Stem Cell, and Cell, and is a co-founder of TARA Biosystems, a NYC-based startup company focused on engineering advanced cardiac models for drug discovery, testing, and precision cardiology.
 

Julie is a postdoctoral research scientist interested in multiscale bioengineering of the lung microenvironment to study fibrotic disease progression. She completed her B.S. at Georgia Institute of Technology in 2019. At Georgia Tech she conducted research on lymphatic vessel biomechanics and remodeling in lymphedema under the mentorship of Dr. Rudy Gleason. She then completed her Ph.D. at the University of Virginia in 2024 under the mentorship of Dr. Shayn Peirce-Cottler. Her dissertation research focused on developing multiscale computational models of the lung microenvironment to understand microvascular remodeling and fibroblast sub-population dynamics in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Outside of the lab Julie can be found adventuring in Central Park with her dog, trying a new restaurant, or cheering on her favorite Philly sports teams (Go Birds!). 

Isabella is an undergraduate student studying biomedical engineering. She works with Dr. Isabela Sanches to develop a microfluidic tooth-on-a-chip system that models the pulp-dentin interface to study how odontoblast processes influence pain transduction and dentin regeneration.

Outside the lab, Isabella enjoys visiting museums, traveling, and spending time with friends. 

Isabela received her Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS, 2021) and Master of Science (MS, 2023) degrees from the University of São Paulo, Brazil. During both programs, she had the opportunity to conduct research in the field of tissue engineering under the mentorship of Professor Diana Soares.

Her research journey began during her DDS program, where she was awarded a scholarship for a research internship (2018–2020), focusing on the development of chitosan scaffolds for dentin regeneration. From 2021 to 2023, she received a master’s scholarship to pursue research on the fabrication and characterization of 3D-printed GelMA hydrogels incorporated with bone decellularized matrices for dentin regeneration, applied to an in vitro model of dental pulp exposure.

In 2024, Isabela joined the GVN Lab as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Dental-Biomedical Engineering (D-BEST) Program. Her postdoctoral research focuses on the development and analysis of a Tooth-on-a-Chip platform for evaluating odontoblast cell behavior regarding dentin hypersensitivity and dentin deposition.

Outside of the lab, Isabela enjoys cooking, outdoor walks, and picnics—especially when shared with her husband and dear friends.

A chemical engineer by formation, Ilaria graduated magna cum laude from the University of Padova (M.Sc. '21) after carrying out her Master’s thesis project in Dr. Molly Stevens’ lab at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm. Here, she studied the micro and nanoscale fabrication of self-assembled biomaterials ranging from peptide gels to lipid nanoparticles. This research built on the microfluidic competences she acquired during her undergrad internship in Dr. Elisa Cimetta’s lab at the University of Padova (B.Sc. '19). Ilaria is now thrilled to have joined the GVN lab as a PhD student to advance in the field of tissue engineering.

While figuring out where to nurture her love for the outdoors, she cannot wait to enjoy NYC’s cultural offer hopping from one concert hall to another! 

Dr. Idit Goldfracht is a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at Columbia University’s Department of Biomedical Engineering in New York City. She completed her Ph.D. as part of the direct Ph.D. program in the Biotechnology Interdisciplinary Unit at the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, under the supervision of Professor Lior Gepstein. In her research, she developed a novel platform for the study of cardiovascular diseases by combining the use of stem cells and tissue engineering techniques.

During her Ph.D. studies, she completed an internship in Professor Gordon Keller's lab at the University of Toronto, where she concentrated on differentiating human stem cells into chamber-specific cardiomyocytes. She then implemented this method and demonstrated that atrial and ventricular engineered tissues can recapitulate aspects of the human heart. Following the completion of her Ph.D., Idit joined Prof. Shulamit Levenberg's lab at the Technion, where she conducted postdoctoral research centered around 3D printing of
vascularized tissues for regenerative medicine purposes.

In 2023, she joined the lab of Prof. Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic where she is currently focusing on the development of functional vascularized cardiac tissue for modeling cardiovascular diseases.

Education Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic received her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Belgrade in Serbia, and specialized in biomedical engineering as a Fulbright Fellow at MIT.

Academic positions She holds the University Professor appointment, the highest academic rank at Columbia University, as the first engineer in the history of Columbia to receive this highest distinction. She is also the Mikati Foundation Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Medical Sciences, Professor of Dental Medicine and a faculty in the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Center for Human Development She directs the Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, the NIH-funded Tissue Engineering Resource Center, and the Columbia’s Center for Dental and Craniofacial Research. Her laboratory is the bioengineering lead for Columbia University Stem Cell Initiative.

Research Her diverse team of engineers, clinicians, and scientists is developing innovative tissue engineering technologies for improving human health. Her laboratory s interested in whole organ engineering for regenerative medicine (including lung, heart and bone), and “organs-on-a-chip” models of injury and disease (including ischemia, fibrosis and cancer). From these studies, they published 3 books and 465 journal articles, including those in Nature, Cell, Nature Biotechnology, Nature Medicine, Nature Biomedical Engineering, Nature Methods, Nature Communications, Nature Protocols, Science Advances, PNAS, Cell Stem Cell, and Science Translational Medicine. Gordana gave over 550 invited lectures, seminars and keynote presentations, and has over 180 licensed, issued, published and pending patents. She has mentored over 200 trainees, many of which are now leaders in biomedical sciences, bioengineering and medicine, and hold academic and executive positions all around the world.

Entrepreneurship Her laboratory has launched four biotech companies. For her entrepreneurship, she received four NASA awards for patents, an annual inventor award of the European Patent Office in 2021, and was selected as one of the “Power 50” in the New York State in 2021 and one of the BIOS Top 50 Academic Life Science Entrepreneurs in 2022.

Professional service She has served on the NIBIB Council, chaired the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows, and is serving on the Scientific Review Board of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, numerous Editorial and Scientific Advisory Boards and Boards of Directors. She chairs the Bioengineering Section of the National Academy of Engineering.

Awards Among her recognitions, Gordana is a Fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and a Founding Fellow of the International Society for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (TERMIS). She was inducted into the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame, was selected as one of the Foreign Policy’s 100 Leading Global Thinkers and was the first woman engineer to give the Director's lecture at the NIH. BMES honored her with the Clemson Award, Pritzker Award and Shu Chien Award. TERMIS honored her with the innovation and commercialization award and the Lifetime Achievement Award. She received the Pierre Galletti Award of the AIMBE, was decorated by the Order of Karadjordje Star - Serbia’s highest honor, and received honorary doctorates in science and engineering in Serbia and USA.

Gordana was elected to nine national and international academies, including the Academia Europaea, the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering, the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Inventors, the Royal Society of Canada Academy of Science, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

François grew up in France where he completed his undergraduate studies. He then moved to King's College London where he obtained his PhD in cell biology and tissue engineering.

He joined the lab in 2023 and his research focuses on the creation of vascularised tissues and the development of perfused organ-on-chip models.

Ella Kopplin is a Biomedical Engineering Master’s Student. She joined the lab in Fall 2025 and is working with Julie to create an iPSC-derived vasculature model to study cystic fibrosis. She completed her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan. Outside of school and the lab, Ella loves riding horses, alpine skiing, and exploring the New York food scene. 

Naveed is working on translational approaches to integrated organ-on-a-chip systems, with a specific focus on the hematopoietic/immune system. He is also passionate about mentorship, science communication, and building an inclusive scientific community. 

Previously, Naveed was a Whitaker International Fellow at the EPFL in Switzerland (2017-2018) working on models of the bone marrow niche under Dr. Olaia Naveiras. He graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.S. in biomedical engineering in 2017, where studied the role of pericytes in neovascularization under Dr. Shayn Peirce-Cottler. 

Outside of the lab, Naveed loves hiking, drinking coffee/craft beer, propagating his 30+ houseplants, and listening to Taylor Swift. 

Ben is an undergraduate student studying biomedical engineering. He joined the lab in Fall 2024 and works with Francois to vascularize and perfuse cardiac tissues.

Outside the lab, Ben volunteers as an EMT and plays the cello. He also enjoys weightlifting and watching  NFL.

Arvind Nandakumar is a Research Assistant with a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering from Columbia University and a Bachelor's in Microbial Biology from UC Berkeley. Their work focuses on developing biomedical devices and organ-on-chip platforms, with expertise in electronics, programming, and fabrication. Arvind's current projects involve the design and automation of these platforms. Arvind's research interests include: Organ-on-Chip, Gut-Brain Axis, Digital Twins, and Point-of-Care. Outside the lab, they enjoy tinkering with DIY electronics, and exploring new tools for creative prototyping