E-Bio-E Lab is a proud member of the Rainbow Engineering Network (REN).
Principal Investigator:
Aida Ebrahimi
Thomas and Sheila Roell Early Career Associate Professor
IEEE Senior Member
Scialog Fellow in Microbiome, Neurobiology and Disease
SPARC Fellow in Clinical-Research Exchange
Department of Electrical Engineering
Department of Biomedical Engineering (courtesy)
Department of Materials Science and Engineering (affiliation)
Materials Research Institute
DMREF project
Center for Biodevices (Thrust Leader: Sensing and Diagnostic Devices)
Education:
Ph. D. Purdue University, Electrical and Computer Engineering (Microelectronics and Nanotechnology)
M. Sc. University of Tehran, ECE (Semiconductor Devices)
B. Sc. University of Tehran, ECE (Telecommunications)
Dr. Ebrahimi is an associate professor of Electrical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering (BME; courtesy), and holds the Thomas and Sheila Roell Early Career Professorship in Electrical Engineering. She also serves as a MatSe and BME faculty of the Intercollege Graduate Degree Program (IGDP) at Penn State. Dr. Ebrahimi’s research revolves around developing novel bioanalytical platforms (electronic, electrochemical, and optical), printable/stretchable/wearable sensors, studying low-dimensional materials for biochemical sensing, and convergence of data analytical tools (e.g. machine learning) for advanced sensing. Applications are diverse, ranging from in vitro cell studies and point-of-care diagnostics (especially infectious diseases) to human-computer interface, rehabilitation, drug screening, in situ study of bacterial phenotypes, among others.
Dr. Ebrahimi is a recipient of several awards and scholarships for outstanding research performance, including NSF CAREER Award (2023), IEEE Senior Member, Rustum and Della Roy Innovation in Materials Research Award (2022), NIH: NIBIB Trailblazer Award (2021), SPARC Clinical-Research Exchange Fellowship (Penn State, 2020), Scialog Fellow in Microbiome, Neurobiology and Disease (Research Corporation for Science Advancement, 2020-2023), Dean’s Certificate of Excellence (Penn State, since 2019), Multidisciplinary Research Award (Penn State College of Engineering, 2019), the Materials-Life Science Convergence Award (Penn State, 2018), the Humanitarian Materials Award (Penn State, 2017), Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship Award (Purdue University, 2015), Rising Star in EECS (MIT, 2015), Meissner Fellowship Award (Purdue University, 2011), among others. Dr. Ebrahimi is a member of the IEEE Electron Device Society (EDS), the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS), the Electrochemical Society (ECS; Member-at-Large: Sensor Division; Faculty Advisor for Penn State Student Chapter), the American Chemical Society (ACS), and the Materials Research Society (MRS).
Members:
PhD Students
Vinay Chandrasekhar, PhD Candidate (post-comp), Electrical Engineering (joined: Spring 2021)
Vinay received his integrated MSc and BSc degree in July 2020 from IIIT Bangalore, India. He is a recipient of the 2021-22 Leighton Riess Graduate Fellowship in Engineering at Penn State. His PhD research explores 2D material-bioanalyte interactions and fusion of nanoelectronics, sensors, and robotics for health monitoring. In his free times, he enjoys watching birds, the sky, and exploring the nature.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinayck1/
Pouya Soltan Khamsi, PhD Candidate (post-comp), Electrical Engineering (joined: Spring 2022)
Pouya received his B.Sc. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Zanjan, Iran. Then he moved to the University of Tehran and received a Master of Electrical Engineering. His previous research was focused on biosensors and semiconductor device fabrication. His Ph.D. research mainly focuses on developing electrochemical devices for detection and study of microbial cells. In his free time, Pouya enjoys playing Setar, chess, and traveling.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pouyasoltan/
Heshmat (Amir) Asgharian, PhD Candidate (post-comp), Electrical Engineering (joined: Spring 2023)
Amir was born in Sari, Mazandaran, Iran, in 1995. He received the BS degree in electrical engineering in the major of electronics at the Babol Noshirvani University of Technology, Babol, Iran, in 2018, and the MSc degree in electrical engineering in the major of micro and nanoelectronic devices from the University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran in 2021. His research interests include nano/micro-electrical devices fabrication, sensors, and applications of 2D materials for nanoelectronic devices. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with friends, walking, listening to music, and going to gym.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirheshmat-asgharian1995/
Hossein received his MSc in Materials Science and Engineering from Sharif University of Technology in 2024 and his BSc in the same field from Isfahan University of Technology in 2021, both in Iran. His research interests include electrochemical and optical biosensors, nanomaterials, biomaterials, wearable devices, and hydrogel fabrication. In his free time, he enjoys walking, running, hiking, and reading.
Lana Joharji, PhD Candidate (pre-comp), Electrical Engineering (joined: Spring 2025)
Lana received her B.Sc. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia, in 2021, and her M.Sc. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in 2022. She is currently a Faculty Member at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia. Her research interests include micro/nano fabrication, sensors, actuators, and flexible/wearable electronics. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, exploring new restaurants, and staying active with various sports.
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lana-joharji-37058b113
Visiting Scholars
Akira Osaki, Murata Manufacturing Inc., 2023-present
Undergraduate Students
Scott J. Gu, Undergraduate Student, Schreyer Honors College, Electrical Engineering (joined: Summer 2024)
Scott is a freshman and Schreyer Scholar at the Pennsylvania State University majoring in Electrical Engineering. Fascinated by the intersection between technology and the life sciences, Scott is pursuing a dual disciplinary education with both fields in mind. Scott is a recipient of The President Walker Award from Penn State as well as the AP Scholar with Distinction Award from College Board. Some of his hobbies include playing the violin, for which Scott has been a part of both school and regional level orchestras.
Aali Robison, Undergraduate Student, Electrical Engineering (joined: Fall 2024)
Aali is an undergraduate, majoring in Electrical Engineering at Penn State. Her main interests include brain-computer interfaces, intelligent control, and signal processing for biomedical device development. Beyond her academic pursuits, Aali is an avid digital artist, horseback rider, and enjoyer of the cyberpunk genre.
Nikhil Saini, Undergraduate Student, Computer Science (joined: Spring 2025)
Nikhil is Computer Science major with a Mathematics minor, maintaining a GPA of 3.86. His interests lie in machine learning, software engineering, and VR-based simulations. He is currently working on VR-based medical training research and classroom observation software development. He also serves as a Grader for CMPSC 465, a Mathematics Learning Assistant, and a Head Mentor at Penn State. In his free time, Nikhil enjoys playing badminton, reading, and cooking.
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nikhil-saini-819101147
Alumni:
Dr. Derrick Butler, Electrical Engineering (PhD, Summer 2018-Fall 2022)
Derrick received his Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of Vermont in December 2015. In 2016, he moved to the University of Pennsylvania and received his Master’s of Science in Engineering in Materials Science in 2017. He started his PhD studies in Fall 2018 and his research mainly focuses on developing electrochemical and electronic biosensing chips for detection of various bio-analytes, including small molecules, cellular interactions, and drug screening.
First job after graduation: NRC Postdoctoral Fellowship, US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derrickjbutler193/
Link to PhD Thesis: https://etda.libraries.psu.edu/catalog/22849djb84
Dr. Keren Zhou, Electrical Engineering (PhD, Fall 2018-Spring 2024)
Keren received his Bachelor of Engineering in Electronic Science & Technology from The University of Electronic Science and Technology of China in 2017. His previous research includes the synthesis of nanomaterials (graphene, CNTs, and TMDs) used for energy storage and conversion. His current research focuses on multimodal electrochemical & optical sensors for in situ monitoring of bacterial phenotypes.
First job after graduation: Postdoctoral scholar, Terasaki Institute
Link to PhD Thesis: https://etda.libraries.psu.edu/catalog/23127kxz172
Link to MSc Thesis: https://etda.libraries.psu.edu/catalog/17689kxz172
Caroline is a Millennium Scholar and Schreyer Honors College student majoring in Electrical Engineering. She joined E-Bio-E lab in Fall 2020 as a freshman. Her research interests include health and environmental sensors and brain-computer interfacing. Outside of academics, Caroline enjoys writing poetry, hiking, crossfit, and creating hands-on STEM exposure projects with Penn State’s Society of Women Engineers chapter.
First job after graduation: MITRE, National Security Accelerator Program (NSAP)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsey-goodnight0124/
Lindsey Goodnight, Integrated Undergraduate/Graduate (IUG), Schreyer Honors College, Electrical Engineering (Fall 2017-Spring 2021)
Lindsey works on synthesizing catalytic structures for electrochemical sensing. In another project, she worked on bacterial imaging for cryptography applications.
Link to MSc Thesis: https://etda.libraries.psu.edu/catalog/18509ljg5355
First job after graduation: Sandia National Laboratories (R&D, Biological Scientist and Engineer)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-bolotsky/
Adam Bolotsky, MSc Student, Materials Science and Engineering (Fall 2018-Spring 2021)
Adam received his Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science at The Pennsylvania State University in December 2017. His previous research was in the area of cancer-related signaling pathways and more recently, the synthesis of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD’s). His current research focuses on development of reagent-free electrochemical biosensors for in situ detection of bacterial viability.
Link to MSc Thesis: https://etda.libraries.psu.edu/catalog/18523ajb6177
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritvik-m/
Ritvik (Rikki) Muralidharan, MSc: 2018-2020; BSc: 2017-2018, Electrical Engineering
Rikki joined the group in Fall 2017 as an undergraduate researcher. Rikki’s senior design project was on light-based analysis of pathogens. In 2018, Rikki started his graduate studies under supervision of Dr. Ebrahimi. Rikki’s MSc thesis was on developing printable and flexible bioelectronics based on low-cost 2D and 3D graphene.
Link to MSc Thesis: https://etda.libraries.psu.edu/catalog/17669rqm5425
Camille Heaney, Undergraduate Student, McGill University, Bioengineering (REU: Summer 2024)
Camille is an undergraduate student majoring in bioengineering at McGill University. She joined the Ebrahimi group through the 2024 PSU REU summer program. Camille’s current interests include medical device design and tissue engineering. Outside of academics, she enjoys skiing, reading, and spending time with her friends.
Myrialisses Ortiz Rodríguez, University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, Physics Applied to Electronics (REU, Summer 2024)
Myrialisses is an undergraduate majoring in Physics Applied to Electronics, and joined the Ebrahimi group in Summer 2024 through the NSF REU summer program. Her research interests are circuit design and electronics. In terms of extracurricular activities, she enjoys going to museums, reading and cooking.
Rushil Kakkad, Undergraduate Student, Schreyer Honors College, Computer Science (minor: Mathematics) (Spring 2024)
Rushil is a freshman in the Schreyer honors college, majoring in computer science and minoring in math. In his pervious research experience, Rushil conducted research to find the correlation between iron deposition in the caudate and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) in individuals with Down’s Syndrome patients with the University of Pittsburgh.
Ian Bruce, Undergraduate Student, Materials Science and Engineering (Penn State, REU, Summer 2023)
Ian is a rising senior at Penn State majoring in Materials Science and engineering, and joined the E-bio-E lab in Summer 2023 as a part of the 2D Nanomaterials REU. His research interests the characterization of emerging nanomaterials, and the applications of nanotechnology in electronics. Outside of academics, Ian enjoys making music, cooking, and reading.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-bruce-26645922b
Monther Alsiyabi, Undergraduate Student, Electrical Engineering (Summer 2022-Summer 2023)
Monther is an international Scholarship student from the Sultanate of Oman. He is currently an undergraduate sophomore majoring in Electrical engineering. His research interests include Nanotechnology, and electronics for biomedical applications. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, cycling, table tennis, and watching movies.
Dionne Mitchell, North Carolina Central University, Chemistry (REU through PREM center, Summer 2022)
Dionne is an undergraduate majoring in chemistry, and joined Ebrahimi group in Summer 2022 through the 2022 PSU REU summer program. Dionne’s current interests include biochemical and vaccine research. Outside of academics, she takes interest in painting, listening to music, and spending time with her dog.
Next position: Master’s Degree, Georgia Institute of Technology
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madison-ebersole/
Madison Ebersole, Undergraduate student, Honors Engineering Science (Fall 2019-Spring 2021)
Madison is double minoring in Engineering Leadership Development and Electronic and Photonic Materials. At E-Bio-E Lab she is working on developing low-cost, laser-based material processing for identification of organic pollutants (for environmental monitoring). Outside of the lab, Madison enjoys running, cooking, and playing the saxophone in the Penn State pep band!
Honors Thesis: “FLEXIBLE ELECTROCHEMICAL SENSORS FOR DETECTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION”
Next position: PhD Student, Penn State University
Krishnan Mekkanamkulam Ananthanarayanan, Visiting Undergrad student, Mechanical Engineering (Spring & Summer 2020)
Krishnan is a visiting student from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, India. He joined E-Bio-E Lab in Spring 2020. His previous research includes synthesis of composite electrodes for Lithium ion batteries based on nanomaterials (graphene). At Penn State, he will be advised by Dr. Ebrahimi and Dr. Kayyalha. In his free time, he likes to teach children, play basketball and he is also a classical Indian percussionist (Instrument: Mrudangam).
Next position: PhD Student, Computer Science, UT Dallas
Varasiddhi Jayasuryaa Govindraj, Visiting Undergrad Student, Electronics and Communication Engineering (Spring & Summer 2020)
Next position: Collins Aerospace, United Technologies Corporation (UTC)
Javier Rodriguez, University of Puerto Rico, Mechanical Engineering (REU, Summer 2019)
Javier is a rising senior from The University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez. He joined Ebrahimi group in Summer 2019 on a grant from NSF: Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU). He is working with Adam on field effect device fabrication using 2D materials and integration with bacterial cells.
Next position: PhD Student, Electrical Engineering, Penn State University
Vinay Chandrasekhar, Visiting undergraduate student, Electrical Engineering (Summer 2019)
Vinay is a visiting undergraduate student from IIIT Bangalore, India. He is a recipient of the prestigious S. N. Bose Fellowship to gain research experience at E-Bio-E lab in Summer 2019. His research interests involve fusion of electronics, biology, and robotics to create wearable devices and sensors. In his free time, he enjoys watching birds, the sky, and exploring the nature.
Next position: PostDoctoral Scholar, Penn State University
Chengye Dong, Visiting PhD Student, Electrical Engineering (Fall 2017-Fall 2019)
Chengye is a visiting scholar from Xi’an Jiaotong University, China. He works with Dr. Ebrahimi and Dr. Robinson (Materials Science and Engineering). His research interests are growth and sensor application of 2D materials.
Next position: PhD Student (Liu group), Electrical Engineering, Penn State University
Tunan Xia, Visiting Scholar, Physics Department (Summer 2018)
Tunan joined our group in Summer 2018 as a visiting undergraduate student from Nanjing University. His project revolves around development and testing of non-enzymatic glucose sensors. He is working with Derrick on this project.
Kayla Root, Undergraduate Student, Microbiology and Physics (dual major: Fall 2019-Fall 2020)
Kayla is an undergraduate student studying microbiology and physics at Penn State. She joined E-Bio-E lab in Fall 2019. Her career ambitions are to one day be a veterinarian as well as to develop integrative medical devices that can provide pet owners with instant notice any time their pet needs medical attention. Outside of schoolwork, she is in the Penn State Archery Club, is president of her own company Kayla Nicole Cosmetics, and works on furthering diversity education through her nonprofit Beyond Equality.
Xiaotian Tang, Undergraduate Student, Electrical Engineering (Fall 2019-Spring 2021)
Xiaotian joined E-Bio-E Lab in Fall 2019. He is a junior undergraduate in EE (Dean’s List). His research interests are circuit design and electronics for biomedical applications. After class, he likes to work out in gym.
Next position: PhD Student, Electrical Engineering, Vanderbilt University
Cassandra Nunez, Undergraduate Student, Electrical Engineering (Fall 2019-Spring 2022)
Cassandra is a Millennium Scholar who joined e-Bio-e lab in the fall of 2019. Her research interests include biophysics and electronics for biomedical applications. Outside of the lab, Cassi enjoys ballroom dancing, singing, and reading.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassandra-n-nunez/
Md. Sajjad Alam, PhD student, Electrical Engineering (Fall 2024)
Sajjad earned his B.Sc. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from East West University, Bangladesh, and his M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Kookmin University, Korea. He is a recipient of the prestigious 2024-2025 Leighton Riess Graduate Fellowship in Engineering at Penn State. Before joining the E-Bio-E Lab, he worked as a Researcher at Ajou University, Korea. His previous research focused on simulating and modeling vertical MOSFETs and wearable biosensors for personalized healthcare. During his leisure time, he enjoys playing football, learning new languages, and exploring the wonders of nature.
Sooyoung Jung, PhD Student, Electrical Engineering (Fall 2021-Spring 2022)
Sooyoung received her BSc degree in Engineering from the Dongguk University. Then she moved to Sungkyunkwan University (South Korea) and received Master of Engineering in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Her previous research was focused on 2D material-based neuromorphic devices. Her research in Ebrahimi group revolved around study of nanomaterial-biomolecule interactions and development of electroanalytical devices for biomedical applications. In her free time, Sooyoung enjoys spending time with her dog, baking, and traveling.
Mukunth Parthasarathy: PhD Student (lab rotation), Biomedical Engineering, Spring 2018
Gaurav Ramesh Datta: MSc Student, Electrical Engineering, Fall 2017