MEET THE LAB
Dr. Ronit Freeman (Fraiman)
ד"ר רונית פריימן
With formal training in computer science, chemistry, nanotechnology, regenerative medicine, and even ballroom dancing, Dr. Ronit Freeman offers a uniquely creative and interdisciplinary approach to scientific problem-solving in a biomedical context. Dr. Freeman is primarily interested in supramolecular self-assembly, a field where common biological materials like DNA and proteins are seen not simply as information carriers, but also as tunable structural materials for next-generation sensors, nano robots, drug breakthroughs, and clinical tools.
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RESEARCH ASSOCIATES AND POSTDOCS
Ayemeh Bagheri Hashkavayi
(2023 - Present)
Ayemeh received her PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Mazandaran University, Iran. After graduation, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Persian Gulf University (Iran). She continued her research as a research professor at Konkuk University, then Korea University (Seoul) in the departments of Biomedical Engineering, and also she worked as a researcher at North Carolina State University in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Her research interests include designing biosensors and nanoprobes for the early detection of disease biomarkers, point of care diagnostics, and lab on a chip systems for the development of portable devices for biomedical applications.
Maggie Daly
(2018 - Present)
Maggie graduated from the University of Virginia in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with a specialization in Biochemistry and a minor in Islamic Studies. Her undergraduate research with Dr. Cassandra Fraser involved synthesizing luminescent boron biomaterials to make oxygen-sensitive nanoparticles for tumor or wound imaging. Maggie obtained her PhD in Materials Science designing tunable supramolecular biomaterials with Dr. Ronit Freeman at UNC. Her research involved combining the self-assembly of peptides with DNA nanotechnology to encode structure, responsiveness and function into synthetic, life-like materials. Her current postdoctoral research focuses on using these designer soft materials to engineer functional synthetic cells and culture matrices. Outside the lab, she loves open water swimming and playing music.
Naresh N Dhanasekar
(2024 - Present)
Naresh N Dhanasekar, received his PhD in Biochemistry under the supervision of Prof. Mathias Winterhalter from Constructor University, DE. During his stay he worked on understanding the translocation of small molecules across bacterial outer membrane protein channels. Simultaneously, he did his PhD internship program in Prof. Amit Meller’s Laboratory in Technion-Israel for a very short time. He then moved to Johns Hopkins for his first Post-doctoral program working under the supervision of Prof. Rebecca Schulman. Here, he was involved in setting up the electrophysiology set as well as performing DNA nanopore experiments. Before moving to the Freeman Laboratory, he was working as a Editorial Research Associate where he managed the article screening process for Optica Open.
Krishnamurthy Janakiraman
(2021 - Present)
Krishnamurthy received his Ph.D. at Madurai Kamaraj University, India. He conducted his postdoctoral research at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill on the role of tumor suppressor gene p16 in cancer and aging. His current research interests are in the field of cancer, aging and role of extracellular matrix components in the control of cell division, differentiation, and maturation.
Sanghoon Kim
(2020 - Present)
Sanghoon earned his PhD degree under the supervision of Prof. Man Bock Gu at Korea University in Seoul, South Korea. His primary research was developing bioreceptors and biosensors, especially screening of aptamers, and detecting infectious viruses and clinically meaningful biomarkers by using aptasensors. Sanghoon is excited to continue and expand his research in the Freeman Lab.
Kengo Nishi
(2021 - Present)
Kengo received his PhD in Soft Matter Physics from the University of Tokyo. After graduation, he worked at Goettingen University (Germany) and Duke University in the Physics departments. His research interests are structural and mechanical properties of biological soft materials.
Thanavel Rajangam
(2023 - Present)
Thanavel obtained his PhD degree in Biomedical Engineering under the supervision of Prof. Seong Soo A. An at Gachon University, South Korea. While there, his research was focused on the development, functionalization, and characterization of protein-based polymer scaffolds for biomedical applications. Before moving to UNC, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher and R&D Manager respectively at Korea Institute of Science and Technology and S.Biomedics, Seoul, South Korea. His research interest is studying the biophysical characteristics of mucus in muco-obstructive diseases towards therapeutic developments and understanding of the diseases.
Mahendra A. Wagh
(2024 - Present)
Mahendra received his Ph.D. degree from the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), India, under the faculty of chemical sciences. He conducted his doctoral research in the organic chemistry division at CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Pune, India, under the mentorship of Dr. G. J. Sanjayan. During his Ph.D., he extensively worked in diverse fields, including medicinal, peptide and supramolecular chemistry. Currently, as a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Freeman's lab, Mahendra focuses on the design of tunable supramolecular biomaterials. His work explores the self-assembly of peptides in conjunction with DNA nanotechnology, aiming to encode structure, responsiveness, and functionality into synthetic, life-like materials. Outside the lab, Mahendra enjoys playing and watching cricket, singing, traveling, and recently, he has developed a passion for cooking.
Qunzhao Wang
(2022 - Present)
Qunzhao received his PhD in Organic Chemistry from Duquesne University. He worked in a postdoctoral position at Cornell University focusing on one-pot synthesis of 2-substituted-5-aminooxazoles. Then he worked at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, followed by UNC at Chapel Hill, focusing on fluorescent peptide sensors for kinases and photo-labile drug delivery with B12.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
Shreeya Bhonge
(2020 - Present)
Shreeya has a Master's degree in Chemistry from the Case Western Reserve University. While pursuing her degree, she worked in the Samia Lab as a Research Assistant, synthesizing nanomaterials for clinical and industrial applications. Outside of work, Shreeya loves watching and playing lawn tennis, along with watching cheesy Bollywood films.
Yuan Gao
(2018 - Present)
Yuan obtained double bachelors degrees in Materials Science & Engineering and Economics from Xiamen University in China. Before joining UNC, he completed Master’s work in Materials Science at Duke University where he researched self-assembly of amphiphilic peptide copolymers. Yuan is excited about continuing his research working Dr. Freeman. Outside the lab, he likes soccer and road biking.
Kameryn Hinton
(2020 - Present)
Kameryn graduated from Mercer University in Macon, GA in May 2020. She completed her undergraduate studies as a double major in Chemistry (B.S.) and Spanish with a minor in Biology. Kameryn is passionate and dedicated to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in the field of STEM. Through volunteering and serving as a teaching assistant, she strives to educate underrepresented youth and young adults about opportunities in STEM. Outside of the lab, Kameryn enjoys creative outlets such as singing, writing poetry, as well as making her own plant-based cosmetic products.
Stephen Klawa
(2019 - Present)
Stephen graduated from Shenandoah University in 2018 with a B.S. in chemistry and a double minor in biology and mathematics. During his undergraduate research with Dr. Diep Ca, he worked on designing photo-catalytic nanorods to efficiently produce hydrogen fuel from water. Other than lab work, he enjoys hiking and mountain biking.
Gabrielle Mascarin
(2023 - Present)
Gabi graduated from Skidmore College in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and a minor in Anthropology. Before joining the Freeman Lab, she worked at the Forsyth Insitute as a research technician and lab manager studying protein guided mineralization of dental enamel as well as biomarkers of stress in deciduous teeth. There, she developed an interest in biomaterials, biomechanics, medical imaging, and regenerative medicine. Outside of the lab, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, traveling, attending concerts, and going to art museums.
Kyle Riker
(2018 - Present)
Kyle is an MD/PhD student and North Carolina native. He received his BS in Biochemistry from UNC Chapel Hill in 2017. In his previous research experience, he investigated the biochemistry of pain regulation and molecular mechanisms of chronic pain development. He is excited to be involved in projects with a wide array of biological applications, and looks forward to incorporating his medical knowledge into his work.
Quincy Snyder
(2020 - Present)
Quincy is a junior at UNC Chapel Hill pursuing a B.S. in Chemistry. He is hoping to gain useful skills for a future career in research. He is a member of Middle Early College United-CH in his free time, a musician, and a leisure reader of both Latin and Ancient Greek texts.
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
Bar Caspin
(2022 - Present)
Bar is a current junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majoring in chemistry and minoring in data science. She joined the Freeman lab out of her interest in biomaterials and their usage in drug discovery and delivery. She also works at the BeAM makerspace! After graduating, she wishes to pursue a path in industry research and eventually attend graduate school. Outside the lab, she enjoys yoga, art museums, and being with her cat, Lychee.
Yuzhe Liu
(2023 - Present)
Yuzhe is a sophomore at the University of North Carolina (UNC), majoring in computer science and statistics. Within the research environment of the lab, he has expanded his interest in machine learning and computer vision, specifically targeting biological particles. Yuzhe has developed algorithms capable of autonomously detecting and extracting data from 2D and 3D biological samples. When he's not immersed in codes, Yuzhe strikes a chord with his love for music, especially the violin. Hailing from a city where springs aren't just a season but a spectacle, he's got a refreshing vibe. And if you ever want to win him over, just serve up some aromatic hotpot or savory lasagne.
VISITING SCHOLAR
Dr. Virginia Pasour
(2022 - Present)
My research interests include: theoretical ecology, especially the interplay between physics and biology in marine and aquatic ecosystems hybrid mathematical/statistical modeling immersed boundary problems
STAFF
Kristen Gorman
(2023 - Present)
Kristen received her B.S. in interdisciplinary Biology/Chemistry from Loyola University Maryland and then worked in the Section on Directed Gene Transfer at the NIH, studying variants of Koala Retrovirus (KoRV) for gene therapy vector design. She gained immunology and wound healing research experience while getting her MA at Duke. Most recently she served as a lab technician at Attagene, Inc, helping carry out and develop assays to measure activation or repression of GPCRs and nuclear receptors across a range of species in response to bioactive compounds. When not working in the lab, Kristen can be found hiking, enjoying karaoke, and sometimes hosting pub trivia nights.
Justin Hill
(2022 - Present)
Justin wears many hats, supports scientific operations, equipment and inventory management, and ensures the science is reflected in the design he supports for animation, puiblications, illustrations, websites, and more..Justin studied Animation and Simulation Design at Wake Tech and generalized Design at NC State University. He has showed and sold artwork throughout North Carolina, worked in freelance illustration and graphic design over the years and is always exploring new ways to hone his craft. He enjoys painting, hiking and reading in his spare time.
Micah Papanikolas
(2018 - Present)
Micah graduated from University of Colorado at Boulder in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Her undergraduate concluded with the development of an ultra-high efficiency vehicle for competition at the Shell Eco Marathon. After graduation, she worked at Solid Power, Inc as an engineer until beginning graduate school. While at Solid Power she worked to scale the technology off of the lab bench.
Philip Rosenberg
(2022 - Present)
Philip has a Social Science Degree and a Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing Management from the University of Cape Town. He has worked in public health with Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute for the past five years, focusing on project management for Implementation Science Research, particularly for HIV prevention. He enjoys spending time at home with his wife and two sons and exploring his new surroundings in North Carolina.
Ana Patino Sanchez
(2023 - Present)
Ana hails from North Carolina and has worked with Professor Freeman for two years. She joins the lab officially as Research Operations Manager. She looks forward to bringing her organizational skills and love of research and science to the role.
ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF THE LAB
Jade Dang
Jade is a current junior studying biochemistry with minors in biology and philosophy. She joined the Freeman lab to explore her interest in biochemistry research. Outside of class, she is a choreographer for the UNC Flying Silk dance team and enjoys drawing in her spare time.
Patrick Deegan
Patrick joined the lab over the summer of 2019 as part of the Young Innovators Program through the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. A rising senior at the time, Patrick helped investigate the hierarchical self-assembling properties of peptide-DNA materials, with a final presentation entitled “Creating Molecules to Kickstart Healthier Outcomes.” He is now an undergraduate at UNC Charlotte studying Biology.
Danny Ferguson
(2019)
Danny is a UNC senior pursuing a B.A. in both Biology and Dramatic Art. In addition to the lab, he works front of house for Playmaker's Repertory Company. He also does sound design with the Kenan Theatre Company and is hoping to delve into lighting with the coming season.
Logan Frederick
(2018 - 2019)
Logan graduated from UNC in 2018 with an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering where built his own medical device prototypes, worked at the BeAM maker space, and tried to launch a biotech startup. Following graduation Logan took a gap year pursue several research interests in the Freeman lab including drug delivery and particle tracking. Logan now works at Fujifilm in Morrisville on their radiology software.
Twinkle Gupta
(2022 - 2023)
Twinkle graduated from the University of Delhi, with a Bachelors in Biochemistry and graduated from Amity University with Master's degree in Biotechnology. She worked as a Senior Research Fellow at the Indian Institute of Science, India. While there, she focused on assembly and mobility of bacterial pore forming toxin (PFT) “cytolysin” (ClyA) in supported phospholipid bilayers, diffusion and clustering of Antimicrobial Peptides and Nucleic Acid Quantification using Recombinase Polymerase Amplification.
Lamis Hammouda
(2020 - 2023)
Lamis Hammouda
Lamis is a current sophomore in the Chancellor’s Science scholar program at UNC majoring in biomedical engineering with a minor in chemistry. She joined the Freeman Lab to purse her research interests in regenerative medicine and biomaterials. Following graduation, she hopes to potentially pursue a PhD, MD or other work in industry. Outside of school, she likes to sew, crochet, run, and try new things!
Peter Harris
(2019 - 2021)
Peter joined the lab having spent several years as cover artist and graphic designer for the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine. A liberal arts major among scientists, he's excited to bring his perspective to the Freeman lab, and he looks forward to helping publicize their work with his graphic know-how. In his spare time, he writes for tabletop RPG games, and is always on the lookout for a D&D group to join.
Matthew Hart
(2020)
Matthew graduated from North Carolina State University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Physics and a minor in Biological Sciences. His undergraduate research experience under Dr. LaBean involved exploring the potential applications of biomolecular design to medicine, organic electronics, and artificial intelligence. He is excited to apply the many lessons biology has to offer to the wide world of engineering. As a classically trained musician, he loves to play and listen to all kinds of music. Matthew additionally loves to travel and learn about other cultures, and has been to 16 countries so far. He also enjoys biking, painting, reading, and hiking.
Sungmin Hong
(2021)
Sungmin graduated from Texas A&M University in 2012 with a PhD in Electrical Engineering. After graduation, he worked at Duke University in Mechanical Engineering & Material Science. He then worked at a U.S. Army research center as a research chemist. Before joining the Freeman lab, Sungmin worked at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. His research interests are micro/nano-fluidics, 3D bio-printing, tissue-on-a-chip, and biomaterials.
Tengyue Jian
(2020 - 2022)
Tengyue received his PhD in organic chemistry with Professor Song Ye at the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science. He then conducted postdoctoral research on medicinal chemistry and amphiphilic polymers synthesis and applications at the University of Washington, Seattle, with Professor Erkang Fan and Professor Daniel Chui. Before joining the Freeman lab, Tengyue was working as a postdoctoral researcher at Pacific Northwest National lab with Chunlong Chen. His research interests are focused in the area of peptide/peptoid chemistry, organic chemistry, self-assembly and material science.
Dingyuan Liu
(2020)
Dingyuan is pursuing a degree in statistics and economics with a minor in mathematics. He is excited to assist other lab members with statistical analysis. In his free time, Dingyuan enjoys gay and lesbian literature and food as culture.
Ethan Madden
(2022 - 2023)
Ethan graduated from Simpson College in 2022 with a B.A. in Biology. The majority of his undergraduate research at Simpson focused on ciliary motility in Tetrahymena under the direction of Dr. Aswati Subramanian. Outside of the lab, Ethan enjoys exploring North Carolina and making miniature clay models.
Faizan Mian
(2018)
Faizan became a member of the lab over the summer of 2018 as part of the Young Innovators Program in the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. A junior in high school at the time, Faizan interned at the Freeman lab where he investigated the use of peptides for forming cellular linkages. Faizan's final presentation on the subject was entitled "Programming Multicellular Interactions for Regenerative Medicine."
Griffin Miller
(2019)
Griffin graduated in May 2019 with an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from North Carolina State University. In addition to his laboratory coursework Griffin also has industry experience with Novozymes, where his internship centered on the creation and study of enzymatic assays. Griffin researched programmable peptide DNA hybrids in the Freeman lab.
Madi Mitchell
(2022 - 2023)
Madi graduated from University of North Carolina in 2022 with a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Chemistry. During her undergraduate research she worked with Dr. Lee Graves to investigate cellular mechanisms of drug resistance in Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Outside of lab, Madi enjoys spending time with her two dogs, working out, traveling, and being in an axe league.
Tarun Prakash
(2020 - 2023)
Tarun is a current freshman at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is pursuing a major in biomedical engineering and a possible minor in mathematics. He is interested in immunoengineering and oncology, and is working in the Freeman lab to broaden his knowledge and experience. Furthermore, Tarun is a member of the cancer med society and volunteers as an EMT. After his undergraduate education he hopes to continue his education and obtain an MD or PhD.
Jacqueline Shin
(2019 - 2020)
Jacqueline has a medical degree and a research background in several fields including biochemistry, neuroscience and stem cell biology. After finding out that treating patients was not her calling, she decided it would be best use of her energy to look for many remaining mysteries of biology. With her team in Freeman lab, she tries to discover new ways to manipulate cell behavior and morphology. In her free time, her very fashionable self enjoys indulging in postmodern psychology, international geopolitics, community activism and new wave French cinema.
Dr. Anamika Singh
(2022)
Anamika received her Ph. D. in organic chemistry with Prof. Upender K. Nadir from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. She conducted postdoctoral research at University of Florida with Prof. Alan R. Katritzky and was a postdoctoral fellow and research scientist in Prof. Carrie Haskell-Luevano’s lab at University of Florida and University of Minnesota. Before joining the Freeman lab, Dr. Singh was Investigator at Intarcia Therapeutics. Her research interests are focused in the area of peptide/organic chemistry, cyclic peptides, peptidomimetics, peptide biomaterials and drug discovery.
Matthew Shelton
(2022)
Matt received his Bachelor’s degree in Fines Arts at East Carolina University, concentrating in Animation and Interactive Design. He also trained in Illustration and continues to hone his craft through freelance work, writing, storytelling, and other avenues. He uses his skills in a variety of applications ranging from marketing to media illustration. He also creates and designs characters and environments for comics and animated pilots.
Ashleigh Snyder
(2021 - 2022)
Ashleigh, originally from Austin, Texas, moved up here in June 2021. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in May 2019 with a bachelors in Retail Merchandising and Consumer Sciences under the School of Natural Sciences. She is excited to be assisting Dr. Freeman with any and every thing as her new Administrative Assistant. In her free time she enjoys visiting her friends and family in Texas, spending time with her two cats, Marshmallow and Jade, as well as doing arts and crafts such as sewing, painting and knitting.
Alan Wang
(2020)
Alan, originally from Charlotte, NC, is currently a freshman studying Chemistry at UNC. By joining the Freeman Lab, Alan hopes to be exposed to how different disciplines such as engineering, medicine, and chemistry can work together in research. In his free time, Alan enjoys practicing the piano, which he has been playing for over ten years. Additionally, he is an avid cook and enjoys exploring the science and chemistry behind food.
Zeynab Warraich
(2020)
Zeynab is currently a sophomore pursuing a B.A. in both Biology and Public Policy. She hopes to utilize the insight she gains from her research experience in the Freeman lab to ultimately attend law school and pursue a career in patent law. Outside of the lab she frequently volunteers at a refugee center in Carrboro.
Kaden Westphal
(2022 - Present)
Kaden is a current senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majoring in Biological and Medical Physics. He is interested in the application of physics in the medical field and is eager to gain experience and insight into how research is done. Outside the lab, Kaden is a big traveler and loves music and hiking/camping. After his undergraduate, he wishes to gain experience in the Biomedical Engineering industry, before going into graduate school.
Hannah Wilkins
(2018 - 2021)
Hannah is a current junior in the Chancellor’s Science scholar program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is pursuing a degree in biology and Hispanic literature and cultures with a minor in chemistry and is working in the Freeman lab to expand her interests in regenerative medicine as well as diversify her skillsets in engineering, biology, and chemistry. Upon graduation hopes to pursue an MD/PhD in pediatric infectious diseases. Outside the classroom and lab, Hannah is a GlaxoSmithKline Opportunity Scholar, a member of Alpha Epsilon Delta (a pre-health honors society), and she has helped to co-found an on-campus program for minority students interested in pursuing MD/PhD programs.
Ruoyu Zhang
(2020)
Ruoyu is a first-year student pursuing a degree in statistics with an interest in global public health. In the lab, he helps to analyze the experimental results with his training in mathematics and statistics. In addition to the lab, Ruoyu is also an executive board member of the Duke-UNC China Leadership Forum, an advocate at the Community Empowerment Fund, and an active member of the UNC Japan club.