Principal Investigator
Rong Yang, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, 2019-Present
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, MIT
B.S., Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, China
Email: ryang@cornell.edu
Postdoctoral Researchers
Wenjing Tang, Ph.D.
Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics Fudan University, China, 2022
Research: Design of drug delivery vehicles to overcome biological barriers;
Hobbies: research
Kwang-Won Park, Ph.D.
Ph.D. in Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2022
Research: Vapor phase polymer chemistry, thin film characterizations
Hobby: Soccer, Tennis, Camping
Graduate Students
Simon Shindler
CBE, PhD Student
University of Idaho, 2019
Research: Nutrient recycling, surface modification of membranes
Hobbies: Running, violin, drawing
Pengyu Chen
CBE, PhD Student
Tsinghua University, 2019
Research: Polymer interface engineering. Molecular-scale bacteria-surface interactions
Hobbies: Taichi, running, video games, piano
Sophie Liu
BME, PhD Student
University of Toronto, 2020
Research: Local delivery of small molecule therapeutics to treat infections
Hobbies: Hiking
Jeremiah James
BME, PhD Student
East Carolina University, 2020
Research: Solvent-free nanoparticle synthesis, characterization, and employment.
Hobbies: Reading, eating, entrepreneurship, and hiking
Harry Shu
CBE, PhD Student
The Ohio State University, M.S. 2022
University of Science and Technology of China, B.S., 2019
Research: polymer surfaces that program biofilm symbiosis
Hobbies: skiing, traveling, gaming
Christina Yu
MSE, PhD Student
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B.S., 2023
Research: Initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) polymer thin films
Hobbies: Video games, knitting/crochet, art
Clara Marlowe
BME, PhD Student
Binghamton University, B.S., 2023
Research: Drug delivery for the treatment of infectious disease
Hobbies: Reading, painting, sewing
Haobo Xu
MSE, PhD Student
Shanghai Jiao Tong University, B.S., 2023
University of Michigan, B.S., 2023
Research: Condensed droplet polymerization (CDP)
Hobbies: Pingpong, gaming, traveling
Shiqi Li
CBE, PhD Student
National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, China, M.S., 2021
Tsinghua University, B.S., 2018
Research: Synthesis of nanoparticle in iCVD
Hobbies: Reading, sleeping
Patrice Crosby
Microbiology, PhD Student
Cornell University, M.S., 2022
The Ohio State University, B.A., 2020
Research: Biofabrication of hybrid living materials
Hobbies: writing poetry, fashion styling/creative directing, sustainable landscape design
Shuaicheng (Sam) Fu
CBE, MS Student
Purdue University, B.S., 2023
Research: Catalyst Surface Engineering for CO2 Electroreduction using Multi-Functional Ionomer Coatings via iCVD
Hobbies: Basketball, powerlifting
Hongye Chen
MSE, MS Student
The Ohio State University, B.S., 2023
Sichuan University, B.Eng., 2023
Research: Condensed droplet polymerization (CDP)
Hobbies: Video games, instruments
Zilin Wei
CBE, MS Student
Washington University in St. Louis, B.S, 2024
Research: Engineered living materials
Hobbies: video games, dancing
Benjamin Ding
CBE, MS student
University of Toronto, B.S., 2022
Research: Initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD); polymer films for medical devices/biotechnology
Hobbies: Tennis, reading, music
Emma Leung
BME, Undergraduate Student
Cornell University, 2026
Research: TBD
Hobbies: A Cappella, origami
Alumni
Postdocs
-Dr. Yifan Cheng, 2019-2022, Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech (https://www.fst.vt.edu/aboutus/faculty/ycheng.html)
-Dr. Jiayan Lang, 2019-2021, Research Scientist at Metis Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Beijing, China)
PhD Students
-Trevor Franklin, 2018-2022, Postdoc in CBE at Cornell University
-Alexandra Khlyustova, 2018-2023, Senior Scientist at Merck
-Xiaojing Ma, 2019-2024, Postdoctoral Researcher at Boston Children’s Hospital
-Apoorva Jain, 2020-2024
Master’s Students
-Deborah Zhang, MEng 2021-2022, PhD student at UIUC (Illinois, United States)
-Zhihao Feng (co-advised with Prof. Varner), MS 2019-2021, PhD student at Georgia Tech (Atlanta, United States)
-Dani Streever, MEng 2022-2023, Starting M.D. study at Case Western Reserve University
-Sophie Lu, MEng 2023-2024, Scientist at Thermo Fisher Scientific
Undergraduates
-Samantha Hertle, Class of 2021, Beyond Meat, Inc. (Los Angeles, United States)
-Diana Wen. Class of 2024, MPhil Student, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong