David Odde, Ph.D.
Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Ph.D. Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers University 1995
M.S. Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers University 1992
B.ChE. Chemical Engineering, University of Minnesota 1988
Brannon McCullough
Ph.D. Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University 2012
M.Phil. Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University 2008
B.S. Chemistry, University of Wyoming 2004
B.S. Physics, University of Wyoming 2004
mccullou@umn.edu Research Interests: In general, I am interested in investigating the chemical and mechanical properties of cells and their environments that regulate and direct cell motility. Currently, I have developed a molecular model for actin-based cell motility that agrees with experimental results. I aim to test predictions made from an integrated molecular model using quantitative fluorescence microscopy. This will elucidate key molecular mechanisms that will guide novel preventative and therapeutic strategies for diseases and regeneration.
Brian Castle
Research Interests: Molecular mechanisms of microtubule assembly dynamics and how they are regulated by MAPs and microtubule-targeting drugs.
Benjamin Bangasser
B.S. Chemical Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology 2009
bang0078@umn.edu Research Interests: I am studying the mechanosensitivity of glioma brain cancer cells on 2D substrates. I use experiments to inform a mathematical model describing the mechanism of cell mechanosensitivity.
Rebecca Klank
B.S. Biomedical Engineering, Michigan Technological University 2009
klan0038@umn.edu Research Interests: I am interested in understanding the cytoskeletal machinery that drives the migration of highly invasive brain cancer cells in the disease glioblastoma multiforme. I am also interested in how cellular interactions with the mechanical, chemical, and geometrical brain microenvironment affect motility.
Emily Tubman
M.E. Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego 2008
B.S. Physics, University of Michigan 2006
B.D.A. Dance, University of Michigan 2006
tubma006@umn.edu Research Interests: I study how motor proteins facilitate chromosome congression during metaphase and how error correction mechanisms inhibit improper chromosome segregation in mitosis.
Louis Prahl
Research Interests: I use microscopy and computer simulations to investigate how chemotherapy drugs (taxol and vinblastine) affect microtubule assembly dynamics.
Joseph Powers
B.S. Physics, University of Wisonsin-La Crosse 2012
B.S. Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota 2012
power322@umn.edu Research Interests: Intracellular molecular dynamics and the effects
of macromolecular crowding on biochemical reaction rates.
Alistair McIntyre
Research Interests: My primary interest is GTP-tubulin's role in microtubule rescue. Additionally, I am looking at how quickly GTP-tubulin is hydrolyzed when in the microtubule lattice and how drebrin (or lack of drebrin) affects cell motility.
Benjamin Fuller
Research Interests: I am working on synthesizing polyacrylamide gels with a gradients of stiffness using UV photoactivation for polymerization. Human glioma brain cancer cells will be cultured on these gels to study their behavior and possible preferential migration based on stiffness.
Aaron Lomicka
Research Interests: I am currently working to measure the traction forces of 3T3
fibroblast cells on varying stiffness substrates to validate the
motor-clutch model and search for an optimum stiffness for cell
migration.
Kelsey McCoy
Research interests: I am currently studying the effects of the motor protein kinesin-5 on chromosome congression in the yeast, using fluorescence microscopy and computer modelling.
Benjamin Schlichtmann
Research interests: I am currently studying the gene expression levels in U251 Glioma cells, as well as how the stiffness of the surface the cells are adhered to affects these levels of gene expression.
Melissa Hoo
Research interests:I am working on synthesizing PDMS of various stiffnesses in order to determine the relationship between stiffness and the behavior of U251 Glioma cells. I hope to find the stiffness at which the Glioma cells display optimum migration.
Jesse Kasim
Research interests:
I am studying the effect of substrate stiffness on the migration of human glioma cancer cells using polyacrylamide gels with stiffness gradients. These experiments will be used to determine if glioma cells exhibit preferential migration and also gather more information on the stiffness dependence of cellular migration.
Completed Postdoctoral Felowships
Bruce Gao, Ph.D. (University of Miami, Dept. of Biomedical Engineering)
2000-2003.
Currently Associate Professor (Tenured), Dept. of Bioengineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC.
ZGAO@clemson.edu Theodore Tower, Ph.D. (University of Minnesota, Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science)
2001-2002.
Currently Technical Leader at Kimberly-Clark, Neenah, WI.
tedtower1@yahoo.com Erkan Tüzel, Ph.D. (University of Minnesota, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy)
2007-2009.
Currently Assistant Professor (Tenure-Track), Dept. of Physics, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA.
etuzel@WPI.EDU Completed Ph.D. Degrees
Joseph Fass
“Investigation of neurite initiation and elongation for neural network engineering applications,” 2003.
Program: Chemical Engineering
Currently Bioinformatics Programmer / Analyst, UC Davis Genome Center, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA.
joseph.fass@gmail.com Yaakov Nahmias
“Laser-guided direct writing for three-dimensional tissue engineering analysis and application of radiation forces,” 2004.
Program: Biomedical Engineering
Currently Assistant Professor (Tenure-Track), Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Hebrew Univ., Jerusalem, Israel.
ynahmias@cs.huji.ac.il Mauris DeSilva
“Investigation of micropatterning and micromechanical forces towards engineering neural networks with defined connectivity,” 2005.
Program: Materials Science and Engineering
Currently a Research Scientist, Naval Medical Research Unit, San Antonio, TX.
mauris.desilva@amedd.army.mil Andrew Bicek
“Origin and Consequences of Microtubule Bending in Living Cells,” 2007.
Program: Biomedical Engineering
Currently Staff Scientist, Boston Scientific, Inc., Maple Grove, MN.
Andrew.Bicek@bsci.com Melissa Gardner
“Modeling and analysis of microtubule-mediated chromosome transport during mitosis,” 2008.
Program: Biomedical Engineering
Currently Assistant Professor (Tenure-Track), Genetics, Cell Biology, & Development Dept., University of Minnesota.
klei0091@umn.edu 
Clarence Chan
“Cellular adhesion dynamics: investigation of molecular clutch attachment and force transmission,” 2008.
Program: Biomedical Engineering
Currently postdoc in the laboratory of David Odde, University of Minnesota.
chan0659@umn.edu 
Dominique Seetapun
“Microtubule Dynamics and Neuronal Polarity Establishment During Neurite Initiation”
Program: Biomedical Engineering
Currently Senior R&D Scientist, Miromatrix Medical, Eden Prairie, MN.
seet0007@umn.edu Former Undergraduate Researchers
Kwaku Opoku
B.S. Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota 2009
B.A. Applied Science, Concordia College, Moorehead , MN
Currently attends the University of Washington.
opokuk@u.washington.edu
