Undergraduate Research Mini-Grant Recipients
Spring 2024
Anthony Bloomfield, entertainment production and design ’24
Shannon Lacek, Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
We are producing the world premiere of the new play, Girlfails, bringing it from page to stage with a full production staff and professional venue. We aim, through our production of Girlfails, to characterize the ability of emerging artists to create new works in Philadelphia, understanding the landscape for young artists, while also sharing our creative energy through a work we are passionate about.
Hanako Chen, entertainment & art management ’25
Girija Kaimal, EdD, College of Nursing and Health Professions
My research project focuses on the curation of an upcoming exhibition at Drexel Pearlstein Gallery. The expected outcomes of this research are a deeper understanding of how indigenous healing practices can promote individual and community well-being, as well as how these practices can be incorporated into exhibition curation to create healing spaces.
Caroline Gallen, environmental science ’25
Sean O'Donnell, PhD, College of Arts and Sciences
This project aims to determine the genetic underpinnings of thermal physiological evolution in army ants by analyzing species differences among the protein-coding sequences of target genes in order to see if observed genetic variation correlates to species’ known thermal environments. The majority of work conducted during the spring term will be assembling the target genes from army ant DNA sequenced in a previous phase of the project.
Arya Gopikrishnan, electrical engineering ’26
Lifeng Zhou, PhD, College of Engineering
This project focuses on designing and controlling autonomous robot balloons for tasks such as surveillance, environmental monitoring, delivery etc. These robot balloons are designed to detect and capture targets autonomously using computer vision and control algorithms.
Abhishek Jeyapratap, computer science & mathematics ’25
Lifeng Zhou, PhD, College of Engineering
We are investigating and designing novel methods of behavior/trajectory prediction that ensures safe planning for autonomous vehicles to combat uncertainties in the real world.
Alyssa Kemp, environmental engineering ’25
Christopher Weyant, PhD, College of Engineering
This project aims to address a gap in engineering education by providing workshops that allow engineering students to explore the intersection of their discipline with broader societal concerns, empowering them to advocate for equitable and sustainable solutions in their professional practice.
Petyo Manev, chemical engineering ’24
Aviel Chaimovich, PhD, College of Engineering
Our research employs computational methods to simulate force spectroscopy and investigate the folding of proteins.
Vishnu Menon, computer science ’28
Lifeng Zhou, PhD, College of Engineering
The aim of this project is to implement a flocking behavior by using LLMs as decentralized controllers for individual agents in a multi-robot system.
Kevin Snow, chemical engineering ’24
Aviel Chaimovich, PhD, College of Engineering
Investigating a 4 beaded model of a protein, focusing on analyzing the hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions between the beads to gain insights into the proteins folding and misfolding behaviors. Specifically, I will implement a new bead pair energy approximation model which governs the movement of the protein.
Minh Trinh, economics and data science ’27
Shadi Rezapour, PhD, College of Computing & Informatics
As much as generative artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized human-centered computing (HCC), there has been a proportional increase in ethical and societal concerns regarding deceptive AI content. Our data science research aims to explore the layers of deception present in Large Language Models (LLMs), evaluating their ability to induce human-like deception through text without prior experience.
Julia Wiafe-Jackson, global studies ’26
Jacqueline Barker, PhD, Drexel University College of Medicine
Our previous research has shown that EcoHIV impairs reward seeking in mice. This project will now investigate how EcoHIV infection in these mice alters microglia and astrocyte reactivity in key regions of the brain.
Winter 2024
Alessandra Cabrera, materials science and engineering ’26
Yury Gogotsi, PhD, College of Engineering
The main aim of this project is to understand various functionalities of MXenes in polymer composites.
Meredith Davies, custom design ’26
Margaret Wheatley, PhD, School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems
Assess the effectiveness of microbubble mediated siRNA delivery method in down regulating the GAPDH protein within HeLa cells.
Suhani Dheer, psychology ’26
Kathryn Devlin, PhD, College of Arts and Sciences
This study will use virtual reality driving simulation (VRDS) to 1. Investigate how stopping/turning behaviors differ in adults with TBI in comparison to those with MS and those without a neurological diagnosis, 2. Identify cognitive demands of stopping and turning driving behaviors, and 3. Examine whether diagnostic status (TBI vs. MS vs. control) influences these demands.
Lee Feinman, chemistry ’24
Ezra Wood, PhD, College of Arts and Sciences
This research project aims to investigate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of environmentally persistent, man-made compounds that have raised significant environmental and health concerns. An Iodide-Adduct Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer (I-CIMS) measurement technique will be designed for airborne PFAS monitoring.
Nicholas Foley, biological sciences ’25
Alexej Dick, PhD, Drexel University College of Medicine
For this undergraduate project, novel compounds will be explored as a safer and more efficacious alternative to existing latency reversal drugs for HIV. The focus will be on compounds that selectively bind to the hRUNX1 complex, allowing the detection of latent HIV.
Kris Freyland, environmental science ’24
Elizabeth Watson, PhD, College of Arts and Sciences
This project will characterize the fungal communities from two wetland restoration projects to better understand their effects on restoration success.
Arya Gopikrishnan, electrical engineering ’26
Lifeng Zhou, PhD, College of Engineering
This project focuses on creating multi-robot balloons equipped with AI cameras and advanced sensors for tasks ranging from environmental monitoring to target tracking with a focus on deep learning and autonomous control.
Abe Jeyapratap, computer science & mathematics ’25
Lifeng Zhou, PhD, College of Engineering
Autonomous driving has revolutionized modern travel but there are concerns regarding the trustworthiness and reliability of traditional path planning algorithms under uncertainties. This research focuses on accounting for uncertainties in autonomous navigations by incorporating risk-aware strategies into motion planning.
Sonya Kalianda, biomedical engineering ’27
Vikas Bhandawat, PhD, School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Sciences
In the project, we will investigate odor guided locomotion, focusing on the third order lateral horn neurons. Specifically, different populations within the L1395 neuron group will be observed with a confocal imaging microscope to investigate how pathway sensory information travels and affects behavior.
Natasha Karnoto, custom design ’24
Jen Katz-Buonincontro, PhD, School of Education
Through interviews and user-testing of Artura.org, which is a free art database created by Brandywine Workshop and Archives (BWA) that is dedicated to promoting engagement with contemporary artwork from artists of diverse backgrounds, the project aims to uncover user needs. The insights and data collected from this interview will be synthesized into an academic paper that contributes to the existing body of knowledge in the areas of online art education and digital resource development.
Noel LoMonaco, materials science and engineering ’24
Jason Baxter, PhD, Chemical and Biological Engineering
The custom TRPL/SSPL will be used to study the charge carrier dynamics in thin-film photovoltaic materials. By building a powerful custom tool, we will be able to extract high quality data to support our own research and that of our collaborators, including NREL, University of Delaware, University of Florida, First Solar, and others.
Madeline Plummer, public health ’26
Agus Surchman, PhD, Dornsife School of Public Health
This project will test the mediational role of health locus of control in the relationship between socioeconomic status and inflammation. This analysis will be conducted using nationally sampled data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study.
Kejsi Ruka, global studies ’24
Kristy Kelly, PhD, School of Education
This project will map the field of gender and corruption through consulting first-hand knowledge of experts in the field at two critical UN conferences: the UN Commission on the Status of Women (UN-CSW) and the UN Convention against Corruption (UN-CAC). As a result of this process, we will identify patterns between how anti-corruption versus gender experts define the problem and whether there is potential for overlap.
Matthew Soesanto, biological sciences ’26
Jason Weckstein, PhD, College of Arts and Sciences
This project studies the phylogenomics of condors, vultures, and their feather lice. Through these analyses, the research highlights the importance and value of parasites as inferential tools to understanding the host.
Satvik Tripathi, computer science ’26
Edward Kim, PhD, College of Computing & Informatics
Our study highlights the potential of domain-specific transfer learning in robust medical imaging classification, especially in resource-constrained settings.
Ethan Yen, architectural engineering ’24
Yaghoob Farnam, PhD, College of Engineering
The objective of my research is to create a robust delivery method to transport functional biological healing agents into cracked networks in concrete structures. By doing so, we aim to significantly enhance the serviceability of critical infrastructure.
2022-23 Recipients
Kelsey Chong, economics and data science ‘25
Christopher Yang, PhD, Information Science
This project aims to explore the spread of biased information about health in social media, using biases against seniors in COVID-19 as a case study. This project will employ a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods such as natural language processing as a way to detect instances of biasedness, and social network analysis to study the manner in which biasedness spreads.
Pearl Diabene, biological sciences ‘25
Gabriele Romano, PhD, Pharmacology & Physiology
NF1 (Neurofibromin 1) is a negative regulator of the MAPK/Ras pathway, and mutation of NF1 is linked to uncontrolled cell proliferation. By dissecting this pathway through Western Blot analysis, we can identify novel targetable nodes to treat a subgroup of ovarian cancer.
Monisha Gupta, chemistry ‘25
Irwin Chaiken, PhD, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
This project focuses on the synthesis and testing of compounds which have been shown to inhibit the HIV-1 viral entry process into target cells. There are various derivatives of compounds already made and potential future avenues, as these compounds are explored, we hope to achieve improved candidates as our "lead."
Rachel Hanes, mechanical engineering ‘26
Ajmal Yousuff, PhD, Mechanical Engineering & Mechanics
This research will work on safe landing mechanisms for aerospace units in free fall without power or an atmosphere.
Sky Harper, chemistry ‘24
Michael J. Bouchard, PhD, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
This research will determine if the expression of the long non-coding RNA, FAM99A, is required to maintain the differentiated status of human hepatocytes. FAM99A will also be assessed for tumor-suppressor activity in HCC cell lines.
Abhishek (Abe) Jeyapratap, computer science ‘25
Lifeng Zhou, PhD Electrical & Computer Engineering
Autonomous driving has revolutionized modern travel but there are concerns regarding the robustness of perceptions and motion planning for autonomous vehicles (AVs). This research aims to explore and design robust, risk-aware algorithms that leverage deep learning and risk-aware planning to handle adversarial perturbations and uncertainties for AVs.
Bijaya Manandhar, biological sciences ‘26
Kazuhito Toyooka, PhD, Neurobiology & Anatomy
This project is an investigation of BHLHA9 and TUSC5 genes on chromosome 17 and its relation to neuronal morphogenesis through overexpression. These two genes are adjacent to but outside of the widely known 17p13.3 critical region responsible for Miller-Dieker syndrome and the data will gain more insight into the ASD phenotypes in patients with microduplications on chromosome 17.
Kayseigh McCaleb, animation and visual effects ‘25
Glen Muschio, PhD, Digital Media
This project entails creating a 3D model of a grizzly bear as part of the digital reconstruction of Charles Wilson Peale's museum.
Jaara Ndaw, global studies ‘23
Steve Dolph, PhD, Global Studies & Modern Languages
The purpose of this project is to examine the effects of environmental racism on the municipality of Loíza, Puerto Rico, and to support the expansion of the Drexel “Permaculture in Practice” ICA program’s single-day trip to the municipality into a standalone week-long immersive service-learning experience focused on Afro-Boricua environmental and cultural preservation projects.
Rhythm Osan, architectural engineering ‘26
Amir Yaghoob Farnam, PhD, Civil, Architectural, & Environmental Engineering
This mini-grant will be used to support a bio-inspired thermo-regulating concrete project.
Katelyn Phan, psychology ‘26
Pamela Geller, PhD, Psychological & Brain Sciences
This project will test the effectiveness of virtual nurse trainings. These trainings are designed to help nurses provide better support for parents in the NICU.
Prastuti Upadhyay, materials science & engineering ‘27
Yury Gogotsi, PhD, Materials Science & Engineering
The research focuses on the production and optimization of MXene hydrogels produced by fast gelation induced by metal ions. Moreover, the research includes use of multiscale characterization techniques for envisioned applications.
Haoran Zhao, data science ‘24
Jake Williams, PhD, Information Science
This project is about discovering whether translation errors within one language form word analogies and how can we apply the algorithm generated for word analogy to real-world machine translation tasks.
Adeeb Abbas, computer engineering ‘23
Lifeng Zhou, PhD, Electrical & Computer Engineering
This project focuses on multi-modal risk assessment and motion planning for mobile robots in outdoor settings.
Sajda Adam, psychology ‘26
Kathryn Devlin, PhD, Psychological & Brain Sciences
This project aims to measure the correlation between neuropsychological functioning, the MMT-R, and viral load (a measure of how real-world adherence or non-adherence affects biology). The objective is to further analyze and monitor CART adherence, its predictors, its effects in diverse populations, and identify people at risk of adherence problems.
Joshua Barufaldi, chemistry ‘25
Elizabeth Watson, PhD, Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science
This project will be examining the effects of biochar in salt marsh restoration through revegetation efforts and chemical analysis.
Yan Burets, physics ‘25
Yury Gogotsi, PhD, Materials Science & Engineering
Our primary research focuses on Ti3C2's (one of the widely studied MXenes) ability to work as a current collector in lithium-metal-based batteries. We are actively investigating a hypothesis stating that Li dendrites would be suppressed as Li nucleates in a way that imitates the hexagonal crystal structure of Ti3C2 MXene when it is used as a current collector, thus improving battery lifespan.
Marc DeCarlo, computer engineering ‘26
Andrew Cohen, PhD, Electrical & Computer Engineering
The lab will be segmenting and analyzing 3D images of leech embryos in conjunction with Dr. David Weisblat of University of California, Berkeley, and Dr. Lidia Szczupak of La Universidad de Buenos Aires. The lab will be creating a systematic approach to segmentation and underlying characteristic detection.
Suhani Dheer, psychology ‘26
Maria Schultheis, PhD, Psychological & Brain Sciences
The project aims to examine differences in turning behavior between patients with MS and healthy controls across turns of varying difficulty, and also investigate cognitive factors that influence turning behavior.
Marley Downes, materials science & engineering ‘24
Yury Gogotsi, PhD, Materials Science & Engineering
MXenes are a new family of nanomaterials that remain largely experimentally undiscovered. This project aims to combine theoretical calculations with experimental data to create a predictive model for successful MXene compositions.
Mali Halac, electrical engineering ‘23
Gail Rosen, PhD, Electrical & Computer Engineering
This research aims to understand the genetic basis of the inter subject variation in cognitive functions such as attention and working memory.
Bisbee Hall, nursing ‘25
Ramesh Raghupathi, PhD, Neurobiology & Anatomy
Survivors of abusive traumatic brain injury (TBI) develop deficits in memory, learning, and psychosocial behaviors as they age into adolescence, behaviors that have been validated by the Raghupathi Lab using a neonatal rat model of abusive TBI. We hope to evaluate the effect of treating brain-injured rats with a specific antibiotic/anti-inflammatory compound – minocycline – that has been documented to limit microglial activation in the brain.
Abe Jeyapratap, computer science ‘25
Yusuf Osmanlioglu, PhD, Computer Science
We will further explore brain connectivity differences in the brains of autistic individuals compared to healthy ones using a novel connectomic measure called Network Normality Score (NNS). To strengthen our findings, we will also investigate the quantitative relationship between our connectomic measure and behavioral aspects of the disorder to provide a basis of evaluation for the efficacy of this measure.
Sophie Kujawski, geoscience ‘25
Richard Cairncross, PhD, Chemical & Biological Engineering
We will be designing and testing kite payloads as companion atmospheric sensors to larger weather balloons. This is a proof-of-concept experiment and will collect data on the atmosphere's vertical profile during the 2023 and 2024 solar eclipses.
Amy Kwok, physical therapy ‘23
Annalisa Na, PhD, PT, DPT, Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences
This qualitative study explores the current care used to manage pain in community-dwelling adults with dementia and evaluates evidence-based approaches from the experiences, attitudes and perceptions of patients, care partners and clinicians.
Christina Lents, environmental engineering ‘25
Maureen Tang, PhD, Chemical & Biological Engineering
I will be using cyclic voltammetry techniques to detect a pesticide in solution. I am looking for tell-tale peaks in current that signify the presence of this compound.
Jonathan Parlett, computer science ‘25
Yusuf Osmanlioglu, PhD, Computer Science
This project is an investigation of the communication pattern of the brain, focusing on development of a novel pattern.
Katelynn Rudolph, psychology ‘24
Evangelia Chrysikou, PhD, Psychological & Brain Sciences
One of the most common assessments of creativity entails the generation of alternative uses for everyday objects. To take it a step further, we aim to standardize a four-form version of the AUT and provide online norms of participant response types and their frequency, as well as their ratings of novelty and appropriateness across the population.
Tasneem Siddique, biological sciences ‘25
Aleister Saunders, PhD, Biology
The purpose of this study is to delineate the localization of major ciliary proteins in the primary cilia in the presence of synthetic Aβ. This study will help us understand if Aβ causes differential disruption to ciliary membrane proteins in comparison to ciliary axonemal proteins.
Satvik Tripathi, computer science ‘26
Edward Kim, PhD, Computer Science
The automated approaches for DR detection are more effective than manual diagnostics in terms of cost and time. A manual diagnostic is more labor-intensive and prone to error than automatic ones. In order to identify and categorize DR, this study evaluates recent deep learning algorithms and implements them on large ophthalmological datasets. We would be classifying diabetic retinopathy imaging into normal, mild, moderate, severe, and PDR, which are the five phases or grades of DR (Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy).
Kiah Walsh, criminology & justice studies ‘23
Jordan Hyatt, PhD, Criminology & Justice Studies
This research project is influenced by my experience as a research assistant for Jordan Hyatt’s and Synøve Anderson’s ongoing prison project, Little Scandinavia, where they have implemented a redesigned prison unit at the State Correctional Institution in Chester, PA by adapting the Scandinavian penal model of incarceration. Life Inside: A Criminology Student’s Perspective is a detailed encounter of what I have experientially learned as a research assistant through my interactions and observations with men who are incarcerated, correctional officers, and respective staff members for the PA Department of Corrections.
Kaylee Wilson, sociology ‘25
Stephanie Hernandez, PhD, Epidemiology & Biostatistics
Using the National Health Interview Survey, we will explore differences in health for sexual and gender minorities according to urbanicity, or whether they live in an urban or rural region of the U.S.