People

BioInspired brings together faculty with a distinguished track record of excellence, including:

• More than $40 million in sponsored research over the past five years
• More than 650 total peer-reviewed publications, many in top journals
• More than 45 patents
• Editorial board membership and invited guest editors for leading journals
• Prestigious grants and fellowships including more than 10 Early Career award winners, Sloan Fellowship, Lush Prize
• Leadership in national scientific societies
• Advisory board membership for both established and start-up companies (Ichor Therapeutics, Xeragenx LLC, Balchem Corp, Central New York Research Corporation)
• Teaching excellence, including multiple department, University and external awards

Jump to:

• Leadership
• Executive Committee
• Interdisciplinary Research Group Leaders
• Syracuse University Faculty
• SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Faculty
• SUNY Upstate Medical University Faculty
• Staff

Leadership

James Henderson, Ph.D.
Director 
Professor, Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Heidi Hehnly-Chang, Ph.D.
Associate Director
Associate Professor, Biology
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Executive Committee

The BioInspired Executive Committee is made up of faculty who actively participate to provide collaborative leadership and scientific guidance to the Institute. The committee leads major institute programming priorities, soliciting feedback from membership and representing all constituents of the institute.

Ivan Gitsov, Ph.D.
Director, Michael Szwarc Polymer Research Institute
Professor of Chemistry, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Faculty Profile

Samuel Herberg, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology
Assistant Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Assistant Professor, Cell and Developmental Biology
Faulty Profile

Zhen Ma, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biomedical and Chemical Engineering
Samuel and Carol Nappi Research Scholar
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Susan Parks, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biology
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Joseph Paulsen, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Physics
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Focus Group Leaders

Two Focus Group Leaders are associated with each focus group within the BioInspired Institute. Leaders’ duties include outlining research goals, communicating with search committees involved in faculty hires, and organizing members to submit collaborative grants.

Mechanics of Development and Disease

M. Lisa Manning, Ph.D.
Kenan Professor of Physics
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Jessica MacDonald, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biology
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Smart Materials

Mary Beth Browning Monroe, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biomedical and Chemical Engineering
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Wanliang Shan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Form and Function

Zhenyu Gan, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Faculty Profile

Austin Garner, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Biology
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Posthumanities: Arts and Sciences

G. Douglas Barrett, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, TV, Radio, & Film
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Boryana Rossa, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Film and Media Arts
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Faculty

Syracuse University

Atanu Acharya, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Chemistry
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Tiago Barreira, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Exercise Science
Faculty Profile

Michael Blatchley, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Biomedical and Chemical Engineering
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Katie Cadwell, Ph.D.
Associate Teaching Professor, Chemical Engineering
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Carlos Castaneda, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biology and Chemistry
Faculty Profile
Research Page

John Chisholm, Ph.D.
Professor, Chemistry
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Heather Coleman, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biology and Biochemistry
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Andria Costello Staniec, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Faculty Profile

James Edward Crill, B.S.
Professor of Practice, Forensic Science Institute
Faculty Profile

Robert Doyle, Ph.D.
Meredith Professor
Director of Graduate Studies and Associate Chair, Chemistry
Associate Professor of Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University
Faculty Profile

Victor Duenas, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
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Sarah Hall, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biology
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Julie Hasenwinkel, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Biomedical and Chemical Engineering
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Ian Hosein, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biomedical and Chemical Engineering
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James Hougland, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Chemistry
Adjunct Assistant Professor, SUNY Upstate Medical University
Faculty Profile

Xiaoran Hu, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Chemistry
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Linda Ivany, Ph.D.
Professor and Associate Chair, Earth Sciences
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Era Jain, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Biomedical and Chemical Engineering
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Li-En Jao, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biology

Andrea A. Joseph, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Biomedical and Chemical Engineering

Colm Kelleher, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Physics
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Tim Korter, Ph.D.
Professor, Chemistry
Faculty Profile

Lihong Lao, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Faculty Profile

Kasey Laurent, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Faculty Profile

Sarah Lucas, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Biology
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Yan-Yeung Luk, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Chemistry
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Chih Hung Lo, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Biology

Michael Marciano, Ph.D.
Professor of Practice and Director for Forensics Research
Faculty Profile

Heather Meyer, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Biology

Liviu Movileanu, Ph.D. 
Professor, Physics
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Davoud Mozhdehi, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Chemistry
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Shikha Nangia, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biomedical and Chemical Engineering
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Anupam Pandey, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Alison Patteson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Physics
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Joseph Paulsen, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Physics
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Melissa Pepling, Ph.D.
Professor and Associate Chair, Biology
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Zhao Qin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Dacheng Ren, Ph.D.
Stevenson Endowed Professor, Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Jennifer Ross, Ph.D.
Professor, Physics
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Christian Santangelo, Ph.D.
Professor, Physics
Faculty Profile

Jennifer Schwarz, Ph.D.
Professor, Physics
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Lixin Shen, Ph.D.
Professor, Mathematics
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Antun Skanata, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor, Physics
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Pranav Soman, PhD
Associate Professor, Biomedical and Chemical Engineering
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Shahar Sukenik, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Chemistry
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Research Page

Mirna Mihovilovic Skanata, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Physics
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Rachel Steinhardt, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Chemistry
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Yiyang Sun, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
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Research Page

Radhakrishna Sureshkumar, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor, Biomedical and Chemical Engineering
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John Tillotson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Science Education
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Nancy Totah, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Chemistry
Faculty Profile

Yeqing Wang, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Faculty Profile

Roy Welch, Ph.D.
Professor, Biology
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Yaoying Wu, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Biomedical and Chemical Engineering
Faculty Profile
Research Page

William Wylie, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Mathematics
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Jialiu Zeng, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Biomedical and Chemical Engineering

Teng Zhang, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
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Weiwei Zheng, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Chemistry
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Yi Zheng, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Biomedical and Chemical Engineering
Faculty Profile
Research Page

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Cynthia Downs, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Environmental and Forest Biology
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Ivan Gitsov, Ph.D.
Director, Michael Szwarc Polymer Research Institute
Professor, Chemistry
Faculty Profile
Michael Swarc Polymer Research Institute

Gyu Leem, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Polymer and Environmental Chemistry
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Julia Maresca, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Polymer and Environmental Chemistry
Faculty Profile & Research Page

Chang Geun Yoo, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Yaqi You, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Environmental Resources Engineering
Faculty Profile
Research Page

SUNY Upstate Medical University

Jeffrey Amack, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Cell and Developmental Biology
SUNY Upstate Medical University
Faculty Profile
Research Page

Alaji Bah, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Faculty Profile

Audrey Bernstein, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Ophthalmology
Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Associate Professor, Cell and Developmental Biology
Faculty Profile

Peter Calvert, Ph.D.
Professor, Ophthalmology
Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Professor, Cell and Developmental Biology
Professor, Neuroscience and Physiology
Faculty Profile

Robert Cooney, M.D.
Professor of Surgery
Faculty Profile

Preethi Ganapathy, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Assistant Professor, Neuroscience and Physiology
Faculty Profile

Jessica Henty-Ridilla, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Cell and Developmental Biology
Assistant Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Faculty Profile

Jason Horton, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery
Assistant Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
Faulty Profile

Yamin Li, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Pharmacology
Faculty Profile

Juntao Luo, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Pharmacology
Faculty Profile

Ken Mann, Ph.D.
Professor, Orthopedic Surgery
Professor, Cell and Developmental Biology
Faculty Profile

Qinghe Meng, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Surgery
Faculty Profile

Megan Oest, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Orthopedic Surgery
Associate Professor, Cell and Developmental Biology
Faculty Profile

Nathan Roy, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Microbiology and Immunology
Faculty Profile

Mariano Viapiano, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Neuroscience and Physiology
Associate Professor, Neurosurgery
Faculty Profile

Staff

Jeremy L. Steinbacher, Ph.D.
Director of Operations
Profile

Eric B. Finkelstein, Ph.D.
Technical Director, BioInspired Institute Materials Research Core
Profile

Kara Hughes
Operations Specialist