Kaixiang came to Syracuse University to pursue his masters in Chemical Engineering and is now pursuing a PhD in Bioengineering. He joined the research team of Assistant Professor Era Jain, where he worked on cryogels design and completed related animal experiments. His favorite graduate course is drug delivery because it is most relevant to his research interests. His career goal is to engage in drug delivery related work in academia. Kaixiang comes from Northwest China and likes the long winter in Syracuse. In his free time, he likes basketball and rap.
Paul Nana Kwame Sagoe
PhD Student
Paul holds a BSc(Hons) degree in Biomedical Engineering. Prior to his doctoral studies, He served at a Teaching Hospital as a Biomedical and Clinical Engineer. This experience invigorated his passion for medical science, and thus informed his decision to explore and understand the interplay between macrophages and inflammation driven musculoskeletal diseases. Being motivated by the excitement of discovery, Paul is currently focused by Dr. Jain on designing drug delivery systems; particularly nanoparticles and microparticles to target macrophages in osteoarthritis with the objective of modulating inflammation.
Zining Yang
Master’s Student
Thalma Orado
PhD Student (Alumna)
Thalma holds a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a Master of Public Health Degree. She has previous experience working with communities to address issues such as child malnutrition and metabolic syndrome-related diseases such as cancer, obesity, and diabetes. Thalma is currently pursuing a Doctoral degree in Bioengineering at Syracuse University and brings a wealth of knowledge in implementation science to the Era Jain lab team. Being able to participate in targeted drug delivery research tackling osteoarthritis is important to Thalma because she is interested in interventions and solutions to help address the global “syndemic” of metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and obesity. In her free time, Thalma enjoys designing, organizing, and decorating
Rohail Alvi
Undergraduate, Alumnus
Rohail attends is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in biology at Syracuse University. He participated in the summer research program through The SOURCE and was mentored and worked closely with Paul. His research during the summer focused on synthesizing and characterizing microparticles for targeted drug encapsulation. Participating in a project aimed at potentially alleviating the pain of those with Osteoarthritis was an enriching experience for him and he is grateful for the knowledge gained during his time in the lab and for the opportunity to work alongside a highly motivated group.
Meghan Elder
Undergraduate, Alumna
Meghan is pursuing a Bachelors of Engineering in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Biomedical Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology. She came to Syracuse University through the REU program by NSF. Paul Sagoe is her mentor in the lab. Her research during the summer focused on targeting macrophages with polymeric nanoparticles. Working on a project that could help those that suffer from Osteoarthritis has been a motivating experience and she is grateful to have benefited from the lab’s combined wealth of knowledge.
Malachi Barksdale
Highschool, Alumnus
Malachi Barksdale is a high honor roll student at the Institute of Technology in Syracuse, NY. He came to the Jain Lab at Syracuse University for a summer research opportunity through the American Chemical Society ProjectSEED. His interest in science, mathematics, and engineering led him to want to do research within the lab. The summer research he is working on includes designing hydrogel core shells for microparticle cell encapsulation. In his free time, he enjoys playing video games and going on walks.
