Graduate Student Spotlight

Brian Griffin

Brian's research focused on the role of cellular mechanics in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition phenomena. To aid him in his endeavors, Brian has developed a novel technique to detect and quantify cellular traction forces. He hopes to use this technique to assess the contributions of various factors that promote the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, which can then be translated to the clinical setting in the emerging field of mechanotherapeutics.

Hailing from Alexandria, Virginia, Brian finished his undergraduate degree at the University from Virginia before coming to VCU to complete his master’s thesis through the department of Biochemistry. Thanks to VCU’s close connections with the hospital for collaboration, Brian is presently wrapping up his doctoral thesis under the guidance of Dr. Lemmon. In his spare time, you can find Brian visiting local breweries with friends and his wonderful wife Emma, playing video games, and practicing his tennis skills on the court.

Remy Cooper

Remy conducted her Ph.D. under Dr. Hu Yang in the Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering, developing drug delivery strategies and formulations for dendrimer nanoparticles. Her thesis is aimed at synthesizing hydrogel solutions that extend drug delivery release for intravitreal (“through the eye”) injections. This work aims to decrease the number of repeat injections for retinal diseases to maximize patient comfort.

Raised in Munich, Germany, Remy received her undergraduate degree from William & Mary. Her research interests pushed her to continue her academic career at VCU, finding a perfect fit in Dr. Yang’s lab. When Remy takes off the lab coat, she likes to spend time with friends exploring events and oddities of Richmond and taking scenic hikes in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. In her free time, you can catch Remy watching a Futball match or sewing.

Lewis Scott

Dr. Scott received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering on August 8th, 2019 under the co-mentorship of Dr. Christopher Lemmon and Dr. Seth Weinberg. Lewis’ thesis focused on computationally modeling the spatiotemporal phenotype dynamics of epithelial tissues in response to chemical and mechanical stimuli.

Originally from Richmond, Lewis received his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering from VCU in 2013. He then went on to complete a Masters in Biomedical Engineering under the mentorship of Dr. Lemmon in 2015. Lewis’ chose VCU to further his research efforts in the field of mechanobiology and expand the scope of his project with the aid of collaborative and multidisciplinary scientists. While at VCU, Lewis liked to spend his free time exploring Richmond’s lively art and food scene, in addition to hiking local trails with his wife and dog. Lewis is currently working at Genetech.

Michael Valentine

Michael received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering under the mentorship of Dr. Heise with a thesis focused on investigating the influence of aging and mechanical forces on pulmonary cells and whole lung tissue responses in both healthy and diseased states. Michael has developed and characterized novel age-related cell and animal models of acute lung injury and other lung diseases for clinically translatable biomarkers and therapeutic testing.

Originally from Virginia Beach, Michael received his undergraduate degree at the University of Virginia. Michael’s experience as a laboratory technician for Dr. Heise convinced him to then continue his education at VCU as a graduate student. Outside of his busy schedule, Michael enjoys golfing, snowboarding, fishing, hiking, camping and travelling. In his free time, Michael likes exploring the food and drink options of Richmond, spending time with family and friends, and taking care of his dog. Michael now works as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Merryman Mechanobiology Lab at Vanderbilt University.

Patrick Link

Where are you from? Reno, NV

Where did you go to undergrad? Western Carolina University

Whose lab do you work in? Dr. Rebecca Heise

Give us a synopsis of your research! I research the effect extracellular matrix proteins have on cell phenotype. Extracellular matrix is the macromolecular substance outside of the cell, and it has a huge effect on cell behavior.

What interested you in VCU BME for grad school? Dr. Heise’s research is fascinating.

What do you like to do outside of lab/school? Spend time with my family in the great outdoors.

Ethan Lotz, PhD

Where are you from? Ocean Springs, MS

Where did you go to undergrad? Georgia Institute of Technology (the real “tech”)

Whose lab do you work in? Dean Boyan’s

Give us a synopsis of your research! My research aims to optimize the surface properties of dental and orthopaedic titanium implants to enable their rapid integration in patients with compromised metabolic bone diseases like osteoporosis.

What interested you in VCU BME for grad school? I followed Dean Boyan from Georgia Tech to continue my PhD under her advisorship. I am extremely happy with my choice as VCU is making great strides in becoming one of the top BME research universities.

What do you like to do outside of lab/school? I like to stay active by going to the gym, playing in various sports leagues around Richmond, and hiking through the parks around the city. My extroverted self enjoys socializing with friends and going to breweries, but my introverted self is fine with staying in, playing video games, and rewatching Brooklyn 99 or 30 Rock for the 1000th time.

Beth Young, PhD

Beth, right, with two of her undergraduate mentees.

Where are you from? Mechanicsville, Virginia

Where did you go to undergrad? University of Richmond

Whose lab do you work in? Dr. Heise’s Pulmonary Mechanobiology Lab

Give us a synopsis of your research! My research investigates how alveolar barriers are formed on decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) and how damaged ECM can influence gas exchange barriers in bioengineered lungs. Through this research, I have developed a “barrier-promoting” ECM treatment to revitalize the airways and alveoli prior to recellularization.

What interested you in VCU BME for grad school? BME was the amazing mentorship in the department. My advisor, Dr. Heise, was my advocate from day one and gave me the confidence to pursue my PhD. Also, the endless network of graduate students and professors that were always welcoming and supportive.

What do you like to do outside of lab/school? I really enjoy being outdoors with my dog Zeus, hiking, and camping. I also spend a lot of time with my family playing Euchre (a northern card game), cornhole, and board games.