Our Team

Jitao Zhang, Ph.D.  ​​Principal Investigator

Jitao is an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Wayne State University. Before joining Wayne State, he spent six years in Fischell Department of Bioengineering at the University of Maryland, College Park, first as postdoc and then as assistant research professor. Prior to Maryland, he briefly worked at the University of Arizona as a postdoc, where he developed optical spectrometer and devices. He obtained his Ph.D. in optical engineering from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. Jitao has been a recipient of several awards, including the Doctoral Dissertation Excellence Award, the Excellent Youth of China Instrument Society scholarship, the Marcy Speer Award for postdoc, the NIH Mentored Quantitative Research Career Development Award (K25), and the NSF CAREER Award. He has been granted 3 patents on Brillouin technique. He serves on the editorial board of the journal Scientific Reports and is a member of the program committee for the SPIE Photonics West Conference. He is also a guest editor for the Journal of Physics: Photonics.
Chenjun Shi  Graduate Student
​My name is Chenjun Shi. I am pursuing the Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Engineering at Wayne State University starting from January 2022. My research interest lies in the intersection of optical technology and biomedical application, where I hope I can use my skillset in optical engineering to address the most crucial challenges in biomedical field. During my Ph.D. study, I will focus on the development of Brillouin spectroscopy and microscopy as well as the biomedical application. I obtained my bachelor and master degree in Optical Engineering in 2018 and 2020, both from the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology in China. I have published several articles and received the China National Scholarship. 
Shahrin Jahan Jaima Graduate Student
My name is Shahrin Jahan Jaima. I completed my Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from the Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), Bangladesh in 2023. I am currently pursuing my Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Engineering at Wayne State University starting in January 2024. My research interests span from cell and tissue engineering, biomaterials to bio-instrumentation, and optics. At present, I am actively engaged in groundbreaking research within Dr. Zhang's lab, focusing on the advancement of a less-invasive method for tissue testing known as Brillouin microscopy. Our team is dedicated to refining optical setups and instruments to precisely quantify the mechanical properties of tumor cells and tissues. I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to expand my knowledge and skills in this dynamic field, aspiring to contribute to advancements in biomedical research.
Karlin Hilai Graduate Student
My name is Karlin, I am a 2nd-year graduate student in the Biomedical Engineering Program at Wayne State University (WSU). I received my Bachelor’s in Biological Sciences and a minor in Arabic Linguistics from WSU in 2020. I am deeply committed to improving the foundational understanding of the underlying complex etiologies and mechanisms pertaining to cancer, developmental pathologies, and corresponding physiological deficits. My current research interests include technological advancements and innovative methods to evaluate cellular and tissue biomechanical properties related to various pathologies. Outside of the lab, I enjoy helping the community, reading, and doing puzzles. I also am part of Elite Smash, and I play as Yoshi. I am excited and look forward to being a part of the team! ​
Daniil Grubich  Graduate Student
My name is Daniil Pavlovich Grubich, a Biomedical Engineering graduate specializing in Bioinstrumentation from Wayne State University. After earning my Bachelor's degree with a 3.99/4.0 GPA, I am poised to start my Master's degree in the same field in Fall 2023. My expertise encompasses various areas including programming languages, data acquisition, image reconstruction, and system actuation. This academic commitment has brought me recognition as the top of my class and a nomination for the Tau Beta Pi National Engineering Honor Society. Beyond my technical skills, I am fluent in Russian and was awarded the Michigan Seal of Biliteracy. I have also developed interpersonal skills through my role as a Senior Lifeguard at the Waterford School District. I am enthusiastic about contributing to biomedical research and development, and I am excited to be a part of the esteemed team.
​Man Hue Do  Undergraduate Student
My name is Man Hue Do, people also call me “Iris”. I am an undergraduate Biomedical Engineering student at Wayne State University, and I joined Dr. Zhang’s lab during my senior year. Growing up as an ethic Chinese Vietnamese, then coming to the United States in 2014, I am proud to be the first in my family to receive formal academic education. I’m so grateful to be a part of this inspiring team comprised of dedicated individuals who work diligently. I am involved in this laboratory to acquire personal experience and provide assistance to others in their research endeavors.
​​Marcus Akrawi  Undergraduate Student
My name is Marcus Akrawi and I am a junior at Wayne State University pursuing a Biomedical Physics Honors degree with a minor in Neuroscience. I grew up in Sterling Heights and I graduated from Henry Ford II High School in 2020. After my undergrad, I plan on going to Medical School with the dream of becoming a radiologist. I am a part of the Barber Research program, and my goal is to gain a lot of experience through research and I am very thankful for my team.
​​Sidharth Veluthakkal Undergraduate Student
My name is Sidharth Veluthakkal. I am a senior completing my Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering at Wayne State University. I was born in Kerala, India and I immigrated to the United States in 2016. As part of my engineering honors thesis, I will be working in the lab to improve the functionality of the Brillouin microscope. My concentration is in Biomechanics but I am also interested in Instrumentation. I look forward to this experience!

Alumni

  • Nandhashree M Srinivasaiah, Graduate student, ECE, 2022.10-2023.03
  • ​Xuan Xuan Tang, Undergraduate student, BME, 2021.08-2023.05
  • ​Ahmed Minhaj, Undergraduate student, CS, 2022.05-2022.08
  • Heden Florn, Undergraduate student, BME, 2022.05-2023.01
  • ​Wessam Nehme, High school student, 2022.06-2022.08
  • Sonnet Xu, High school student, 2023.06-2023.09