Group Members

Assistant Professor

Department of Medical Engineering, University of South Florida

Research Interests: 

• Cardiovascular tissue engineering

• Tissue-mimetic biomaterials 

• Biofabrication 

• Cell-biomaterial interactions

• Tissue culture bioreactors

• Elastogenesis

• Preclinical translation of engineered tissues

Education/Research Background: 

• Faculty of Medical Engineering, 2023-present, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

• NSERC Postdoctoral Research Fellow, 2021-2023, Ted Rogers Center for Heart Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

• FRQNT Postdoctoral Research Fellow, 2018-2021, Ted Rogers Center for Heart Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

• Ph.D. Tissue Engineering, 2018, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

https://www.usf.edu/engineering/bme/faculty-staff/neda-latifi.aspx

Title: BME PhD student

Research Interests: 

• Tissue engineering

• Tissue-mimetic biomaterials

• Cardiovascular engineering

• Drug delivery 

Email: aghasemi@usf.edu

Title: BME PhD student (co-advised with Dr. Michael Dunne, Moffitt Bioengineering Program)

Previously: BME master's student, January-December 2024

Research Interests: 

• Nanoscale drug delivery 

• Cellular backpacks for targeted cancer therapy 

• 'Smart' hydrogels for biomedical applications 

• 3D Tumor platforms

Email: asyilmaz@usf.edu

Title: Biotechnology master's student since Summer 2024

Research Interests: 

• Tissue engineering

• Developmental biology

• Regenerative medicine

Email: meghnaasakthi@usf.edu 

Title: BME Master's student since Summer 2025

Previously: BME undergraduate student (Fall 2023-Spring 2025)

Research Interests: 

• Tissue engineering 

• Biomaterials 

• Mechanics & material characterization

Email: kramer17@usf.edu

Title: NSF post-baccalaureate researcher (co-advised with Dr. Michael Dunne, Moffitt Bioengineering Program)

Research Interests: 

• Biodegradable microneedle technology

• Diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer

Email: Kiarah.Richards@moffitt.org

Title: BME senior undergraduate student since Fall 2023

Research Interests: 

• Biomaterials 

• Tissue engineering

• Cell-biomaterial Interactions

Email: syerramilli1@usf.edu

Title: BME senior undergraduate student since Fall 2023

Research Interests: 

• Tissue engineering 

• Biomaterials

• Natural wound healing 

Email: mariobrockleao@usf.edu

Title: BME senior undergraduate student since Fall 2024

Research Interests: 

• Vascular tissue engineering 

• Biomaterials 

• Biomimetics & cellular interaction

Email: camilogarciagonzalez@usf.edu

Title: BME Junior Undergraduate Student since Summer 2024

Research Interests: 

• Biomaterials for cardiovascular applications

• Heart valve repair and replacement

• Biomechanical characterization of native and engineered tissues

Email: mallick2@usf.edu

Title: BME senior undergraduate student since Fall 2024

Research Interests: 

• Cardiovascular tissue engineering

• Biomaterials 

• Electrospinning

Email: akulav@usf.edu 

Title: Biomedical Sciences Junior undergraduate student since Summer 2024

Research Interests: 

• Biomaterials 

• Tissue engineering 

• Regenerative medicine 

Email: blubaums@usf.edu

Title: Biomedical Sciences Junior undergraduate student since Fall 2024

Research Interests: 

• Stem cell engineering

• Immunomodulation in tissue engineering

• Cell behavior and tissue formation 

Email: guinocor@usf.edu

Title: K-12 student researcher (Fall 2024 and Spring 2025)

Research Interests: 

• Fibrous biomaterials

Title: Biomedical Sciences Sophomore undergraduate student (Summer and Fall 2024)

Research Interests: 

• Cardiovascular tissue engineering

• Suturing techniques