About Me
I’m a biophysicist and engineer interested in cell biology, machine learning, and microscopy. I’m currently a postdoctoral scientist in the labs of Drs. Sabine Petry and Josh Shaevitz, where I am using expansion microscopy to create the first nanoscale spatial map of the human mitotic spindle capable of resolving both individual microtubules as well as the many microtubule-associated proteins (e.g. motors, nucleators, crosslinkers) that enable spindle function. Outside of the lab, I am an avid runner and cyclist.
Posts & Publications
Publications I've worked on and been involved in and other miscellaneous posts.
3D Agent-Based Modeling without Chemical Signaling Recreates Collective Behaviors seen in Myxococcus xanthus Colonies
We created a simulation framework to study how active matter physics alone can explain various facets of myxobacterial collective behavior.
Capillary interactions drive the self-organization of bacterial colonies
We showed that capillary forces, arising due to the wetting of individual bacteria, organize and determine the structure of populations of gliding bacteria.
Rheological Dynamics of Active Myxococcus xanthus Populations during Development
We measured the rheology of M. xanthus fruiting bodies, and demonstrated the first activity-induced viscosity reduction in a viscoelastic material.
Work Experience
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Princeton University
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Nanoscale Structure of the Mitotic Spindle: Leveraged expansion microscopy and dual view light sheet imaging to construct nanoscale-resolution maps of the tubulin architecture of the vertebrate mitotic spindle.
Expansion Microscopy Deformation Correction: Developed a novel protocol for in situ correction of spatial deformations that occur as a result of expansion microscopy.
Computational Tools for Multiview Microscopy: Developed a suite of computational tools for multi-GPU deskewing, registering, and deconvolution of large volumes generated by multiview microscopes.
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Princeton University
Graduate Research Assistant
Bacterial Fruiting Body Rheology: Created a novel atomic force microscope (AFM)-based assy for rheological characterization of live \textit{M. xanthus} fruiting bodies. These measurements provided the first direct meaurement of activity-induced viscosity reduction in an active viscoelastic material.
Influence of Capillary Forces on Gliding Bacteria: Engineered a device for controlling osmotic pressure in bio-compatible hydrogels. Used this device in combination with time-lapse surface profilometry and light microscopy to demonstrate how capillary forces influence the motion and population structure of gliding bacteria on hydrated surfaces. Programmed a neural network-based data analysis pipeline for cell segmentation and downstream statistical analysis.
Dense, Single Cell Tracking of Gliding Bacteria: Designed and implemented novel neural network architectures and algorithms for segmenting and tracking single bacteria in dense monolayers. Used this data to measure, at unprecedented time and labeling density, single- and multicellular motility of gliding bacteria when they are confined within dense, swarming monolayers.
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Princeton University
Research Specialist 1
Single Cell Responses to sub-MIC Antibiotics: Combined time-lapse fluorescence photomicroscopy and quantitative image analysis to characterize the intracellular response of single \textit{E. coli} cells to sub-minimum inhibitory concentrations of DNA damage-inducing antibiotics.
Collective Motility and Antibiotic Response of Bacteria: Used microfluidics and quantitative light microscopy to characterize how structured environments affect both the collective motility and emergence of antibiotic resistance in populations of free-swimming \textit{E. coli}.
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Memorial Sloan Kettering
Data Analyst
Programmed data collection and analysis software for clinical research projects. Designed and implemented a database schema for managing and querying internal surgical outcomes data.
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Turbo
Program Manager
Selenium Server Integration: Developed a novel system for testing web browsers by integrating open source browser testing software with the company’s virtual machine code. Led later product development and the product’s initial rollout to customers.
Turbo Studio Management: Managed development of the company’s enterprise software platform and provided technical support to clients.
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Children's National Medical Center
Senior Research Associate
Magnesium in Sickle Cell Crisis (MAGiC) Study: Coordinated site activities for the MAGiC study at Children’s National Hopstial as part of a multi-center clinical trial.
Emergency Department Clinical Trial Enrollment: Enrolled patients, managed, and collected study data for ongoing clinical trials in the Emergency Department.
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Akcora Lab @ Stevens Tech
Research Assistant
Synthesized and characterized the structure and ionic conductivity of polymer-iron oxide nanocomposites.
Analyzed data and performed optical microscope experiments to characterize the phase separation dynamics of drying aqueous polymer droplets.
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Shapiro Lab @ UMD
Research Assistant
Instumented electromagnets and control software for ferromagnetic drug targeting in tissue culture samples.
Implemented software for automated image analysis of microscopy data.
Education
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Princeton University
Ph. D., Quantitative & Computational Biology
Sep 2017 - May 2024Dissertation: Mechanics of Myxobacteria
GPA: 3.7 / 4.0
Teaching Experience Assistant in Instruction for ISC232/ISC234 - An Integrated, Quantitative Introduction to the Natural Sciences I/II. Demonstrated and assisted students with biological and physical laboratory techniques. Mentored students in the design and execution of their own, novel experiments. Instructed students on scientific exposition.
Mentoring & Supervision Junior Paper Mentor, Dept. of Physics
- Viscoelastic Properties of Myxococcus xanthus Fruiting Bodies by Kai R. Torrens (2020)
- Experimental Characterization of Hydrogel Permeability by Trishala Kumar (2022)
Senior Thesis Mentor, Dept. of Molecular Biology
- Determination of Microtubule Branching Factor Localization during Mitosis by Christopher Martino (2025)
- Nanoscale Mapping of Heterogeneities in Superabsorbent Hydrogels by Sarina Hasan (2025)
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Princeton University
M.A., Quantitative & Computational Biology
Sep 2017 - Jan 2020Completion of required coursework and passed Generals examination.
GPA: 3.7 / 4.0
Notable Coursework: Genomics and Computational Molecular Biology, Natural Algorithms, Biophysical Chemistry I, Biological Chemistry II
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University of Maryland, College Park
B.S., Bioengineering
Sep 2009 - May 2013GPA: 3.97, Magna Cum Laude
Capstone Project: Electronic tracheal stent with remote monitoring
Notable coursework: Bioinstrumentation, Biological Systems Control, Biofluids, Biomechanics
I like building
devices and software that enable scientific discovery. Below is a list of open source projects and code repositories I have developed that I have used or am actively using in my research.
pySPIM
python, cuda
Lead developer and architect of a Python/CUDA library and napari plugin for processing diSPIM micrograph volumes. Supports single-node multi-GPU subpixel image registration, as well as multi-node multi-GPU dual view Richardson Lucy deconvolution. Developed in part during the 2025 NERSC Open Hackathon.
winx
python, jax
N-dimensional windowed filtering for JAX. Application of array filters that compute over the entire window (e.g. 3x3 median-filtering an image) cannot be done in a jit-able, jax-transformable way. The closest mechanism is jax.lax.reduce_window but this requires the function to be a binary operation that compares elements within the window. winx provides this missing functionality, allowing users to construct and apply arbitrary, window-based filters to an n-dimensional array.
prex
python, jax
Algorithms for point cloud registration. Includes CPU/GPU/TPU-native (via jax) coherent point drift algorithms, as well as a novel GMM-based algorithm used in my paper for GEMS-based expansion microscopy deformation correction.