Advisor: Lu Wei Option: Chemistry RJworks at the interface of chemistry, biology, and medicine to investigate metabolism in both health and disease. He is leveraging stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy to directly visualize key biological processes such as the TCA cycle in living systems. He is also combining SRS with other multi-omics approaches-- including lipidomics, metabolomics, and stable-isotope label tracing-- to uncover disease mechanisms (such as type II diabetes, and cancer) in collaboration with City of Hope and UCLA.
Advisors: Julie Kornfield and Dianne Newman Option: Chemical Engineering Raj works at the interface of microbiology, materials science, and sensing technology to create living materials that can perceive their environment and report useful information. By embedding engineered bacteria inside protective hydrogels and coupling them to miniaturized electronics, his research turns biological responses into measurable electronic signals in real time. This approach enables smart environmental monitoring, such as tracking plant-available nutrients in soil, with the broader goal of improving agricultural efficiency while reducing ecological impact.
Advisor: Gözde Demirer Option: Bioengineering Catherine Griffin is a third-year PhD candidate in bioengineering at Caltech, working in the Demirer Lab. Her research focuses on engineering living materials for agricultural applications, specifically developing drought-resilient microbial materials to support water resource management. Her current work engineers plant growth-promoting Bacillus subtilis through targeted modifications to the biofilm extracellular matrix, enhancing soil water retention at the root-microbe interface.
Advisor: David M. Glover Option: Biology My current research focuses on the regulation pathways of centriole duplication and tumorigenesis, as well as the key protein interactions governing centriole assembly and function.
