Laboratory Directory

Karin Wuertz-Kozak, PhD

Kate Gleason & Harvey J. Palmer Endowed Professor
Biomedical Engineering
585-475-7355
kwbme@rit.edu

Dr. Wuertz-Kozak is a pharmacist by training, holds a Ph.D. in Human Biology from the University of Ulm in Germany, and holds an MBA in Leadership and Sustainability from the University of Cumbria in the UK. After a Postdoc at the University of Vermont in the US, Dr. Wuertz-Kozak was a group leader at the University of Zurich and the ETH Zurich in Switzerland. Before joining RIT in October, 2019, she was appointed as Assistant Professor at ETH Zurich for 3 years, where she was the recipient of the Swiss National Science Foundation Professorship Award. At RIT, Dr. Wuertz-Kozak currently holds the position of Kate Gleason & Harvey J. Palmer Endowed Professor of Biomedical Engineering and leads the Tissue Regeneration and Mechanobiology (TRAM) Laboratory.

Janitri Venkatachala Babu, MS

Janitri has a Bachelor’s of Technology in Genetic engineering from SRM University, India. She conducted her bachelor’s thesis at the University of Zurich, Switzerland where she studied the role of transporters in cataract. She then went ahead to obtain her Master’s degree in Regenerative Medicine from Manipal University, India. The research for her Master’s thesis was focused on Exosomes derived from multiple stem cell sources, it's neurotoxic potential and also, it’s therapeutic potential. Her Ph.D. project at RIT is on the role of the ion channel TRPC6 in mechanosensing of the intervertebral disc and its relevance as a therapeutic target in degenerative disc disease. jv3384@g.rit.edu

Patricia Alvaro Llopis, MSc

Patricia received her BSc in Biological Sciences and an MSc Molecular Biology from the University of Valencia (Spain). Thereafter, she worked as a Research Assistant in both, hospitals and private companies in the Czech Republic and Spain, which allowed her to obtain a wide experience in Cell and Molecular Biology. Currently, Patricia is a PhD student at RIT where she conducts her doctoral thesis on the design of a 3D model for scleroderma to test inhibition of the ion channel TRPC6 as a new therapeutic option. pa3685@g.rit.edu

Johannes Hasler, MSc

Johannes holds a MSc in Health Science and Technology from ETH Zurich, Switzerland. He completed his master’s thesis at the AO Foundation, a research institute in Switzerland, where he gained experience in molecular biology and regenerative medicine. After graduation, he worked as a development engineer in medical technology. Currently, Johannes is a PhD student at RIT, focusing on the role of the mechanoreceptor TRPV4 in intervertebral disc health. His research aims to engineer a degenerative substrate model to investigate how substrate stiffness, mechanical loading and topography affect TRPV4-related mechanotransduction and contribute to degenerative disc disease. jh4324@g.rit.edu

Lucia Morales, BSc

Lucia Morales graduated with a BSc in Biology from Harvey Mudd College in 2024, during which she pursued research opportunities in tissue engineering and biotechnology. She will be conducting her PhD on using extracellular vesicles harvested from CRISPR-modified stem cells and investigating their potential to reduce inflammation in painful intervertebral discs. lmm9650@g.rit.edu

Camila Ceballos, BSc

Camila received her BSc in Biomedical Engineering from EIA University in Medellín, Colombia. Her bachelor's thesis focused on isolating stem cells from the Bichat bag and their subsequent osteogenic differentiation. She has broad research experience, obtained through her work at the Clinical Engineering Department of the Pablo Tobón Uribe Hospital, the Product Development Oncology and Hematology Department at Genentech (a member of the Roche Group in San Francisco, CA), and Cellular Vehicles (Palo Alto, CA). Currently, Camila is a Ph.D. Candidate at RIT, where she researches the isolation, characterization, and biological assessment of plant-derived extracellular vesicles for treating excessive scarring. ccc7651@g.rit.edu

Lute Douglas, BS

Lute has a Bachelors in Biotechnology and Molecular Bioscience from Rochester Institute of Technology. He worked in several research labs in his time as an undergraduate, primarily on the use of viruses as oncolytic agents. His current PhD project is focused on the use of CRISPR tools to track viral infections and their subsequent effects on lung tissue to better understand the root cause of lung fibrosis.  ljd7411@rit.edu

Gabbie Wagner, BS, MS

Gabbie holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science in Biomedical Engineering from the dual accelerated BS/MS program at RIT. She has worked in the Tissue Regeneration and Mechanobiology lab since 2022, where she gained extensive experience in CRISPR gene editing, TRP channel activity studies, and extracellular vesicle isolation and experimentation. Her PhD project focuses on utilizing a microscope mountable compression bioreactor to study TRP channel activity and mechanotranductive pathways in the intervertebral disc under physiologically accurate mechanical loads. gmw9877@g.rit.edu

Aidan Chen

Aidan is a second-year Biochemistry major with a strong interest in biomedical sciences and their applications in medicine. As part of his independent study, he is investigating novel approaches to alleviate lower back pain. ac7497@rit.edu

Alex McMahon

Alex is a second-year undergraduate in the BS/MS program in Biomedical Engineering and Public Policy at RIT. As part of his independent study, he is participating in research related to extracellular vesicles as a regenerative treatment option. ajm4358@rit.edu