Group Members

Graduate Students:

	Margarita (Maggie) Orlova: Maggie received her B.S.E. (2020) and M.Eng. (2022) in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Princeton University and is now pursuing her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Vanderbilt. Her research is currently focused on 3D bioprinting. Prior to Vanderbilt, Maggie worked on a variety of projects in the field of proteomics, protein engineering and metabolic engineering. Outside of the lab, Maggie likes to exercise, sing and explore fun live music events in Nashville.
	Reese Popkin: Reese received his BS in Biomedical Science (May, 2023) from the University of New Hampshire in 2023 and is currently enrolled in Vanderbilt’s Biomedical Engineering masters program. His research is focused on polarized cerebral organoids where he is currently developing tissue clearing systems. Outside of the lab, Reese enjoys playing ice hockey, snowboarding (when he can), and spending time with his family and dog.
	Mark Mc Veigh: Mark received his B.S. and M.S. in Chemical Engineering (May, 2022) from Northeastern University and is now pursuing his Ph.D. as part of the Interdisciplinary Materials Science program at Vanderbilt. His research is focused on developing a microfluidic platform to inexpensively synthesize radiotracers used in positron emission tomography (PET). Outside of the lab, Mark enjoys playing golf, supporting all of Boston’s sports teams, and attending concerts.
	Romario Lobban: Romario received his BS in Mechanical Engineering (May, 2020) from Washington University in St. Louis and is currently enrolled in Vanderbilt’s Mechanical Engineering doctoral program. His research involves the use of LCST behavior in polymers to enable various cooling triggered reactions. Outside the lab, Romario enjoys hiking, eating, making electronic music, and reading science fiction.
	Victoria Vest: Victoria received her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering (May, 2014) from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and is now a doctoral student in the Mechanical Engineering program at Vanderbilt. Her research involves microfabrication techniques and mechanical stimulation to direct organization of biomimetic vasculature in engineered tissue. Outside of the lab, Victoria enjoys Olympic Weightlifting, hiking, and cycling.
	John Rector: John received his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering (May, 2016) from the University of Texas at Austin and is currently enrolled in Vanderbilt’s Mechanical Engineering doctoral program. His research combines thermo-responsive materials, 3D fabrication techniques and tissue engineering to develop multi-scale perfusable vasculature for biomimetic models. Beyond the lab, John enjoys tabletop RPGs, cooking with friends, and swing dancing.

Undergraduate Students:

	Kira Grossman: Kira is biomedical engineering student at Vanderbilt University. She is creating different protocols to create microcapillary channels that more closely resemble capillaries found in humans for tissue engineering systems with embedded cells to produce thick tissue constructs. Outside of the lab, Kira enjoys hiking, baking, and orienteering.
	Michael Carroll: Michael is a mechanical engineering student at Vanderbilt university. She is working with thermoresponsive polymers and how they behave under different conditions for the formation of medical devices. Outside of lab, Michael enjoys reading, listening to music, and trying new coffee shops.
	David Guiracocha : David is a Mechanical Engineering undergraduate student at Vanderbilt University. He is exploring integrated and off-chip mechanisms for designing and automating microfluidic devices and he employs novel techniques for microfluidic device fabrication. Outside of the lab, David enjoys playing soccer, working on car projects, and learning new languages.
	Isabella Holtz : Bella is a cognitive studies and medicine, health, and society student at Vanderbilt University. She is investigating microfabrication techniques to direct organization of biomimetic vasculature in engineered tissue. Outside of lab, Bella enjoys reading, embroidering, and golfing.

Openings: We are currently recruiting highly motivated graduate students and postdocs to work on projects related to microfluidic materials for biomedical and structural applications. Please contact us for more information.

Lab Alumni:

Name	Bellan Lab Position	Current Position
Dr. Todd Lagus	Postdoctoral Researcher	ExxonMobil
Dr. Xintong Wang	Postdoctoral Researcher	Engineer at Informa Investment Solutions
Matthew Richardson	Undergraduate Researcher	Epic
Quinlan Monk	Undergraduate Researcher	SpaceX
Dominic Ghilardi	Undergraduate Researcher	Lockheed Martin
Bradly Baer	Masters Student	Science Teacher at Metro Nashville Public Schools
Dr. Jung Bok Lee	Postdoctoral Researcher	Yonsei University – Department of Medical Engineering
Jason Wang	Undergraduate Researcher	Graduate Student at UIUC (Bioengineering)
Callie Weber	Undergraduate Researcher	Graduate Student at University of Maryland (Bioengineering)
Dr. Brian O’Grady	PhD Student	Postdoctoral Researcher in the Lippmann Lab at Vanderbilt
Dr. Xin Zhang	PhD Student	Amazon
Dr. Shannon Faley	Postdoctoral Researcher	Research Assistant Professor in Biomedical Engineering at Vanderbilt
Lucas McBride	Undergraduate Researcher	Northrop Grumman