Meet the Team

Richard KP Benninger, PhD
​Professor of Bioengineering and Pediatrics
PhD, Physics, Imperial College London (2006)
MSci, Physics, Imperial College London (2002)
[email protected]

Anne Gresch, PhD​
Post-doctoral Fellow
PhD, Pharmacology , Westfalische Wilhelms Universitat Munster (2020)
MS, Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tubingen (2016)
​[email protected]

Somaye Babaei, PhD​
Post-doctoral Fellow
PhD, Biomedical Engineering , University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2024)
BSc, Physics, Amirkabir University of Technology  (2016)
​[email protected]

Claire Levitt
PhD student: Bioengineering program
BS, Biochemistry, Ithaca College (2019)
[email protected]

Katie Hartmoore
​PhD student: Bioengineering program
BS, Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University (2022)
[email protected]

Evelyn Ibarra
​PhD student: Bioengineering program
MS, Bioengineering, University of Colorado Anschutz medical campus (2023)
BS, Microbiology, Texas state San Marcos (2018) 
[email protected]

Carissa Birznieks
​PhD student: Integrated Physiology program
MS, Modern Human Anatomy, University of Colorado Anschutz medical campus (2018)
BS, Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska (2014) 
carissa.birznieks@cuanschutz.edu

Logan Barrios
​PhD student: Biomedical Engineering program (CU Boulder)
BS, Biological Sciences, Notre Dame (2024) 
[email protected]

Thais Gaia Oliveira 
Professional Research Assistant
MS, Nutrition Science, Oklahoma State University  (2021)
BS, Nutrition, East Carolina University (2019) 
[email protected]

Maydha Kumar 
Professional Research Assistant
MS, Bioengineering , University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz medical campus (2025) 
BS, Bioengineering , University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz medical campus (2024) 
[email protected]

Alumni

Elnaz Shokouhi (2024-2026)
Former Postdoctoral Fellow
Currently: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Toronto

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Amit Sela (2025)
Former Professional Research Assistant
Currently: PhD student, Vanderbilt University

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Jennifer Briggs, PhD (2020-2025)
Former PhD student,  Bioengineering program
Currently: Senior AI data scientist, Geisinger  

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Mark Ciccaglione, PhD (2020-2025)
Former PhD student,  Bioengineering program
Currently: Postdoctoral fellow, University of Washington

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Daniel J Bell (2022-2024)
Former Professional Research Assistant
Currently: PhD student, Northeastern University

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Andrea Laurin (2022-2023)
Former MS student, Bioengineering Program
Currently: Professional Research Assistant, University of Michigan.

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Kelly Vazquez, PhD (2022-2023)
Former Postdoctoral Fellow
Currently: Assistant Professor (Tenure Track), Wheaton College.

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​Jose Miranda, PhD (2016-2022)
Former Postdoctoral Fellow
Currently: Research Instructor, University of Colorado Anschutz medical campus.

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​Vira Kravets, PhD (2018-2022)
Former Postdoctoral Fellow
Currently: Assistant Professor (Tenure Track), University of California  San Diego.

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JaeAnn Dwulet, PhD (2017-2022)
Former PhD Student, Bioengineering Program
Currently: Postdoctoral Fellow, Technical University of Munch.​

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David Ramirez, PhD (2016-2021)
Former PhD Student, Bioengineering Program
Currently: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California San Diego

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Anna Davis (2018-2021)
Former MS student, Bioengineering Program
Currently: Research Associate, City of Hope

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Dominic Isaacs (2018-2021)
Former BS/MS student, Bioengineering Program
Currently: PhD Student, University of Maryland School of Medicine 

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Vinh Pham (2018-2021)
Former BS/MS student, Bioengineering Program
Currently: Emergency Medical Technician

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Wolfgang Schleicher (2017-2020)
Former Professional Research Assistant
Currently: PhD Student, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical campus
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Maria Esmeria Corezola do Amaral, PhD (2018-2019)
Former Visiting Professor 
Currently: Professor, Fundação Hermínio Ometto (University of Araras), Brazil
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Nikki Farnsworth, PhD (2013-2019)
Former Postdoctoral Fellow
Currently: Assistant Professor (Tenure Track), Colorado School of Mines
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Robert Piscopio (2016-2019)
Former Professional Research Assistant
Currently: PhD Student, University of California Santa Barbara
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Lucine Papazian, MD (2017-2019)
Former MS Student: Modern Human Anatomy
Currently: Resident, University of Colorado School of Medicine
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Ong Moua (2017-2018)
Former Senior Professional Research Assistant
Currently: Professional Research Assistant, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado
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Samantha Passman (2016-2018)
Former BS Student: Bioengineering Program
Currently: Clinical Trial Coordinator, Jaeb Center for Health Research
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Rachelle Walter (2014-2017)
Former Undergraduate Researcher
Currently: MS Student, Bioengineering Program, University of Colorado
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Nurin Ludin (2015-2017)
Former MS Student, Bioengineering Program
Currently: Intern, Islet Sciences Inc.
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Matthew Westacott, PhD (2012-2017)
Former PhD Student, Bioengineering Program
Currently: Scientist, SomaLogic Inc.​
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Joshua St. Clair, PhD (2015-2017)
Former Postdoctoral Fellow
Currently: Director of Medical affairs, AstraZeneca/MedImmune.
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Audrey Heintz (2015-2017)
Former Professional Research Associate
Currently: Professional Research Assistant, Aaron Michels Lab, University of Colorado Anschutz
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Dallas Henderson (2016-2017)
Former Professional Research Associate
Currently: Biologist, Algae Barn LLC
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Aleena Notary (2014-2016)
Former MS Student (Bioengineering Program)
Currently: Research Software Engineer at National Jewish Health, Quantitative Imaging Laboratory
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Chris Wilson (2013-2015)
Former MS Student (Bioengineering Program)
Currently: Application Engineer at Ametek Engineered Medical Components
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Thomas Hraha (2012-2014)
Former MS Student (Bioengineering Program)
Currently: Staff Scientist, SomaLogic Inc.
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Marina Pozzoli (2012-2014)
Former Professional Research Associate
Currently: Research Technician, University of Bremen Center for Molecular Interactions
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Linda Nguyen (2011-2012)
Former Professional Research Associate
Currently: DDS Student, University of Colorado - School of Dental Surgery
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Contact us with any questions you have about Diabetes, Bioengineering or Biophysics