Members
Principal Investigator
Laleh Golshahi, Ph.D.
Engineering Foundation Professor
Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering
Virginia Commonwealth University
401 W Main St.
Richmond, VA, 23284
Phone: (804) 827-3742
Fax: (804) 827-7030
E-mail: [email protected]
Google Scholar
Postdoctoral Fellow and Research Associates
Open positions will be advertised through VCU HR.
Graduate Students
Arya Bazargani
Joined RARE Lab as a PhD student in Pharmaceutical Engineering (August 2021-present)
Mohammad Hejazi
Joined RARE Lab as a PhD student in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering (August 2022-present)
Bio: “I have a Bachelor and Master of Science in mechanical engineering from Shiraz University, Iran. During my masters, I worked on computational modeling of sleep apnea and flow characteristics in the human upper airway, considering fluid-structure interaction. I joined RARE lab as a Ph.D. student in August 2022, and have been working on the impact of nasal cavity anatomies and spray use techniques on regional drug deposition of nasal sprays.”
Xiomara Maria Owen
Joined RARE Lab as a PhD student in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering (August 2023-present)
Bio: “I hold a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering and a master’s in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering. Currently, I am pursuing a PhD in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University. My research primarily investigates the impact of alternative carrier gases on aerosol delivery, specifically focusing on mouth-throat deposition and the development of predictive correlations using in vitro child oral models.”
Undergraduate Students
No current availability
High School Students
No current availability
Alumni
Prakash Khadka, Ph.D.: Pharmaceutics/Pulmonary Drug Delivery, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, Postdoctoral Fellow 2022-2023
Ahmad Alshammary, M.Sc.: Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA, 2021-2023
Amir R. Esmaeili, Ph.D.: Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA, Postdoctoral Fellow 2021-2022
John V. Wilkins, Jr., Ph.D.: Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA, Graduate Student 2016-2021
Sana Hosseini, Ph.D.: Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA, Graduate Student 2016-2021, Postdoctoral Fellow 2021
Ali Alfaifi, Ph.D.: Biomedical Engineering (Nanomaterials/Drug Delivery), Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA, Postdoctoral Fellow 2019-2021
Michele Dario Manniello, Ph.D.: Drug Discovery and Development, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy, Postdoctoral Fellow 2019-2020
Michelle Gardner, MD: PICU Fellow, Department of Pediatrics, VCU Health, 2016-2018
Anupama Pathak: Junior, Biomedical Engineering, VCU, enrolled in Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) Program, Spring 2019
Rohani Patel: Junior, Biomedical Engineering, VCU, enrolled in Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) Program, Fall 2018, Spring 2019
Erika Mack: Senior, Biomedical Engineering, VCU, enrolled in Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) Program, Fall 2018, Spring 2019
John Kelly: Sophomore, Biomedical Engineering, VCU, enrolled in Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) Program, Fall 2018, Spring 2019
Samantha Haynes: Rising Senior, Blue Ridge Virtual Governor’s School, Dean’s Early Research Initiative (DERI) Program, mentored by Sana Hosseini, Summer 2018-Spring 2019
Harrison Rhodes: Rising Senior, St. Christopher’s School, Dean’s Early Research Initiative (DERI) Program, mentored by Sana Hosseini, Summer 2018
Drew Switzer: Rising Senior, Mechanical Engineering, VMI SURI Program, mentored by John Wilkins, Summer 2017
Amaya White: Rising Senior, Cosby High School, Dean’s Early Research Initiative (DERI) Program, mentored by Sana Hosseini, Summer 2017-Spring 2018; Junior in Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University 2019-2020
Qiang (Jason) Wang: Ph.D. student in Dr. Daren Chen’s Group, Mechanical Engineering, VCU, February 2015-May 2016. Jason worked in RARE Lab to develop models to enhance the understanding of the penetration mechanisms of nanoparticles through fabric filter media under physiologic conditions
Sneha Vakani: Senior, Mechanical Engineering, VCU, Fall 2016
Roya Tepper: Rising Senior, Deep Run High School, Summer 2016
Jamie Park: Junior, Mechanical Engineering, VCU, September-December 2015
David Coleman: Junior, Mechanical Engineering, VCU, June-December 2015
John Wilkins: SURI Researcher, Senior, Mechanical Engineering, VMI, Summer 2015
Paul Clark: Researcher, Summer 2015
Amber Clark: Senior, Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, VCU, Fall 2015
Ryan Meekins: DURI Researcher, Senior, Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, VCU, Spring and Fall 2015
Amber Jiles: Senior, Engineering Science and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, December 2014
Dmitriy Kirzhner: Junior, Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, VCU, Fall 2014