Meet Our Team
Principal Investigator
Santiago Correa
Prof. Correa heads the Nanoscale Immunoengineering Lab. His research interests lie in developing biomaterials and nanotechnology for reprogramming the immune system.
Postdoc
Robert Hincapie
Programmable self-assembling materials; protein chemistry and bioconjugation; glycans in immunology
Born in New York, Robert has been slowly making his way back up north. He did his Ph.D with M.G. Finn at Georgia Tech, where he worked on developing protein nanoparticle glycoconjugates for immunotherapy. He joined the Correa lab to further explore the role of glycans and self-assembling materials to precisely direct immune responses.
Ph.D. Student
Ryan R. Hosn
Exploring the role of the immune system in neurodegenerative diseases
Raised in Gambia to a Lebanese family, Ryan spent most of his early childhood on the beaches of the smiling coast of west Africa. Following his family's relocation to Spain, his fascination for the intricacy of the human body and desire to build tools led him to pursue a bachelors and masters in bioengineering.
Ph.D. Student
Artemis Margaronis
Developing biomaterials for adoptive T cell therapies
Originally from Athens, Greece, Artemis spent the second half of her life in Bethsda, MD. She joined the Correa lab excited to apply her materials science background to leverage the immune system to treat cancer. Outside of research she enjoys FaceTiming her dog, Millie, yoga classes, long walks, and beach trips.
Ph.D. Student
Sarah Bortel
Developing instructive biomaterials to modulate and mimic immune function
With a background in immunomodulatory biomaterials and translational oncology, Sarah is interested in harnessing biomaterials to control the body's immune response to diseases such as cancer and autoimmunity. Outside of lab, she SCUBA dives, does ceramics, goes to concerts, and plays the guitar.
Ph.D. Student
James Wang
Developing biomaterials for modulating T cell fate and activation
With varied experiences in the drug discovery, autoinflammatory, and cognitive science spaces, James is excited about improving understanding and efficacy of cancer immunotherapies. In his free time James enjoys cooking, exploring new places and cuisines, and talking about Costco.
Co-advised Ph.D. Candidate
Satya Nayagam
Engineering targeted gene delivery vehicles
With a background in nanoparticle formulation and characterization, Satya is passionate about developing biomaterials that enable targeted gene delivery. Satya completed his undergraduate training in the Prud'homme Lab at Princeton University and is currently co-advised by Prof. Kam Leong. Outside of lab, he enjoys traveling and flying small planes above the cornfields of his native Ohio.
Co-advised Ph.D. Student
Oriana Marrone
Single-cell genomics-guided design of immunomodulatory biomaterials
Born and raised in Venezuela, Oriana moved to Miami, FL to pursue her B.S. and M.S. in Biomedical Engineering. During her M.S. research work, Oriana got really interested in biomaterials for immunomodulation in hydrogels. She now hopes to integrate her expertise in biomaterials with single-cell genomic tools to help her better design systems that elicit specific immune responses.
Undergraduate Researcher
Anthony Ayala
Developing biopolymer-based biomaterials for immunotherapeutic delivery
Raised working with Medicaid Transportation, Anthony aspires to innovate effective medical technologies and advance our healthcare system to be more accessible. Outside of lab, he is part of various student groups including the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, the Columbia Organization of Rising Entrepreneurs, and the Biomedical Engineering Society.
Undergraduate Researcher
Daniella Uvaldo
Developing cell-derived nanovesicles for drug delivery applications
As a biomedical engineering student, Daniella is passionate about the intersection of medicine and technology to create a healthier future. Specifically, her research involves deriving nanovesicles from mammalian cells for therapeutic applications. Outside of the lab, Daniella is involved in the undergraduate Biomedical Engineering Society, CU Public Health Club, and pursuing a minor in Art History.