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PI Ashok Prasad Assistant Professor Chemical and Biological Engineering School of Biomedical Engineering Molecular Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience |
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Postdoc Vladimir Montealegre (from Aug 2010) Ph.D. Physics, Univ. of South Carolina I obtained my Ph.D. in physics from the University of South Carolina in 2008, worked on research in the field of complex networks. My background is interdisciplinary as I also hold an M.B.A (2002, used the back propagation algorithm to study the behavior of market agents in an industrial sector) and former experience working in risk management (2001-2004). I got my Bachelor of Science in Physics (1999) from the Universidad de los Andes in Colombia (South America). My Ph.D. research used methods of generalized mutual entropy and dynamical clustering to study the structure of complex networks. These tools were used to provide approaches to identify potential vulnerabilities in networks and to depict their dynamics. My doctoral research introduced me to the fascinating field of computational biology in which I have found very interesting problems which can be approached and solved efficiently using computer simulations, stochastic models and complex network representations; all this well aligned with my background and goals. |
| Graduate Students | |
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Dustin Robert Berger,
SBME I have a love for all things fun, a passion to ride both concrete and snow, and a desire to learn and share my knowledge. The mountains of Colorado have provided me with ample opportunities to pursue my fondness for snowboarding while being close enough to the Colorado State mothership to allow me the best of educational experiences around. I am currently researching the differentiation potential of marrow stromal cells and the various cues, both mechanical and chemical, which signal for these cellular changes to occur. This work involves several different areas of study including DNA microarray analysis, computational modeling of growth factor signaling pathways, and in vitro differentiation studies of MSCs on surfaces with diverse nanotopographies. It is my goal to help unravel the mysteries of the stem cell’s ability to sense its surroundings and react accordingly. Colorado State University has provided an ideal environment for two of the most important things in my life, learning and enjoyment. |
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Samanthe Lyons, SBME In 2010 I graduated from Duke University with a B.S.E. in biomedical engineering and a second major in biology. I've joined the Prasad lab to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering. My current research utilizes information theory to study the BMP-smad signaling pathway. This pathway plays a critical role in marrow stromal/mesenchymal stem cell differentiation into bone. Using computational methods, such as stochastic simulation, we're able to more fully understand how a number of different bone morphogenic proteins communicate via overlapping signaling pathways to determine the differentiation of MSCs. I am also developing mathematical models of actin and integrin dynamics to study formation of focal adhesions, which play an important role in both the immune system and MSC differentiation. |
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Chintan Joshi, CBE I
earned my Bachelors of Technology in
Biotechnology from SASTRA University
(India). My fascination for biofuels led me to
Professional Science Masters
(PSM) in Applied Biotechnology from Oregon State
University (Corvallis, OR). My
masters final project involved Flux Balance
Analysis (FBA) and simulating (in
silico) nutrient stress responses like starch
accumulation in Chlamydomonas
reinhardtii, one of the
most widely researched unicellular alga. This
project introduced me to the huge
potential of computational biology. My current
projects involve using Flux
Balance Analysis and Metabolic Flux Analysis to
understand the metabolic
tradeoff between growth and hydrogen production,
and lipid production, in
cyanobacteria. My short-term goal includes
realizing the full potential of
Computational Biology, and eventually,
contributing towards metabolic engineering
of microorganisms (bacteria, cyanobacteria or
unicellular alga). Being
a squash player since I was 12, I got a chance
to apply some of my knowledge of
squash in racquetball, a sport more known in
United States. Apart from my
research, I love working on oil paintings,
pencil sketches, calligraphy, and
writing abstract blogs. |
