OUR TEAM

Current and Past Lab Members
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STEL Research Team

Daniel Shiwarski, PhD

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORDaniel Shiwarski, PhD

Biography

Dr. Shiwarski is an Assistant Professor within the Department of Bioengineering and the Vascular Medicine Institute at the University of Pittsburgh. He obtained a combined undergraduate degree from Bucknell University in cell biology and biochemistry, a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences and Neuroscience from Carnegie Mellon University and the Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, and completed a Postdoctoral fellowship in Biomedical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in cellular biomechanics and tissue engineering.

See Full Bio @ DanielShiwarski

Brian Coffin, PhD

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWBrian Coffin, PhD

Biography

Coming Soon

Naomi Abbasi, PhD

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWNaomi Abbasi, PhD

Biography

Dr. Naomi Abbasi is a postdoctoral associate at the University of Pittsburgh. She holds a Ph.D. in Medical Science from Griffith University and has extensive expertise in 3D-printed biomaterial scaffolds, stem cells, and both in vitro and in vivo cellular studies. Her research focuses on developing innovative scaffold compositions for mechanotransduction studies, particularly in the context of pulmonary hypertension. Currently, her work centers on optimizing endothelial and smooth muscle cell co-culture conditions on Collagen and GelMA scaffolds to study gene expression changes under dynamic and static conditions. Dr. Abbasi has successfully led projects on stem cell-derived therapies and tissue regeneration, contributing to academic publications and international conferences, and has a proven track record of successful project management.

Current Students

Antonio Pereira Tavares, MS

GRADUATE STUDENTAntonio Pereira Tavares, MS

Biography

Coming Soon

Isabel Joyce, MS

GRADUATE STUDENTIsabel Joyce, MS

Biography

Isabel received her bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering, then her master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). After CMU, Isabel worked for two years at a small pharmaceutical company on multiomic analysis for neurological and rare pediatric diseases. She is now working toward her PhD in bioengineering, focusing on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine in cardiovascular disease. In her free time, Isabel loves to row and go on walks with her dog.

Liam Aranda-Michel

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTLiam Aranda-Michel

Biography

Coming Soon

Summer Students

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTOwen Kaufman

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTKarthik Palled

Prior Students

Joshua W. Tashman

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWJoshua W. Tashman

Alina Dziamko-Chuhaj

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTAlina Dziamko-Chuhaj