Category Archives: Group Members

Ozgur is a Professor of Biological Sciences and of Physics at Columbia University. His research group is investigating energy conversion in biological nanostructures, developing nanomechanical approaches to determine structures of biomolecular complexes, and studying cell mechanics. Ozgur is best recognized for inventing a nanoscale microscope that can visualize mechanical properties of molecules, cells, and materials, which earned him the Grand Prize at the Collegiate Inventors Competition. Ozgur received a Junior Fellowship from the Rowland Institute at Harvard, and he currently holds a Packard Fellowship from the David & Lucile Packard Foundation. His research program is also recognized with a U.S. Department of Energy Early Career Award and a New Innovator Award from the National Institutes of Health.

Curriculum Vitae

Christina is a PhD student in the Physics Department. She is interested in studying the applications of physics in biological systems. Her current research interests involve probing nanomechanical properties of hygroscopic materials, using Atomic Force Microscopy. When not in the lab, Christina can be found eating Chinese food.

Email: cam2415[at]columbia.edu

Dayo is a junior in Columbia College studying Biophysics. He is interested in cell mechanics, as well as the intersection of electronics and biology. When not in lab, he can be found playing basketball or making electronic music.

Saima is a postdoctoral researcher scientist at Sahin Lab. She received her Ph.D. from University of California, Merced. Her background is in Mechanical Engineering. Saima’s research interests include high resolution surface imaging, nanomechanics and nanotribology. Her current research focuses on studying bacterial spores using nanomechanical approaches.

Brunvens is a staff associate in the Sahin Lab. His interests in the lab include mammalian and bacterial cell growth promotion. When not in the lab Brunvens can be found playing piano, saxophone or working on EDM and JDM classic cars.

Leonardo was awarded a Ph.D. in Experimental Biophysics and Nanotechnology by King’s College London (UK). He is interested in the application of advanced scanning probe microscopy techniques beyond topographic imaging to tackle fundamental problems in biophysics. At Columbia, his research is focused on the dynamic mechanical response of hygroscopic biological matter. When not in the lab he enjoys literature and analogue photography.

Michael is currently pursuing a PhD in the Department of Biological Sciences. He is interested in the optimization & characterization of the biological mechanism underlying bacterial spore-based energy. When he is not in lab he can be found composing song or climbing rock.

E-mail: md3235[at]columbia.edu

Steve is a Ph.D. student in Physics. He is interested in the intersection of physics and biology. His current research involves the physics of biological adhesion.

E-mail: sh3379[at]columbia.edu

Eran is a Research Scientist leading efforts in developing novel biomaterials to address important challenges in energy and healthcare. With a background in Neuroscience and Biotechnology, Eran is serving as the Entrepreneurial Lead in the technology commercialization efforts in drug delivery, funded by Columbia’s Biomedical Technology Accelerator Program, BiomedX.

E-Mail: es3349[at]columbia.edu

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Juan Quijano is a PhD student in the Biological Sciences Department at Columbia University. He currently develops methods for the generation of improved biomaterials building blocks using Biophysical and Synthetic Biology tools.

E-mail: quijano.j[at]columbia.edu

Ahmet-Hamdi Cavusoglu is a Chemical Engineering PhD candidate (Boeing Fellow 2010-2011) with his research focusing on the intersection of biology, energy, and the environment. Specifically, Hamdi focuses on theoretical and experimental approaches to modeling and manufacturing hygroscopic actuators for energy and robotic applications.

E-mail: ac3236[at]columbia.edu

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Youngkyu is a postdoctoral research scientist. He received his Ph.D. in School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering from POSTECH, Korea. His current research focuses on the applications of torsional harmonic cantilevers to observe fast dynamics in biological systems.

Suleyman is a postdoctoral research scientist in Sahin Lab at Columbia University. He received his B.S from Bogazici University in Turkey and his Ph.D. from Emory University. His research interests lie in the area of single molecule biophysics and he now focus on the nanoimaging of nucleic acids-enzyme complexes.

Onur is a postdoctoral research scientist in the Sahin Laboratory at Columbia University. He received his B.S and M.S from Istanbul Technical University and his Ph.D. from Koc University, Turkey in Mechanical Engineering. His current research focuses on developing bacterial spores based evaporation driven engines.

E-mail: oc2226[at]columbia.edu

Zhenghan graduated from University of Science and Technology of China and is pursuing his Ph.D. degree in Physics now. He is interested in biological physics.

E-mail: zg2191[at]columbia.edu

Ju is a Ph.D. candidate in the Biological Sciences program. Her research focuses on the mechanical properties of cells.

She is also an amateur rubber stamp carver.

E-mail: jy2487[at]columbia.edu

website: http://www.juyang.co/

Nicola is a PhD student in the Biological Sciences Department at Columbia University. He graduated from Scuola Normale Superiore. He is an avid explorer of animal cell shape and mechanics, and the physiological mechanisms regulating them.

E-mail: nm2508[at]columbia.edu

Isabella E. Johansson is a senior at Columbia studying Physics. In 2013 Isabella conducted research in Cosmology with the Deepspace group, at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). In 2015 she started working with Aprile’s XENON dark matter group at Nevis laboratories (Columbia).

Today Isabella does experimental work in the Sahin Lab involving making (new) stand-alone spore materials, with aim toward scaling up both size and efficiencies of evaporation driven engines.

E-mail: iej2106[at]columbia.edu

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