Khalil Ramadi, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Prof. Ramadi is an Assistant Professor of Bioengineering and Radiology, and Director of the Laboratory for Advanced Neuroengineering and Translational Medicine. His research focuses on developing non-invasive technologies for neuromodulation, towards more effective therapies for neurological, endocrine, and immune disorders. Prior to joining NYU, he was a NIH F32 Ruth Kirschstein Postdoctoral fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He is a former director of MIT Hacking Medicine, a group dedicated to enhancing healthcare entrepreneurship, and currently volunteers as the Regional Director for the MENA region. He has been named a TED junior fellow, MIT Sandbox Innovation Fellow, and a Koch Convergence Scholar. He holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering and Medical Physics from the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology division.
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LAB MEMBERS
Hanan Mohamed, Ph.D.
Post-Doctoral Associate
Hanan has a multidisciplinary background that overlaps material science, biomedical & electrical engineering. She has extensive experience in clean room based nanofabrication techniques, material characterization & imaging. Hanan pursued her PhD in Electrical Engineering from the Sensing, Magnetism & Microsystems (SMM) Group at King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KSA). Her research focussed on 3D data storage technology using magnetic nanowires. Hanan was selected to present her PhD research in Berlin for the Falling Walls Lab in 2018. Hanan is passionate about innovation & technology transfer and is a mentor at the MIT COVID 19 Challenge Hackathons.
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Contact: hanan.mohammed (at) nyu (dot) edu
Maryana Daood, Ph.D.
Post- Doctoral Associate
Maryana Daood is a postdoctoral associate at NYU, based in NYC, working at the intersection of neuroscience, bioelectronic medicine, and human-centered technology. She holds a dual bachelor’s in psychology and law, and completed her master’s and PhD in brain science and psychopathology at the University of Haifa. Her current work focuses on developing and testing minimally invasive tools to study and modulate gut–brain communication, including ingestible microbiome-sampling devices and platforms for gastric electrical stimulation. Broadly, she aims to translate neural circuit science into ethical and scalable interventions for mental health and brain-body disorders.
Before joining NYU, Maryana led Brainstorm Haifa, a neurotechnology initiative, and advised early-stage startups on neuroscience-driven innovation. She is fluent in Arabic, English, and Hebrew. Outside the lab, she enjoys climbing, surfing, and exploring the outdoors.
Contact: mdawud01 (at) gmail (dot) com
Heba Tageldeen Naser
Research Assistant - Lab Manager
Heba is the lab manager at LANTRN NYUAD​.
Yusheng (Jason) Zhang
Ph.D. Student
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Hometown: Shenzhen, China
Background: BS in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University in Boston, MA MS in Mechanical Engineering (concentration in thermofluids) from Northeastern University in Boston, MA Mainly
Working On: Design, steering, and long-term residency of ingestible electronic devices in the GI tract. Aiming to improve the technology from its current state, reach more consistency, and enable it to be more widely used
Hobbies and Interests outside of School: Running, rock-climbing, hiking, photography, travelling.
Alec Nossa
Alec has a Bachelor's in neuroscience from Hamilton College and a Master’s in biomedical informatics from NYU Vilcek. He has experience in in vivo models for behavior, genetics, and physiology, and has worked extensively with Drosophila and rodents. He is interested in applying computational and mathematical methods to complex biological questions and loves collaborating. In his free time, he enjoys reading and playing music.​
Research Assistant
Batool Abedrabbo
Batool is a Bioengineering graduate from NYU Abu Dhabi. She started at LANTRN as part of the Carbon Quantum Dot project, and is now also part of the Drug Delivery project working on ingestible devices and drug formulations to improve bioavailability. She is interested in the translational component of the lab’s research, and hopes to pursue medical school after graduating. She believes health and environment sustainability are connected, and has been convincing her family to collect plastic (…though not for CQDs). She is the BioMedical Engineering Society officer at the chapter at NYUAD, and outside of lab, she loves spending time with family.
Research Assistant
Kevin Brian
Undergraduate Student
Undergraduate student at New York University Abu Dhabi, majoring in bioengineering.
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My academic journey is sparked by a curiosity for science and medicine, and I'm particularly interested in the intersection of the two with engineering. I am planning to pursue an MD program after my undergraduate studies.
I am currently working on the upcycling of plastic waste and the synthesis and application of carbon quantum dots.
I spend my free time studying anatomical atlases, poetry and novels, and microscopy in my micro-lab.
Hayk Sahakyan
Undergraduate Student
Hayk is an undergraduate Mechanical Engineering student at NYU Abu Dhabi who joined LANTRN in his freshman year. His research focuses on analyzing fluid flow through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, with applications in neuroengineering. Currently, he is studying flow behavior during drug delivery through catheters. Outside the lab, he is a passionate tennis player and a Formula 1 enthusiast.
Mohamed Elsherif, Ph.D.
Post-Doctoral Associate
Mohamed Elsherif holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in physics. He completed his Ph.D. degree in optical biosensor at the University of Birmingham, UK, in 2019. Prior to joining the University of New York, Elsherif was assigned as a postdoctoral fellow at Khalifa University. Elsherif's research interest revolves around optogenetics, wearable, and implantable devices for biomedical applications.
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Contact: mie8006 (at) nyu (dot) edu
Sadaf Usmani, Ph.D.
Post-Doctoral Associate
Mahmoud Elbeh
Ph.D. Student
Mahmoud joined NYU Abu Dhabi after studying pharmacy in Egypt for two years. If he's not studying under the palm trees or in the library cafe, you can probably find him running in Saadiyat streets or the outdoor track. His general focuses are on the interdisciplinary studies of natural sciences and their applicability to the human body and how to tackle different diseases using non-invasive techniques. He is the co-president of the pre-health advisory board, the co-founder of a small start-up that aims to prepare students from public schools in Egypt to apply for schools abroad, and NYU Abu Dhabi's admissions ambassador, and recently, Sufara'a cultural ambassador. After graduation, he plans to attend medical or graduate school.
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Contact: mme7543 (at) nyu (dot) edu
Bassant Mohamed
Ph.D. Student
Bassant is an Egyptian Mechanical Engineering PhD student at NYU Tandon with an MS in Mechatronics and Robotics and a BS in Nanotechnology and Nano-Electronics Engineering from Zewail City. Her research interests lie at the intersection of mechanical, electrical, and MEMS disciplines to address critical challenges in healthcare.
Outside school, she enjoys hiking, traveling, yoga and swimming
Contact: bme7913 (at) nyu (dot) edu
Parima (Prim) Phowarasoontorn
Research Assistant
Prim is a recent graduate from New York University Abu Dhabi with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Her interest lies in the innovation in the field of medical technology. With a research focus encompassing 3D-printing, Precision Medicine, and medical devices, Prim's senior capstone project involves the design of a 3D-printed compression ring with electrical stimulation capability to enhance wound healing in colorectal anastomosis surgery.
Spandan Rout
Spandan is an M.S. Computer Engineering student at NYU Tandon and a researcher at
LANTRN (New York), working at the intersection of machine learning, translational medicine,
and neuroengineering. He focuses on core AI methodology and its applications in
bioengineering, with interests spanning protein structure-prediction, protein language models,
genomic foundation models, lipid–nanoparticle modeling, and computer vision. He also works
on improving AI models for drug discovery, with recent efforts aimed at boosting accuracy at
allosteric binding sites. Outside the lab, Spandan also joins hackathons and open challenges,
prototyping enhancements to protein structure-prediction systems, and biomolecular design
pipelines.
Research Assistant
Zhansaya (Saya) Makhambetova
Undergraduate Student
Saya is an undergraduate Bioengineering student from Kazakhstan. Since joining LANTRN in fall '23, she has been conducting research on magnetoelectric nanoparticles for neural stimulation. In the lab, she is actively working on refining nanoparticle synthesis and purification techniques and optimizing the use of ferrofluids. Additionally, she focuses on electrodeposition techniques for developing low-impedance electrodes for electrocapsule fabrication used in localized stimulation. Outside the lab, she enjoys arts and crafts such as crocheting and embroidery.
Loubna Kahramane
Undergraduate Student
Loubna is an EE student from Morocco who joined LANTRN in her sophomore fall. She works on the development of wireless capsule systems. Her interests lie at the intersection of biomedical engineering and circuit design, with a focus on creating compact, reliable electronic architectures for bio-integrated devices. In the lab, she is involved in iterating capsule prototypes, refining hardware configurations, and contributing to device testing workflows. She is particularly motivated by the challenge of building minimally invasive systems that enable precise interaction with the nervous system.
Abdel-Hameed Dabbour, Ph.D.
Post-Doctoral Associate
Abdel is a research professional with 10 years of experience in the field of medical devices, 5 of which with implantable devices. Abdel has worked on various devices, such as implantable brain sensors, devices used in ICUs and aortic stents. Abdel has a verifiable history of contributing directly to growth and expansion of several medical device companies in both industry and academia.
Contact: ayd2159 (at) nyu (dot) edu
Rumail Memon
Research Assisstant - Lab Manager
Rumail Memon is a Research Associate at the Lab for Advanced Neuroengineering and Translational Medicine (LANTRN) at NYU. He earned his BS from NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) and his MS in Electrical Engineering from NYU Tandon. Rumail enjoys working at the interface of electrical engineering and biology/medicine, with expertise in electrical prototyping, 3D modeling, and 3D printing. His current work involves developing electrical stimulation circuits for use in rodents.
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As an integral member establishing the lab’s presence in New York, Rumail frequently facilitates collaboration between the Abu Dhabi and New York locations. He also plays a key role in coordinating activities and supporting the LANTRN team across both labs.
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Contact: rm4631(at) nyu (dot) edu
Shreya Roy Mahapatra
Ph.D. Student
Shreya is a Biomedical Engineering PhD student from India. She has a background in biotechnology and molecular diagnostics. She is interested in biomedical devices and targeting therapies specifically for women’s reproductive health. She has previously worked in Pharmaceuticals and enjoys the business side of the biotech industry from time to time. Outside the lab she spends her time reading, doing pottery, and making woodworking projects.
Fatma Alrebh
Ph.D. Student
Fatma is a first-year PhD student in Biomedical Engineering and a long-term member of the NYU community, having earned her BS in Bioengineering from NYU Abu Dhabi. During her undergraduate studies, she focused on developing a broad skill set, including cell culture, genetic engineering, and nanosynthesis. Her interests lie in living biotherapeutics, interdisciplinary research, and the translational products that arise at their intersection. Currently, she is developing a bionative platform for gastric electrical stimulation and hopes to explore ways of enhancing research through computational means. Outside the lab, she enjoys quiet walks in nature, visiting museums, and baking, which she thinks bears a striking resemblance to scientific research.
Robert Feldman
Research Assistant
Robert is a Research Associate at LANTRN NY. He holds a background in cell
biology, industrial and visual design, and medical device development. Robert’s research interests center on the role of bioelectricity in cellular function and disease states, and how this can be leveraged towards novel therapies. He is particularly interested in developing devices or engineered whole-cell therapeutics that treat disease by modulating bioelectric behavior. He is experienced with cell culture, electrophysiological imaging, computer aided design, and manufacturing techniques including 3D printing and CNC technologies. Robert received his BS in Biological Sciences with an emphasis in cell biology and genetics from the University of California Davis. Outside of the lab, Robert is a passionate and competitive soccer player and coach. He also loves tending to his vegetable garden and cooking.
Batoul Khlaifat
Undergraduate student at New York University Abu Dhabi, majoring in bioengineering.
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My academic journey is sparked by a curiosity for science and medicine, and I'm particularly interested in the intersection of the two with engineering. I am planning to pursue an MD program after my undergraduate studies.
I am currently working on the upcycling of plastic waste and the synthesis and application of carbon quantum dots.
I spend my free time studying anatomical atlases, poetry and novels, and microscopy in my micro-lab.
Research Assistant
Shreya Manjrekar
Undergraduate Student
Shreya is an undergraduate student from Princeton, New Jersey majoring in Biomolecular Science. She is currently on the BS/MS track and will also graduate with an MS in Biomedical Engineering. During her semester abroad at Abu Dhabi she worked on a brain catheter project involving fluid mechanics and advanced 3D printing. She is particularly interested in diagnostic and progression tracking biomedical devices and is the Team Lead of the 3D Printed Biodevices VIP Team and NYU. In her free time, she likes to explore new places and spend time with her family and friends.
Davit Tamazyan
Undergraduate Student
Davit is a first-year undergraduate student planning to major in Mechanical Engineering. He joined the Ramadi Lab at the beginning of the semester, where he is exploring the exciting intersection between engineering and its medical applications, with a focus on medical device design and innovation. Beyond his interest in biomedical applications, Davit is also passionate about aerospace engineering and is considering pursuing it as a future career path. Outside of academics, Davit is a sports enthusiast with over a decade of experience across a variety of sports.
Hager Hasan
Undergraduate Student
Hager Hasan is a junior Bioengineering student at NYU Abu Dhabi, fascinated by the meeting point of science, empathy, and design. She loves working on projects that turn abstract ideas into something tangible and meaningful. In the lab, her work focuses on the design and modification of nanoparticles with controlled size, morphology, and surface functionality to optimize their performance in biomedical applications such as targeted drug delivery.
Outside the lab, she is the president of the Bioengineering Society SIG, where she organizes events and seminars that explore the latest trends and innovations in bioengineering.
When she is not studying, she’s probably planning an event, sketching ideas on sticky notes, or drinking more coffee than she should.
ALUMNI
Leticia Pereira
Lab Manager
Leticia has a background working in basic research as well as pre/clinical trials with stem cells in the areas of neurology and immuno-oncology. Her project is focused on novel cell therapies to improve the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
Sion Hau
Sion is a recent graduate from New York University Abu Dhabi where she majored in Biology with a concentration in Brain and Cognitive Science. From her time in NYUAD's iGEM team to sending immune cells to the International Space Station, she has developed a strong interest in the field of bioengineering and hopes to pursue a career in applications-driven biology research. In her free time, Sion enjoys everything from board games to stand up paddle boarding to desert camping or just the latest Netflix show. She has the cutest dog back home in Australia called Spinach.
Research Assistant & PPTP Fellow
Ahmed El Ashwah
Undergraduate Student
Ahmed is a Mechanical Engineering student from Egypt. His interests include desalination, 3D design, pumps, microfluidics, aerospace, and nuclear power, and his hobbies are swimming, cycling, astronomy, fantasy novels, and ocasionally gaming. ​
Contact: aea493 (at) nyu (dot) edu
Jiya Chaudhary
Undergraduate Student
Jiya is an undergraduate student majoring in General Engineering with a specialisation in Tissue Engineering. She has been in the lab since her very first semester on campus and learns and works on histology. Most of the time, she can be found near the cryostat, sectioning tissues, staining the sections and hanging around the microscope. She is also a part of the Gastric Electrical Stimulation Project. Jiya intends to explore the field of regenerative medicine and improve access and affordability of healthcare technologies in her home country, Nepal. Her heart beats for sustainability, and she has an unconventional mission: capturing records and images of those who are found being harmful to the environment.
Seung-Jean Kang
Undergradute Student
Seung-Jean is an undergraduate bioengineering student from South Korea. She is interested in women's health issues, point-of-care diagnostics in low resource settings, public health in terms of infectious diseases, and Parkinson's disease. Her current plan after completing undergraduate studies is to pursue MD-PhD or PhD in bioengineering. In her free time, she loves to swim, wander around the city, or watch Netflix shows.
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Contact: sk8513 (at) nyu (dot) edu
Mohammed Osama
Abdelhameed, Ph.D.
Mohammed has extensive experience in organic and inorganic syntheses, material science, and photophysics. His current research focuses on the synthesis of nanomaterials and nanotechnologies while controlling their physical, chemical, and optical properties. Mohammed has previously developed several nanomaterials for biomedical applications, such as cellular and subcellular imaging.
Post-Doctoral Associate
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Nausheen Nakhawa
Research Assisstant
Nausheen is a recent graduate in electrical and electronics engineering with a strong passion for biomedical engineering. She is dedicated to exploring the intersection of electrical and biomedical engineering, particularly focusing on the application of electrical engineering in the medical field. Her primary interests lie in medical instrumentation and the development of innovative medical devices and machines.
Throughout her undergraduate studies, Nausheen actively participated in various clubs and associations, taking on leadership roles in organizations such as the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Aliha Nisha
Undergraduate Student
Aliha is a bioengineering student from Fiji who is interested in the application of biomaterials, electronics, microbiology and genetic engineering to the medical field. In her free time, she enjoys creative writing or unwinding in a quiet spot with a novel.
Contact: aan440 (at) nyu (dot) edu
Julie is a Korean-Australian undergrad student majoring in chemistry. She is interested in sustainability as well as the applications of chemistry to help global issues. Aside from playing basketball and volleyball, Julie enjoys coaching basketball, watching movies and eating at new restaurants.
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Contact: jem9607 (at) nyu (dot) edu
Julie Matula
Undergraduate Student
Sishir Surjit
Undergraduate Student
Sishir is an undergraduate student from India majoring in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering with an interest in pharmaceuticals and novel biomedical devices. During his semester and summer abroad at Abu Dhabi he worked extensively with the procedures of cryosectioning, tissue staining and is involved in the Gastric Electrical Stimulation Project. His focus is on the development of novel drugs and devices in order to improve current day healthcare significantly through non-invasive procedures. He is the Deputy Head of Purchasing for the General Engineering Department of Tandon and is part of the fluid dynamics team of the Microphysiological Systems VIP. During his free time, Sishir enjoys badminton, swimming and the occasional Pool.
Devjoy Dev
Ph.D. Student
Devjoy is a Biomedical Engineering PhD Candidate from the UK at the LANTRN Lab. He has a background that expands across medical device design, biomedical imaging, and space medicine. He is very interested in investigating how the regulation of sleep circuitry in the brain is connected to the GI tract through electrical stimulation techniques. He is also exploring the impactful effects of microgravity on sleep at the cellular level.
Outside of the lab he dedicates time towards the global NGO, Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) as the Vice-Lead of the Space Medicine and Life Science (SMLS) division. He is a keen rower, reader, and hackathon partaker, having previously won the MIT Grand Hack and Harvard iGEM BioHackathon. He studied his master’s degree at Imperial College London, UK.
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Contact: dd3200 (at) nyu (dot) edu
Aayush is a mechanical engineering student from Nepal with interests in unmanned aerial vehicles, controls, fluid dynamics and 3D designing. In his free time, Aayush enjoys cycling, trekking, and sketching
Contact: ak7717 (at) nyu (dot) edu
Aayush Karna
Undergraduate Student
Jesper Holter
Undergraduate Student
Jesper is a bioengineering student from Estonia. He began his studies as a mechanical engineering major, but gradually his interests shifted to include biology and medicine. Currently, his focus is on developing novel, minimally invasive, medical devices which take advantage of the gut-brain axis.
Contact: jh6285 (at) nyu (dot) edu
Mouath Abd-Daoud
Undergraduate Student
Mouath is a Jordanian bioengineering student at NYU Abu Dhabi. He is interested in the diverse disciplines of bioengineering and its wide-ranging impact on medicine, with a particular passion for applications aimed toward enhancing access to healthcare for underprivileged communities. Outside of the lab, Mouath is a co-founder of Nashid Development Organization, which aims to empower refugees in Jordan by equipping them with invaluable technological skills, which helps create an empowered society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. After graduation, Mouath aims to pursue an MD program.
Valeria Zhou
Undergraduate Student
Valeria is an undergraduate student from China majoring in neural science along with a minor in electrical engineering. She's interested in applications of neural science, electrical engineering, and bioengineering to the medical fields with a concentration in brain-computer interface. She was awarded Amgen Scholar in 2021 by Tsinghua University. And she plans to pursue a master's/PhD degree in biomedical engineering after graduation. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the city and hip hop music.
Contact: zz3294 (at) nyu (dot) edu
COLLABORATORS
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Colorado University
NYU Langone Medical Center
UAE University
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi