Gaharwar lab over the years!
Dr. Akhilesh Gaharwar
Tim and Amy Leach Endowed Professor | Department of Biomedical Engineering
Chancellor EDGES Fellow | Presidential Impact Fellow | Texas A&M University
Faculty Member | Genetics and Genomics
Affiliated Faculty | Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Faculty Member | Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology (IFT)
Faculty Member | Center for Remote Health Technologies and Systems
Education and Training
B.E, Metallurgical Engineering, VNIT Nagpur
M.Tech, Materials Science, IIT Bombay
Ph.D, Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University
Postdoc, MIT and Harvard University
Dr. Akhilesh K. Gaharwar is the Tim and Amy Leach Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chancellor EDGES Fellow and Presidential Impact Fellow at Texas A&M University. He received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Purdue University and completed his postdoctoral training from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University. The goal of his lab is to design new biomaterials for regenerative medicine and biomanufacturing. In particular, his lab is leveraging principles from materials science, cell biology, additive biomanufacturing, and high throughput genomics to design smart and responsive biomaterials, with wide-ranging applications in the field of bioengineering. His research program is supported by NIH, NSF, and DoD. His research accomplishments are recognized by numerous national and international awards, including the NIH New Innovator Award (DP2), Texas A&M University President Impact Fellow, Dean of Engineering Excellence Award, TEES Research Impact Award, Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering (CMBE) Rising Star Award, CMBE Young Innovator Award, and Dimitris Chorafas Foundation Award. Dr. Gaharwar is Fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), and senior member of National Academy of Inventors (NAI). He is an Associate Editor of ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.
Current Lab members
Dr. Shounak Roy
Postdoctoral Associate
Dr. Weijian Hua
Postdoctoral Associate
Dr. Kavita Kadu
Postdoctoral Associate - Fulbright Nehru Fellow
Dr. Nivedhitha Malli
Senior Scientist
Dr. Ryan Davis
Postdoctoral Associate
Dr. Sridevi Conjeevaram
Postdoctoral Associate
Dr. Sumana Mallick
Postdoctoral Associate
Dr. Vijayanagaram Venkatraj
Senior Scientist
John Soukar
Graduate Student (Genetics)
Sarah Hargett
Graduate Student (BMEN) - AHA Fellow
Saptarshi Biswas
Graduate Student (BMEN)
Samantha Foster
Graduate Student (Genetics)
Syed Raza
Graduate Student (BMEN) - HEC Fellow
Yuang Zhang
Graduate Student (MSEN)
Valeria Duran Salas
Graduate Student (Genetics) - Avilés-Johnson Fellow
Autumn McManis
Graduate Student (Genetics) - NIH T32 Fellow
Dr. Kinsuk Das
Visiting Scientist - ICMR Fellow
Shaun Harrison
MS Student (BMEN)
This can be you!
This can be you!
Past members (Ph.D students)
Dr. Sridevi Conjeevaram (2021-2025), Thesis: Understanding interaction between nanoparticles and plasma proteins to study protein corona.
Dr. Ryan Davis (2020-2025), Thesis: Injectable Granular hydrogels for cell delivery and drug delivery.
Dr. Aparna Murali (2018-2024) Thesis: Engineered Biomaterials as an Activator of Endochondral Ossification.
Dr. Giriraj Lokhande (2017-2024) Thesis: Engineered Biomaterials for Wound Healing Applications.
Dr. Anna Kersey (2018-2023) Thesis: Investigating role of mineral ions on transcriptomic profile of stem cells.
Dr. Kanwar Abhay Singh (2017-2023) Thesis: Modulating Mitochondrial Function Using Energetic Nanoparticles.
Dr. Kaivalya Deo (2017-2022) Thesis: Malleable and Biofunctional Materials for 3D Bio-printing.
Dr. Hung-Pang Lee (2017-2022), Thesis: Dynamic covalent hydrogels for biomedical applications.
Dr. Anna Brokesh (2017-2022) Thesis: Inorganic Biomaterials Shape the Transcriptome Profile to Induce Endochondral Differentiation.
Dr. Shreedevi Arun Kumar (2016-2021). Thesis: Engineering Drug Delivery Platforms for Vaccine and Anti- cancer Applications.
Dr. Karli Gold (2016-2020) Thesis: 3D Printed Blood Vessels for Translational Medicine.
Dr. David Chimene (2014-2019), Thesis: Nanoengineered Ink for 3D Bioprinting Complex Structured.
Dr. Lauren Cross (Aug 2014-Dec 2018), Thesis: Nanosilicates-based Biomaterials for Bone Regeneration.
Dr. Michael Whitely (co-chair with Dr. Elizabeth Cosgriff-Hernandez, 2014-2018), Thesis: Development of PolyHIPE Grafts for Guided Bone Regeneration.
Dr. Alysha Kishan (co-chair with Dr. Elizabeth Cosgriff-Hernandez, 2013-2017), Thesis: Development of Tunable Electrospun Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Applications.
Dr. James K. Carrow (Sept 2013-Aug 2018), Thesis: Nanosilicates-based Biomaterials for Cartilage Regeneration.
Dr. Charles W. Peak (Aug 2014-May 2018), Thesis: Nanoengineered Biomaterials for Cell and Therapeutic Delivery.
Interested in
joining our
Lab?
We are always looking for passionate and innovative minds eager to contribute to groundbreaking research in bioengineering. Our lab provides an engaging, supportive, and collaborative environment where students and researchers can explore interdisciplinary challenges, grow professionally, and impact healthcare technologies. If you are enthusiastic about bioengineering, nanotechnology, drug delivery, cancer bioengineering, or regenerative medicine, we encourage you to contact us. You can directly reach out to Dr. Gaharwar with your curriculum vitae or resume and mention specific research interests.