Members

Principle Investigator

Minkyu Kim

Associate Professor

The University of Arizona

1235 E. James E. Rogers Way, Mines 143 

Tucson, AZ 85721

minkyukim@arizona.edu

ORCID   Google Scholar   LinkedIn 

Minkyu Kim, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the University of Arizona in Materials Science and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and the BIO5 Institute. He earned his Ph.D. (2011) in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science from Duke University and was a postdoctoral researcher at MIT from 2012 to 2016. Dr. Kim has diverse research experiences in the areas of biopolymer nanomechanics, polymer physics and self-assembly, biomolecular engineering, and soft materials. His research interests include the design, synthesis, and multiscale characterization of biopolymer-based functional materials for human health, defense, and environmental applications. Dr. Kim received a 2022 NSF CAREER award, and his research projects are currently supported by AZ state funding, CDMRP, NSF, NIEHS, and USDA.

Postdoctoral Researchers

Suyoung Lee, Ph.D. (Fall 2022 - Present)

Material Science and Engineering
Ph.D. & M.S. Integrative Biosciences and Biotechnology, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Korea 

B.S. Life Science and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Korea lsuyoungl@arizona.edu 

ORCID   LinkedIn 

Research Project: Interactions of Cell/Tissue and Keratin-Based Biomaterials and Biomimetic Ultra-Black Materials 

Young Hyun Noh (Fall 2022 - Present) 

Material Science and Engineering

Ph.D. Nanoscience and Technology, Sungkyunkwan University, Korea 

B.S. Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Korea

younghyunnoh@arizona.edu

Research Project: Chain topology and Mechanical Properties of Synthetic Protein Copolymers 

Graduate Students

Damask Grinnell (Fall 2022 - Present) 

Materials Science and Engineering

B.S. Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison

dgrinell@arizona.edu

Hometown: Rochester, MN   

Research Project: Bioinspired Green Glycolipids for Dust Control Applications 

Undergraduate Students

Conner Tankersley (Summer 2024- Present) 

Materials Science and Engineering

crtank3 at arizona.edu

Hometown: Phoenix, AZ

Focus: Chain topology and Mechanical Properties of Synthetic Protein Copolymers 

Luke Mandal (Summer 2024- Present) 

Materials Science and Engineering

lmandal at arizona.edu

Hometown: Tucson, AZ

Focus: Bioinspired Green Glycolipids for Dust Control Applications  

High School Interns

Maximo Jimenez (Summer 2024) 


Pueblo Magnet High School

Focus: Synthesis of Recombinant Keratin for Implant Coating

Former Graduate Students

Samuel Kim (Fall 2019 - Fall 2023)  
Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering
Dissertation: Artificially Engineered Protein Polymers for Functional Regenerative Tissue Scaffolds 

Current: 


Fathima Doole (Fall 2017 - Fall 2023)  
Ph.D., Chemistry and Biochemistry
Dissertation: Antimicrobial Peptide-Functionalized Biomaterials: From Synthesis to Membrane Biophysics 

Current: Postdoctoral Researcher, FDA 


Chris Camp (Fall 2016 - Spring 2023)  
Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering
Dissertation: Design and Characterization of All-In-One Artificial Protein Platform Toward Novel Antimicrobial Materials

Current: Researcher, Ventana - Roche

Josh Somervile-Shull (Summer 2021 - Spring 2022)  
M.S., Biomedical Engineering
Project: Protein Self-Assembly

Zhu Zhao (Spring 2021 - Spring 2022)  
M.S., Biomedical Engineering
Project: Environmentally Friendly Cellulose Sponge for Plant Growth
Current: Ph.D. Student, University of Arizona

Taehee Lee (Fall 2017 - Spring 2021)  
Ph.D., Materials Science and Engineering
Dissertation: Environmentally Friendly Polymer Materials to Mitigate Particulate Matter Pollutions
Current: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of South Carolina

David Knoff (Fall 2016 - Spring 2021)  
Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering
Dissertation: Artificial Protein Design to Mimic Protein Nano-mechanics at the Macroscale for Cardiovascular Biomaterial Applications
Current: Life Sciences Specialist, L.E.K. Consulting Management Consulting Firms - Strategy Consulting

Haley Szczublewski (Fall 2017 - Spring 2019)
M.S., Biomedical Engineering
Project: Design of Protein-Based Block Copolymer to Reduce Topological Defects in Polymer Networks
Current: Biomedical Engineer, Department of Veterans Affairs, Colorado 

Former Research Staff

Bumjoon Kim (Fall 2019 - Fall 2022)  

Research Scientist, Biomedical Engineering

Research Project: Interactions of Cell/Tissue and Keratin-Based Biomaterials 

Current: Research Scientist, UCSF

Former Undergraduate Students

Nicholas Matthews (Summer 2023 - Spring 2024)

Harrison Pershing (Summer 2023 - Fall 2023)

Marcus Cathey (Fall 2021 - Spring 2023)

Esther Hayeon Yang (Summer 2023), Biomedical Health Sciences, Purdue University

Wakil Ur Rahman (Spring 2023 - Summer 2023), Electrical Engineering Intern, Marcus Engineering

Cynthia Ge (Summer 2021 - Spring 2023), Graduate student, Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota

Danielle Connacher (Spring 2023)

Benjamin Pershing (Summer 2022 - Spring 2023), Engineer, Raytheon Technologies

Brandon Bounds (Summer 2022 - Spring 2023) 

Nic Quatraro (Summer 2021 - Summer 2022), Law School, Duke University

Olivia Rechsteiner (Summer 2022), Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan

Carlos Yaroslav Urrea-De La Puerta, B.S., (Summer 2020 - Spring 2022)
Biomedical Engineering Graduate Student at Cornell University

Paige Rudy (Fall 2021 - Spring 2022)

Divyansh Harendra Rathod (Fall 2021 - Spring 2022)

Emma Mason (Fall 2021 - Spring 2022)

Ameya Kulkarni (Summer 2021) Biomedical Engineering, Arizona State University

Nathan Yenerich (Fall 2019 - Fall 2021)

Jocelyne Rivera, B.S., Summer 2019 - Spring 2021, Graduate Student, NIH-Oxford PhD program

Anthony Contreras, B.S., Fall 2020 - Spring 2021, Engineer, US Tech Solutions, Intel Facility

Kareen Fajardo, B.S., Fall 2018 - Spring 2020, Graduate Student at Tufts University

Connor Maxwell, B.S., Spring 2018 - Spring 2020, Research Associate, Ventana Medical Systems

Dallas Altamirano, B.S., Spring 2018 - Spring 2019, Graduate Student, Johns Hopkins University

Audrey Cohen, Spring 2018 - Spring 2019, Graduate Student, University of Arizona

Sean Moore, B.S., Spring 2018 - Spring 2019, College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of Kansas City

Miguel Peña, B.S., Fall 2017 - Summer 2018, Graduate Student, University of Arizona

Vy Nguyen, B.S., Fall 2016 - Spring 2018, Associate Systems Engineer, Roche Tissue Diagnostic


High School Research Interns

Matthew S. Kim, Fall 2020 - Spring 2023, Undergraduate Student, Engineering School, Cornell University

AlexanderJauregui Galarza, Summer 2022

Jeremy Wang, Summer 2019, Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Student, Johns Hopkins University

Colette P. Mayo, Summer 2019, Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Student, University of Arizona

Eilise McLaughlin, Summer 2018, Biomedical Engineering California Polytechnic State University

Yunive Avendaño, Summer 2017, Engineering School Undergraduate Student at Dartmouth