Members
Principle Investigator
Minkyu Kim
Associate Professor
The University of Arizona
1235 E. James E. Rogers Way, Mines 143
Tucson, AZ 85721
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
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
Research Project: RBC-Inspired Materials; Sound Effects on Human Health
Graduate Students
Damask Grinnell (Fall 2022 - Present)
Materials Science and Engineering
B.S. Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Hometown: Rochester, MN
Research Project: Bioinspired Green Glycolipids for Dust Control Applications
Samuel Andrews (Spring 2025 - Present)
Materials Science and Engineering
B.S. Materials Science and Engineering, University of Arizona
Hometown: Davis, CA
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
Visiting Scholars
Enhui Lin (Spring 2025)
PhD student, Division of Environmental Science & Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Korea
B.S., Biological Engineering, Yanbian University, China
Hometown: Hunchun, Jilin, China
Research Project: Keratin-Based Materials and Their Applications
High School Interns
will be updated for Summer 2025!
Former Graduate Students
Samuel Kim (Fall 2019 - Fall 2023)
Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering
Dissertation: Artificially Engineered Protein Polymers for Functional Regenerative Tissue Scaffolds
Current: Researcher, Ventana - Roche
Fathima Doole (Fall 2017 - Fall 2023)
Ph.D., Chemistry and Biochemistry
Dissertation: Antimicrobial Peptide-Functionalized Biomaterials: From Synthesis to Membrane Biophysics
Current: Researcher, Eurofins PSS (MI, USA)
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 Postdoctoral Researchers
Suyoung Lee (Fall 2022 - Winter 2024)
Ph.D. & M.S. Integrative Biosciences and Biotechnology, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Korea
Research Project: Interactions of Cell/Tissue and Keratin-Based Biomaterials and Biomimetic Ultra-Black Materials
Current: Mayo Clinic at Phoenix
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
Maximo Jimenez Lugo, Summer 2024; Pueblo Magnet High School
Matthew S. Kim, Fall 2020 - Spring 2023; Undergraduate Student, Engineering School, Cornell University (last known)
AlexanderJauregui Galarza, Summer 2022, Undergraduate Student, Medicine, University of Arizona (last known)
Jeremy Wang, Summer 2019 - Fall 2019, Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Student, Johns Hopkins University (last known)
Colette P. Mayo, Summer 2019, Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Student, University of Arizona (last known)
Eilise McLaughlin, Summer 2018, Biomedical Engineering California Polytechnic State University (last known)
Yunive Avendaño, Summer 2017, Engineering School Undergraduate Student at Dartmouth (last known)