FELLOWS & PROJECTS

2024 COHORT

Carl’s research focuses on wastewater surveillance of respiratory and influenza viruses. He aims to develop new assays that improve the detection and quantification of these viruses, with a particular focus on using amplicon sequencing and bioinformatics to identify new variants. He obtained his Master’s degree in Earth Science & Environmental Engineering from the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea, and his Bachelor’s degree in Biological and Environmental Chemistry from Chungnam National University in South Korea.

FELLOW Carl Jeon, PhD Candidate 

PI Dr. Tao Yan
Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering
College of Engineering, UH Mānoa

Project Novel Metagenomic Sequencing
Rapidly characterizes diverse diseases detected in wastewater streams to better track community spread and inform vaccine development.

Dileep is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Cancer Center. His primary research interests lie in breast cancer, drug development, and drug resistance, with a major focus on developing antibody-drug conjugates for aggressive breast cancer treatment.

FELLOW Dileep Rampa, PhD 

PI Dr. Jangsoon Lee
UH Cancer Center, UH Mānoa 

PROJECT Precision Cancer Therapy
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are a cutting-edge technology that combines targeted antibodies with chemotherapy drugs to attack cancer cells more precisely, improving treatment effectiveness and safety.

Sameera is currently pursuing a Ph.D. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She is focusing on developing sensors for physiological monitoring through integrating radar technology with advanced digital signal processing.

FELLOW Jannatun Noor Sameera, PhD Candidate 

PI Dr. Olga-Boric Lubecke
Electrical and Computer Engineering 
College of Engineering, UH Mānoa 

PROJECT WellNETS Wellness Monitoring
A new technology that uses Doppler radar and advanced signal processing techniques, enabling noninvasive monitoring of vital signs like heart rate variability that is more accurate than the uncomfortable body-attached sensors currently used. 

Rishabh is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, with his primary research interests being in developing wastewater treatment systems for coastal regions, with a main goal of replacing cesspools in Hawai‘i and ensuring sustainable wastewater management.

FELLOW Rishabh Shukla, PhD 

PI Dr. Zhiyue Wang 
Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering 
College of Engineering, UH Mānoa 

PROJECT Iron Cycling Biofilter (ICB)
An above-ground, cost-effective wastewater treatment system leveraging microbe biofilms grown on volcanic rocks to remove contaminants and pathogens in a tower design that is cheaper to install and maintain than cesspools in Hawai’i.

Christian specializes in developing thickened fungal-based biopesticides to control pests in agricultural, urban, and commercial settings. His research leverages insect biology and ecology to create eco-friendly pest management solutions through utilizing insects. Christian obtained his Master’s in Entomology in 2023 from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.

FELLOW Christian Streit, MS

PI Dr. Ikkei Shikano
Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences
College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience, UH Mānoa 

PROJECT Fungal Spore Insecticide
A thick, oil-based formula for storing and applying insect-killing fungal spores, offering a longer-lasting and safer alternative to chemical pesticides for both indoor and outdoor use.

Albert’s research focuses on developing a broadly neutralizing HIV vaccine using immune complexes in small animals, which could potentially help to develop other vaccines for difficult-to-target viruses like influenza. Albert obtained his Master’s in Molecular Bioscience & Bioengineering in 2015 and his PhD in Tropical Medicine in 2020, both from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.

FELLOW Albert To, PhD 

PI Dr. Iain MacPherson
Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology & Pharmacology 
John A. Burns School of Medicine, UH Mānoa 

PROJECT Universal Multi Virus Vaccine
A versatile vaccine design aimed at stimulating antibody responses which can neutralize a wide range of virus strains, offering broad protection against rapidly evolving viruses such as HIV, SARS-CoV-2, and Influenza.

Christopher’s primary research interests lie in gene therapy and synthetic biology, particularly how to effectively translate scientific advancements to real-world applications by bridging the gap between basic research and practical solutions. He aims to explore various business applications that can amplify the impact of his research efforts.

FELLOW Christopher Tran, PhD Candidate 

PI Dr. Jesse Owens 
Cell and Molecular Biology
John A. Burns School of Medicine, UH Mānoa 

PROJECT Programmable DNA Insertion Tool
Improves gene therapy tools by using directed evolution to create proteins which can accurately incorporate larger gene segments into DNA, increasing the number of genetic diseases that can be cured. 

Jian’s research focuses on developing innovative AI-powered solutions for smart cities, with expertise in renewable energy harvesting and intelligent monitoring systems for critical infrastructure. His work aims to create sustainable, self-powered, and autonomously managed systems to address challenges in infrastructure resilience and energy efficiency. To date, he holds three U.S. patents. JIan earned his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.

FELLOW Jian Yu, PhD 

PI Dr. Guohui Zhang
Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering
College of Engineering, UH Mānoa 

PROJECT Self-Optimizing Vibration Energy Harvester
Converts vibrations into usable energy using a smart battery system that manages the generated electricity without consuming any power itself, perfect for long-term use in biomedical devices like pacemakers.

2023 COHORT

Dani’s research interests focus on the inclusion of local ecological and indigenous knowledge systems in fisheries science, and how these systems can uncover historical changes in fish population dynamics. Her current work employs a novel combination of local knowledge, catch data, and environmental DNA to understand changes in juvenile shark populations in an ecologically important nursery habitat.

FELLOW Danielle Bartz, PhD Candidate 

PI Dr. Timothy Grabowski
Hawai’i Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, UH Hilo

PROJECT eDNA Filtration System
Allows for the simultaneous filtration of seawater in preparation for environmental DNA (eDNA) analyses to better address ecological questions in aquatic communities.

Jon’s research focuses on body composition and its association to disease risk. Utilizing knowledge of the available clinical and field body composition assessment techniques, Jon aims to refine technologies by improving their assessment accuracy, while identifying aspects more closely related to risk (or targets for intervention). He hopes to use his experience with diet and exercise to promote disease prevention and reduce the burden of disease across multiple conditions including cardiovascular disease and cancer.

FELLOW Jonathan Bennett, PhD

PI Dr. John Shepherd
UH Cancer Center, UH Mānoa

PROJECT Body Composition Assessment Technology
Leverages highly effective obesity models to increase awareness and early detection and intervention of body composition risk factors for obesity.

Suman’s research area focuses on the design and development of novel functional materials for energy conversion and storage applications. Having a Ph.D. in Chemical Sciences with emphasis in polymer nanocomposites processing and characterization, Suman has expertise in development of hybrid nanomaterial structures based on metal oxides/sulfides and chalcogenides.

FELLOW Suman Chhetri, PhD

PI Dr. Woochul Lee
Mechanical Engineering
College of Engineering, UH Mānoa

PROJECT Innovative Desalination Technology
Through solar thermal conversion helps solve freshwater shortage issues and replace existing energy-intensive processes with sustainable, green technologies for water purification.

Kaylee received her B.S. in Chemistry from Clemson University and her Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Colorado State University. Currently at UH Manoa, she is a postdoctoral researcher in the Ray Research Group in the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering. Her research efforts have broadly focused on the development of low-cost electrochemical sensors and fluidic devices for bioanalytical applications.

FELLOW Kaylee Clark, PhD

PI Dr. Tyler Ray
Mechanical Engineering
College of Engineering, UH Mānoa

PROJECT Wearable Sensor to Detect Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault Drugs
Is a stylish and functional ring equipped with integrated sensors for personal detection of Rohypnol in beverages to mitigate drug-facilitated assaults.

Carl’s research focuses on wastewater surveillance of respiratory and influenza viruses. He aims to develop new assays that improve the detection and quantification of these viruses, with a particular focus on using amplicon sequencing and bioinformatics to identify new variants. He obtained his Master’s degree in Earth Science & Environmental Engineering from the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea, and his Bachelor’s degree in Biological and Environmental Chemistry from Chungnam National University in South Korea.

FELLOW Carl Jeon, PhD Candidate

PI Dr. Tao Yan
Civil and Environmental Engineering
College of Engineering, UH Mānoa

PROJECT Novel Metagenomic Sequencing Technology
Rapidly characterizes influenza diversity and dynamics in wastewater to better inform flu vaccine development.

With roots tracing back to Germany, Ludwig is a PhD student at UH Manoa in the Lehrer Lab, whose research primarily focuses on enhancing the yields of recombinant protein production and refining workflows for vaccine development, leveraging his strong background in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He aims to contribute to the improvement of efficacy and accessibility, and make an impact on global health.

FELLOW Ludwig Mayerlen, PhD Candidate

PI Dr. Axel Lehrer
Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology
John A. Burns School of Medicine, UH Mānoa

PROJECT Expression Vector System
Offers a fully customizable product that can be used for the expression of almost any protein and provide high-yield production of vaccine antigens.

Christopher’s primary research interests lie in gene therapy and synthetic biology, particularly how to effectively translate scientific advancements to real-world applications by bridging the gap between basic research and practical solutions. He aims to explore various business applications that can amplify the impact of his research efforts.

FELLOW Christopher Tran, PhD Candidate

PI Dr. Jesse Owens
Cell and Molecular Biology
John A. Burns School of Medicine, UH Mānoa

PROJECT Programmable Genome Insertion Tool
Actively and accurately incorporates DNA into the genome of somatic cells at specific locations to develop clinical therapies that use insertional vectors to treat genetic disease.

This program is supported by the Office of Naval Research.