Principal Investigator
Prof. Jingjie Hu, Ph.D.
Dr. Jingjie Hu is an Assistant Professor at North Carolina State University in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. She is also an associate faculty member of the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at UNC–Chapel Hill and NC State, and a member of the Comparative Medicine Institute.
Dr. Hu completed her postdoctoral training at Mayo Clinic on biomaterials for embolization. She received her Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University in 2018, where she worked with Prof. Wole Soboyejo on tumor-specific nanocarriers and cell mechanics for the detection and treatment of breast cancer. Prior to that, she earned her B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 2013, with minors in Multidisciplinary Design and Mathematics.
Dr. Hu’s broad research interests include materials, nanotechnology, and the mechanics of biomedical materials and devices.
Postdoc Researchers
Dr. Peng Chen (2026 – Present)
Peng received his bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from Guangdong University of Technology. After 7 years of working in the petroleum industry, he went to the University of Dayton and received his master’s degrees in chemical engineering and materials engineering. Currently his research focuses on mechanical properties of biocompatible materials. He is also interested in fabrication and application of micro and nanomaterials. Outside of work, he likes to travel.
Graduate Students
Augusta Ekpemogu (Ph.D. 2024 – Present)
Augusta earned her bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Nigeria (now Rivers State University), and worked briefly in the EPCC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Commissioning) sector before pursuing a master’s degree in Building Services Engineering at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria. Her research interests include materials design and development, characterization, and the mechanical properties of materials, with a focus on developing novel materials for biomedical applications. In her free time, she enjoys reading novels, going to the gym, house cleaning, and exploring new places.
Cong Meng (Ph.D. 2024 – Present, co-advised with Dr. Arun Kota)
Cong Meng has rich experience in designing in vivo and in vitro inflammation and tumor models. During her master’s degree, she studied cluster therapy for acute kidney injury and autoimmune hepatitis. The goal of her doctoral program is to learn more knowledge about materials and mechanics, and integrate animal models with materials mechanically.
Undergraduates
Ethan Wang (Undergraduate researcher, 2026 SPURS Program, Brown University)
Ethan is an undergraduate studying chemical engineering at Brown University. His research interests lie in the intersection of food science and engineering. Under the SPURS summer program, Ethan is evaluating the materials properties of edible alginate microcarriers for cultivated meat scaffolding. Outside of work, he likes to go to the gym, cook, and play piano.
Tanishka Gupta (Undergraduate researcher, 2026 – Present)
Tanishka Gupta is an undergraduate student studying Computer Science at North Carolina State University. She is an undergraduate researcher, where she is gaining hands-on experience in biomaterials and biomedical engineering research. Her research interests include biomaterials, medical device design, and the application of engineering to improve healthcare. She hopes to further explore the intersection of computer science and mechanical engineering while pursuing a career in engineering research and innovation.
High School Students
Zoe Robinson (High School researcher, NCSSM, 2026 summer)
Zoe is currently a rising senior at Riverside High School in Durham. Zoe has enjoyed exploring STEM fields through Riverside’s engineering pathway and the online program at the North Carolina School of Science and Math. She plans to pursue biomedical engineering and related research areas in college and beyond.
Nimai Nakkala (High School researcher, NCSSM, 2026 summer)
Nimai Nakkala is a senior attending Jack Britt High School. He is also a part of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics Online Program which provided him the opportunity to work in Dr. Hu’s lab due to his interest in research. He has a biomedical background with previously conducted research on the antimicrobial effects of silver nanoparticles and the proliferation of the tau protein, which influences his current primary research interests in optimizing biomedical applications, bioengineering, and medicinal chemistry. In his free time he enjoys watching TV and sports, going to the gym, and traveling around the world.
Alumni
Peng Chen (Ph.D. 2022 – 2026, Current position: postdoc researcher at NCSU)
George Varghese P J (Ph.D. 2022 – 2026, Current position: postdoc researcher at UT Southwestern Medical Center)
Keren Zhao (Ph.D. 2022 – 2026, Current position: postdoc researcher at Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University)
Zubin Chacko (MS, 2021 – 2022)
Setayesh Naseri (UG, 2026, MAE)
Caleb Leung (UG, 2026, BME)
Caleb Overman (UG, 2022, MAE 496 Undergraduate Project Work in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering)
Alyssa Young (UG, 2024-2025, PEP Program)