Our Team
-
Principal Investigator: Scott Wilson, PhD
Scott earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. While at Georgia Tech, Scott worked with Professor Niren Murthy developing drug delivery platforms for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, cranial re-synostosis, acute lung injury, and osteoarthritis.
As a postdoc in Professor Jeffery A. Hubbell’s Laboratory, Scott’s research focused on the synthesis and preclinical validation of biomaterials-based subunit vaccines that elicit cellular immunity against infections and malignancy, as well as disease-modifying inverse vaccines for autoimmunity.
In 2020, Scott joined the Johns Hopkins Biomedical Engineering Department as an assistant professor.
-
Postdoc: Sandeep Kumar, PhD
Sandeep belongs to a northern Indian state ‘Haryana’ known for its antique culture and cuisine. He earned a MSc degree in Chemistry from Kurukshetra University and PhD in Biotechnology under the direction of Prof. Avinash Bajaj from the Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, India. His PhD research training centralized around the chemical synthesis and preclinical evaluation of amphiphilic lipid-based self-assembling biomaterials for biomedical applications. Sandeep is particularly interested in the development of novel biomaterial scaffolds against cancer immunosurveillance and infectious diseases.
-
BME PhD Candidate: Sabrina Chen, B.S., NSF GRFP
Sabrina graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in 2020. She began her research journey in Professor Christopher Alabi's research group, where she investigated PEGylated sequence-defined oligomers as prodrugs against microbial infections. After graduation, she led the synthesis of lipid-conjugated peptide constructs against viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2. Sabrina began her PhD in Biomedical Engineering in the Wilson group in 2021, and her current research interests include immunomodulatory nanomedicines for oncology.
-
BME PhD Candidate: Julia Zhou, B.S.
Julia graduated in 2021 with a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of California, San Diego, where she worked in Dr. Liangfang Zhang’s group to engineer cell membrane-coated nanoparticles for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. In the Wilson lab, her research focuses on the synthesis of novel polymer bioconjugates for use in immunoengineering platforms against infectious diseases. Julia joined the Wilson Lab in 2021.
-
BME PhD Student: Mengheng Yang, M.S.E.
Mengheng graduated in 2021 with M.S.E. in biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins University and earned a B.S. in Biochemistry & Cell Biology and Probability & Statistics from the University of California, San Diego, in 2020, where he studied the development of neuronal connections in human derived iPS cells and complex neurodevelopmental disorder in Dr. Rusty Gage’s lab. Mengheng joined Wilson lab in 2020 and he is currently developing of a biomaterials-based antigen-specific immunotherapy to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
-
BME PhD Candidate: Ian McKnight, B.S.B.M.E., NSF GRFP
Ian graduated from Marshall University in 2022 with a B.S. of Biomedical Engineering, as well as minors in Biological Sciences and Spanish. Though his undergraduate research focused on genomic analysis and electrospinning cartilage, his true passion has always been allergies. Since joining the Wilson Lab in 2022, Ian has focused on developing novel polymer-peptide conjugates to induce allergen-specific T-regulatory responses in an effort to treat allergies. Ian is also co-advised by Stephane Lajoie, PhD.
-
Laboratory Manager: Jimmy Hu, B.S.
Jimmy graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 2023 with a B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Molecular and Cellular Biology. His research interests are immunotherapy and autoimmune disorders. Jimmy joined the Wilson Lab in 2020 and is currently working on a biomaterial-based nanoparticle drug delivery platform against inflammation.
-
ChemBE M.S.E Student: Shiguang Dai, B.S.
Shiguang graduated from Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University with a B.S. in Applied Chemistry in 2022, where he worked in Dr. Magdalini Matziari’s group to synthesize the phosphinic peptides as HIV-1 inhibitor and he also worked in Dr. Yi Li’s group to develop biomimetic synthesis of plumarellide. Shiguang joined in Wilson lab in 2022 and is currently working on the synthesis of decorated biomaterial-based nanoparticle drug delivery platform.
-
BME PhD Student: Rani Kumar, B.S., NSF GRFP
Rani graduated in 2023 from Georgia Tech with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering. At Georgia Tech, she worked in Professor M.G. Finn's lab with polymer membranes, protein nanoparticles, and antimicrobial materials for 3D printing applications. Her research interests include pharmacology, chemical synthesis, and biomaterials. Rani began her PhD in the Wilson Lab in 2023 and is working on developing vaccines for infectious diseases.
-
BME PhD Student: Lauren Hesse, B.S.E.
Lauren graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.S.E. in Biomedical Engineering in 2023. During her time at Michigan, Lauren was a member of Lonnie Shea's lab where she mainly worked on using biomaterial scaffolds to surveil the maternal immune system throughout pregnancy in various pregnancy types (allogeneic, syngeneic, and miscarriage-prone). Her main research interests include maternal-fetal immunology, neurodevelopment, women's health, and the effects of sex and pregnancy on immune responses to infectious disease and vaccination. She joined the Wilson lab in 2023.
-
Undergraduate Student: Arthur Li
Arthur is a junior studying Molecular and Cellular Biology and Psychology. He is originally from South Pasadena, California. His research interests include cancer immunotherapy and biomaterial synthesis. Arthur joined the Wilson Lab in 2023.
-
Undergraduate Student: Jiani Tang
Jiani is a sophomore studying biomedical engineering with an interest in immunoengineering. She is originally from Houghton, Michigan. Her research interests include nanoparticle drug delivery and vaccine synthesis. Jiani joined the Wilson Lab in 2024.
Wilson Lab Alumni
-
Undergraduates
Nitya Vissamsetti (BS/BA 2022) - PhD Student, University of Chicago
Sarah Bortel (BS 2023) - PhD Student, Columbia University
-
Master's Students
Victoria Trantow (MSE 2022) - Scientist, Cytodigm
The Wilson Lab in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University is currently in search of talented postdoc candidates with a passion for science and a strong desire to make a positive impact on human health. Broad experience, as evidenced by published results, in small-molecule and/or polymer synthesis is an absolute requirement. The Wilson Lab’s research focuses on the synthesis and preclinical validation of biomaterials-based immunomodulatory therapies that bias the adaptive immune response for the treatment of cancer, autoimmunity and infectious diseases. The work includes the synthesis of novel biomaterials via small-molecule and polymer organic chemistry and the characterization of novel materials via sophisticated techniques including FT-IF, NMR, LC/MS/MS, UV/Vis, DLS, SEM and TEM. If desired, the individual will have the opportunity to test biomaterial functionality in vitro cell culture and in vivo animal models. The individual will assist in the training of Jr lab members, thus excellent interpersonal skills are required. Postdocs will be expected to demonstrate independence in experimental design and execution, work effectively with others in a collaborative setting, present results at both national and international meetings, and author publications for peer-reviewed journals.
The successful candidate will be highly motivated and have a proven track record of conducting independent research. Candidates must have demonstrated, via published results, the ability to synthesize small-molecules and/or polymers. A PhD degree in biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, chemistry, materials science is a prerequisite.
The postdoc will have the opportunity to work with collaborators of the Wilson Lab and will have a unique opportunity to perform cross-cutting research between immunotherapy and materials development on the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Applicants are required to submit 1) curriculum vitae, 2) cover letter that highlights the candidate’s experience in chemical synthesis, 3) a list of three references with contact information including phone number and e-mail address. For more information on the Wilson Lab and to apply: www.immunoengineeringlab.com.
Postdoc Position Available!
Join our team!
Students: We welcome students at all levels that have an interest in immunomodulatory therapies, nanotechnology, polymer science, cancer, and immunology.
