Graduate Students
Daman Yadav
PhD student
Education: B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, NIT Rourkela, 2021
Hometown: Delhi, India
Research interests: Mucosal adjuvants, intranasal vaccine delivery, cancer immunotherapy
Project topic: Developing an intranasal vaccine platform with enhanced FcRn-mediated transmucosal uptake for broad immune protection.
Other interests: Outside the lab, I enjoy playing soccer and hanging out with friends.
Madison Seefeld
PhD student
Education: B.S. in Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2022
Hometown: Omaha, NE
Research interests: Intranasal vaccine development, infectious diseases, cancer immunotherapy
Project topic: Developing albumin-hitchhiking intranasal vaccines for enhanced uptake and protection against infectious diseases like influenza.
Other Interests: Outside of the lab I enjoy spending time with friends and family, keeping up with Husker sports, reading a good thriller and occasionally cooking/baking.
Brandon Hu
PhD student
Education: B.S.E. Biomedical Engineering, University of Iowa, 2022
Hometown: Iowa City, Iowa
Research interests: Mucosal homing, targeted delivery, microbiota, and imaging.
Project topic: Exploring how the context of mucosal vaccine delivery impacts immune response by varying route of administration, costimulatory cues, and microbial backdrop.
Other interests: Outside of the lab I enjoy cooking, keeping houseplants, playing video games, and going to museums, zoos, and aquariums.
Erin Templeton
PhD student
Education: B.S. Bioengineering, Washington State University (Go Cougs!) 2022
Hometown: Castle Rock, CO
Research interests: Protein engineering, autoimmune diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, gut microbiome
Project topic: Developing a stability range of mucosal-targeted immunotherapies to study the optimal delivery kinetics to induce tolerance against autoimmunity.
Other interests: Outside of the lab I enjoy hiking, camping, cooking, listening to music, watching Coug games, and hanging out with friends.
Justin Lehtinen
PhD student
Education: B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of Kansas, 2022
Hometown: Overland Park, KS
Research interests: I am currently interested in the development of immunomodulatory tools, such as amphiphilic vaccine carriers, to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of vaccination against pathogens and as a potential treatment for autoimmune disease. Within this scope, I would like to explore and optimize the use of an amphiphilic antigen carrier by modifying its molecular properties coupled with the method of adjuvant delivery. Furthermore, I am interested in investigating the mechanism behind the transport of the amphiphilic-antigen complex from epithelial cells to germinal centers so that we can identify and target the key steps in the process for a more robust vaccine response.
Project topic: Imaging vaccine uptake across the mucosa.
Other interests: When I’m not studying or working in the lab, I love to do long-distance cycling and enjoy the occasional chance to explore and practice my skills as a photographer. I love to be outdoors whether it be at a park, on a hike, or camping with friends.
Noah Sinclair
PhD student
Education: B.S.E. Biomedical Engineering, The University of Iowa (Go Hawks!), 2023
Hometown: Ames, IA
Research interests: Cancer immunotherapies (immune checkpoint inhibitors, cancer vaccines, etc), immune activation in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), PDAC biology
Project topic: Investigating the role of immunotherapies in tertiary lymphoid structure formation and B cell activation for treating pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
Other interests: I am a big fan of board/card games (current favorite: Skull King), playing Dungeons and Dragons with friends, and fantasy football. I also enjoy reading, hiking, and baking.