We are an interdisciplinary research group working at the interface of engineering and immunology to address challenges in clinics. We are part of the Department of Chemical Engineering and located at the Life Sciences Laboratories (LSL) at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. We are committed to increasing the diversity of our group members.
Ashish A. Kulkarni, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director
Ashish received his B. Tech. from the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India. He worked as a Process Engineer in a chemical company in Mumbai for 3 years, where he was a part of a team that scaled up a product from a lab scale to a production unit. He then obtained his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Cincinnati, working on the design and development of biologically-inspired and chemically-defined synthetic glycans for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. After his Ph.D., he joined Harvard Medical School and MIT as a postdoctoral fellow. He was promoted to an independent faculty position in 2015, where he worked on the development of tools and platforms for immunotherapy applications. He loves to play cricket and spending time with his family.
Mehak Malhotra
Postdoctoral Researcher, ChemE
Mehak obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry (Hons) from St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi, India in 2013. Later, she pursued her Master’s in Chemistry and PhD in Polymer Chemistry, as part of a dual degree program ‘Integrated PhD’, from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, India. Her work at IISER Pune entailed the development of complex polymer architectures and investigating the effect of topology on their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. Her research interests lie in exploring nanomedicine as the tool for immunotherapy in cancer and various infectious disease models. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.
Jaypalsing Ingle
Postdoctoral Researcher, ChemE
Jaypal completed his Bachelor’s degree from G.S. College, Khamgaon, in 2016, and his Master’s degree from Vidya Bharti Mahavidyalaya, Amravati, in 2018, both affiliated with Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University. He then pursued a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar, India, from July 2019 to June 2024. His doctoral research focused on chemical biology and developing nanoscale tools for imaging and impairing the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria in cancer cells. In his free time, Jaypal enjoys playing cricket, badminton, and spending time with friends and family.
James Forster
Graduate Student, ChemE
James obtained his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Northeastern University in Boston, MA, and joined the Kulkarni Group during the Fall 2020 semester. During his undergraduate studies, he completed two industry co-ops focused on nanotechnology, biotechnology, and process development. At his last co-op at Voyager Therapeutics in Cambridge, MA, James developed a novel non-immunoaffinity purification process for AAV gene therapy viral vectors. This is where James learned of his passions for biotechnology, gene therapy, and drug delivery. In his personal life, James is a guitarist who loves rock and metal music, cooking, and enjoying the company of friends and family.
Adam Fish
Graduate Student, ChemE
Adam earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, MN. His research interests include drug delivery and drug design, as well as immunoengineering. Adam discovered his research passions while taking biochemistry classes and being the president of the University of Minnesota’s International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering chapter. In his free time, Adam plays tenor saxophone, runs marathons, and skis.
Maharshi Debnath
Graduate Student, ChemE
Maharshi received his B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India in 2019. He worked as a process engineer in Cairn oil and gas for two years. His undergraduate research primarily focused on the role of lyt autolysins in bacterial cytokinesis and analyzing cross regulations in bacteria. His passion for targeted drug delivery drove him to join Prof. Kulkarni’s Group in the fall of 2021. Outside the lab, he enjoys metal and rock music, and does sketching in his free time.
Aniruddha Pinjari
Graduate Student, ChemE
Aniruddha received his Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India in 2022. As a part of his undergraduate internship at Tridiagonal Solutions, he optimized Static Mixers using Computational Fluid Dynamics. During the pandemic, he realized the need for sustainable solutions to solve problems in the healthcare sector. He is primarily interested in the field of drug delivery. He likes to play soccer and spend time with friends in his free time.
Netra Shevale
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Netra is a sophomore studying for a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Biochemistry is her passion because of the complexity of living things and how they interact with one another and with their surroundings. This interest persuaded her to join Prof. Kulkarni’s lab in 2022. She aspires to be a scientist someday. She loves to make new friends and interact with new people. In her spare time, she enjoys singing, dancing, cooking, and swimming.
Nathan Coello
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Nathan is a junior studying for a B.S. in Chemical Engineering at UMass Amherst. He has interests in the fields of immunoengineering, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and drug delivery that spiked after attending a conference of bioengineering. In his free time, Nathan is an adrenaline junkie, a triathlete & endurance athlete, and a world traveler.
Narine Berberian
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Narine is a junior studying Biology. She is particularly interested in cancer biology, pathology, and drug design/drug delivery. Her interest in drug design and drug delivery came from her experience working as a pharmacy technician. She has also developed an interest in cancer research due to her previous lab experience. She loves making connections between hery classwork and her research. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, dancing, and being outdoors.
Isha Goyal
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Isha is a sophomore studying for a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Psychology on the neuroscience track at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is very interested in the field of Biochemistry because of its important application in immunology and pertinent to the pharmaceutical industry, this motivated her to join Professor Kulkarni’s lab in 2023. She aspires to be a scientist someday. She loves to make new friends and interact with new people. In her spare time, she enjoys recreational bouldering, ceramics, and painting.
Sai Reddy
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Sai is a junior Biochemistry major in the Commonwealth Honors College with a keen interest in cancer research and the development of nanoparticles. He is motivated to advance his scientific skills to contribute to advancements in medical treatments and technologies. His passion lies in exploring the intersection of science and medicine, driving his research interest. Outside of the lab, Sai loves visiting new places, spending time outdoors, playing tennis, and enjoying quality time with friends and family.
We are currently seeking highly motivated graduate and undergraduate students to join the Immunoengineering Research Laboratory. Please click here for further details.