Our Team

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.

Ashish A. Kulkarni, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

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.

Dhanashree Surve

Postdoctoral Researcher, ChemE

Dhanashree obtained her Bachelor’s and Master of Pharmacy degrees from Bharati Vidyapeeth’s College of Pharmacy, the University of Mumbai, in 2013 and 2015, respectively. During her Master of Pharmacy, she worked on the development and in vitro characterization of nanostructured lipid carriers for the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. She worked in a nutraceutical formulation and development department at Meyer Organics Pvt. Ltd as a junior research executive for 1.5 years. Later, she pursued her Ph.D. in the Department of Pharmacy, Birla institute of technology and Science, Pilani campus, Pilani (Jan 2017-Jan 2021). Her Ph.D. research was on ‘Long-acting nanoformulations for targeted delivery of anti-infective agents.’ After that, she joined as an associate scientist in the department of complex injectables at Lupin Research Park, Pune, for two years. She worked on developing lyophilized and solution injectable formulations of small molecules, inorganic nanocomplex, and macromolecules. She enjoys cooking and spending time with her family.

James Forster

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

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

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.

Sarmishta

Sarmishta Thodur

Graduate Student, ChemE

Sarmishta obtained a Masters in Chemistry and a Bachelors in Chemical Engineering, as a dual degree, from Bits Pilani Hyderabad Campus, India in 2022. Her research interests lie in nanoparticles directed specifically towards drug delivery. This interest was fuelled by the research done on WS2 nanoparticles for nitrate sensing during her undergrad. In her free time, Sarmishta likes to sing, paint and crochet.

Aniruddha

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

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.

Mark Doucette

Mark Doucette

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Mark is a junior majoring in Chemical Engineering with a concentration in biochemical engineering and an active AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) and ISPE (International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering) member. Mark is passionate about applying the latest discoveries in science to make a positive impact on people’s lives. After taking Professor Kulkarni’s chemical engineering in biological systems course, Mark saw the great potential in Immunoengineering and tinkering with the microscopic machinery which drives life. Outside the lab and classroom, Mark enjoys playing video games and spending time with family and friends.

Dhruv Chotaliya

Dhruv Chotaliya

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Dhruv is a Sophomore in Chemical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is also planning on pursuing a concentration in Biochemical Engineering. His interests lie in Drug Delivery Systems. His curiosity in Biological Systems stems from a class by Prof. Kulkarni that he took in his Fall 2021 semester. In his free time, he likes to Cook traditional Indian cuisine, likes to go on long drives and spends his time with friends and family.

Vedant Madabushi

Vedant Madabushi

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Vedant is a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major (class of 2026) in the Commonwealth Honors College. His passion for the field of cancer immunotherapy led him to join the Kulkarni lab as a freshman in the fall of 2022. Vedant is heavily investing into a future career in medical research and wants to learn more about the NLRP3 inflammasome’s role in potential cancer treatments. In his free time, Vedant enjoys competitive archery, badminton, and cooking with family.

Riya Khadilkar

Riya Khadilkar

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Riya is a senior majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology and is a member of the Commonwealth Honors College. She is on the pre-med track, aspiring to attend medical school and become a surgeon. Riya’s interest in immunotherapy & nanomedicine was sparked while taking Dr. Kulkarni’s immunoengineering course, leading her to join the lab. Outside of the lab, she works as a phlebotomist and enjoys weightlifting and reading.

We are currently seeking highly motivated graduate and undergraduate students to join the Immunoengineering Research Laboratory. Please click here for further details.

We also have an opening for a highly motivated postdoctoral fellow with expertise and interests in Immunology, cell biology, biomaterials, bioconjugate chemistry, nanotechnology or drug delivery. Please click here for further details.

Alumni