RI-INBRE SURF Mentors
RI-INBRE mentors are the backbone of our SURF program, providing guidance and support to undergraduate students throughout the summer. Students interested in doing research at URI or Brown can click HERE for more information on how to apply, whereas students interested in doing research at our partner higher education institutions in Rhode Island should click HERE. For the URI/Brown SURF program, students will be paired with mentors during the selection process.
University of Rhode Island Mentors
Assistant Professor
Department: Biomedical Engineering
Research: Biosignal control systems and medical robots with AI-enabled control strategies
Assistant Professor
Department: Chemical Engineering
Research: Magnetic nanoparticles for biomedical applications
Professor
Department: Electrical, Computer & Biomedical Engineering
Research: Brain computer interfacing and neuromodulation.
University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI
401.874.9518
bothun@egr.uri.edu
Associate Professor
Department: Cell and Molecular Biology
Research: Molecular Mechanisms of Energy-Dependent Proteins during Essential Cell Processes
Associate Professor
Department: Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Research: Transdermal drug/vaccine delivery technologies
Assistant Professor of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Science
Department: Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Research focuses on cardiac and vascular contraction and mitochondrial structure/function
Research Assistant Professor
Department: Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience
Research: Underlying molecular mechanisms of the aging process and its role in the development of neurodegenerative disease
Professor
Department: Civil Engineering
Research: Application and implication of the use of nanotechnology on water and wastewater applications Appropriate water, wastewater and stormwater technologies
Assistant Professor
Department: Cell and Molecular Biology
Research: Molecular and cellular changes that occur in postmitotic neurons during ageing
Assistant Professor
Department: Biomedical & Pharmaceutical Sciences
Research: Regulation of nuclear receptors for treatment of liver and kidney diseases
Associate Professor
Department: Cell and Molecular Biology
Research: Mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and The fidelity of mRNA decoding by the ribosome
Assistant Professor
Department: Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Research: Bioinformatics
Professor
Department: Cell and Molecular Biology
Research: Cellular DNA damage response and the molecular pathogenesis of the rare genetic disease Fanconi anemia
Professor, Interim VP for Research and Economic Development
Department: Cell and Molecular Biology
Research focuses on biochemical capabilities of microbial communities influences biogeochemical cycles and food webs in aquatic environments
Associate Professor
Department: Chemistry
Research: Organic Chemistry, Catalysis, Polymers
Associate Professor
Department: Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Research: Mutational spectra of bulky DNA lesions, Inhibitory effect of nitric oxide on DNA repair enzymes
Associate Professor
Department: Electrical Engineering
Research: Biomedical sensors and wearable embedded systems
Assistant Professor
Department: Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Research: Workings of the motor system and how the normal motor function is affected in pathological conditions
Associate Professor
Chemical Engineering
Research: Drug Delivery, Nanotechnology, Biomaterials
Assistant Professor
Department: Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Research: Nanotechnology, biomaterials and tissue engineering to treat cancer, fibrosis and inflammation
Assistant Professor
Department: Chemical Engineering
Research: Characterizing and exploiting the physics underlying the behavior of soft materials
Assistant Professor
Department: Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Research: Neural basis of movement with a view to developing new biomarkers and pharmaceutical treatments for ALS, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), and cerebral palsy
Assistant Professor
Department: Cell and Molecular Biology
Research: Polymicrobial interactions in the human oral microbiome
Assistant Professor
Department: Cell and Molecular Biology
Research: To understand how disease-causing bacteria control gene expression
Assistant Professor
Department: Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Research: Use of genetic and genomic approaches to understand the basic mechanisms of disease, focusing on aging and age-related diseases
Professor
Department: Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Research: Marine natural products chemistry, antibiotics drug discovery, marine microbial chemical ecology
Associate Professor
Department: Chemical Engineering
Research: Carbon nanotubes for applications in biology and advanced materials
Professor
Department: Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Research: Medicinal plants and their derived natural products for preventive and therapeutic effects against chronic human diseases
University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI
401.874.5020
aslitt@uri.edu
Assistant Teaching Professor
Department: Biomedical Engineering
Assistant Professor
Department: Chemistry
Research: Organic chemistry and chemical biology
Associate Professor
Department: Psychology
Research: Relation between traumatic stress and risky behavior, such as substance use
University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI
401.874.4915
yingzhang@mail.uri.edu
Brown University Mentors
Professor
Department: Chemistry
Research: Biological consequences of DNA damage
Assistant Professor
Department: Neuroscience
Research: Mechanisms of cognitive sequence control: Integrated studies in humans and animals
Assistant Professor
Department: Pharm/Bio
Research: Cell signaling and infectious diseases
Assistant Professor Department of Chemistry
Department: Chemistry
Research: Nano and Materials Chemistry Organic Chemistry
Associate Professor
Department: Neuroscience
Research: Communication in the nervous system
RI Partner Institution Mentors
Assistant Professor of Engineering at Roger Williams University
Department: Engineering
Research: Development of lasers for telecommunications and ranging applications, novel optical systems for detection applications, photonic systems in sustainable and solar energy, and engineering education
Assistant Professor at Salve Regina University
Department: Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Research: Neural circuit regulation of stress response and metabolism, contribution of PFOS to metabolic disease and diabetes
Assistant Professor of Biology
Department of Biology, Marine Biology and Environmental Science
Research: Molecular Longevity using the model organisms Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker’s yeast) and Caenorhabditis elegans (soil nematode)
Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Providence College
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Research focuses on the detection of harmful small molecules in the air we breathe
Assistant Professor at Salve Regina University
Department: Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Assistant Professor at Providence College
Department: Social Work
Research: Clinical services for vulnerable children and families; Trauma-informed interventions
Assistant Professor at Roger Williams University
Department: Psychology
Research: Molecular neuroscience, behavioral neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience (learning and memory)
Associate Professor at Salve Regina University
Department: Chemistry
Research: Cloning, protein expression and purification
Assistant Professor at Rhode Island College
Department: Physical Sciences
Research: Polymer synthesis for drug delivery applications
Assistant Professor at Rho
Department: Biology
Research: Fish biomechanics and functional morphology to elucidate the evolution of locomotion mechanics and to understand how habitat changes can impact fishes
Assistant Professor of Engineering at Roger Williams University
Department: Engineering
Associate Professor at Salve Regina University
Department: Chemistry
Research: Organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry and chemical biology
Assistant Professor at Providence College
Department: Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Associate Professor at Providence College
Department: Psychology
Research: Structure of lexical representations and in applying ERP and chronometric techniques to the investigation of cognitive phenomena
Professor at Salve Regina University
Department: Chemistry
Associate Professor
Chemistry
Research: Polymer Photophysics; Environmental Chemosensor Design; "Green" Chemistry in Materials Development
cbmurphy@rwu.edu
Assistant Professor at Salve Regina University
Department: Chemistry
Associate Professor at Rhode Island College
Department: Biology
Research: Identify genes and cellular behaviors required for stripe formation in larval zebrafish
Associate Professor at Providence College
Department: Biology
Research: Microbiology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology
Associate Professor at Salve Regina University
Department: Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Bryant University, Smithfield, RI
401.232.6267
creid@bryant.edu
Assistant Professor at Bryant University
Department: Psychology
Research: Mechanisms of learning and memory
Associate Professor at Roger Williams University
Department: Environmental Science
Research: Marine microbial ecology; coral reef ecology; invertebrate-microbial symbiosis
Assistant Professor at Providence College
Department: Chemistry and Biochemistry
Research: Biochemistry – Enzymology, Gene Annotation, Bacterial Metabolism
Associate Professor at Rhode Island College
Department: Biology
Research: Uses of Drosophila melanogaster to study the consequences of mutations which cause neurodegenerative diseases
Associate Professor at Providence College
Department: Psychology
Research: Behavioral Neuroscience, Comparative Cognition
Assistant Professor at Providence College
Department: Biology
Research: Cancer Biology
Assistant Professor at Rhode Island College
Department: Biology
Research: Identifying neural and endocrine mechanisms that are disrupted under conditions of metabolic stress
Associate Professor at Rhode Island College
Department: Physical Sciences
Associate Professor at Johnson & Wales University:
Department: Biomedical Engineering
Research: Development of medical devices including assistive communication and musculoskeletal and neurological rehabilitation technologies
Assistant Professor at Bryant University
Department: Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Research: Molecular mechanisms of metazoan development