Meet Our Team
Principal Investigator
Professor Kimberly Stroka
In January 2015 Dr. Kimberly Stroka began her appointment as Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering. She now heads the Cell and Microenvironment Engineering Lab. She completed her postdoctoral training at Johns Hopkins University in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Institute for NanoBioTechnology. She received her Ph.D. in Bioengineering in 2011 from the University of Maryland-College Park and her B.S. summa cum laude in Physics in 2006 from Denison University. In her PhD work with Dr. Helim Aranda-Espinoza, Dr. Stroka developed a novel hydrogel-based in vitro model in order to evaluate the effects of blood vessel stiffening on endothelial cell biomechanics, leukocyte mechanosensing, and leukocyte transmigration, during a normal immune response and in the context of cardiovascular disease. In Dr. Stroka’s postdoctoral work with Dr. Konstantinos Konstantopoulos at Johns Hopkins University, she integrated microfabrication, molecular biology, live cell imaging, and theoretical modeling in order to uncover a new mechanism by which metastatic tumor cells migrate through confined microenvironments.
Dr. Stroka’s postdoctoral and predoctoral work were supported by an NIH NRSA F32 postdoctoral fellowship (2013-2014), NIH T32 postdoctoral fellowship (2012-2013), NIH NRSA F31 predoctoral fellowship (2010-2011), and NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (2006-2009). Dr. Stroka was also awarded the Burroughs Wellcome Career Award at the Scientific Interface (2014-2019) for her proposal on engineering blood-brain barrier mechanobiology in the context of tumor cell metastasis. She is the recipient of 9 different awards for travel to national and international conferences (2008-2011) and is also the recipient of the 2014 Rita Schaffer Young Investigator Award from the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES). Recently, she was was the recipient of the Research and Scholarship Award from the University of Maryland Graduate School for Summer 2017, as well as the 2017 Outstanding Young Scientist Award from the Maryland Academy of Sciences and Maryland Science Center.
In addition to research, Dr. Stroka is passionate about mentorship and outreach, both within the University and in the surrounding community. She and her group have led lab demonstrations and research and career talks for elementary school students from underrepresented minority groups, female middle and high school students, breast cancer patient advocates, students from a rural high school, and adults age 50+.
Dr. Stroka is also affiliated with the University of Maryland Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, and the UMD Biophysics Program.
In January 2015 Dr. Kimberly Stroka began her appointment as Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering. She now heads the Cell and Microenvironment Engineering Lab. She completed her postdoctoral training at Johns Hopkins University in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Institute for NanoBioTechnology. She received her Ph.D. in Bioengineering in 2011 from the University of Maryland-College Park and her B.S. summa cum laude in Physics in 2006 from Denison University. In her PhD work with Dr. Helim Aranda-Espinoza, Dr. Stroka developed a novel hydrogel-based in vitro model in order to evaluate the effects of blood vessel stiffening on endothelial cell biomechanics, leukocyte mechanosensing, and leukocyte transmigration, during a normal immune response and in the context of cardiovascular disease. In Dr. Stroka’s postdoctoral work with Dr. Konstantinos Konstantopoulos at Johns Hopkins University, she integrated microfabrication, molecular biology, live cell imaging, and theoretical modeling in order to uncover a new mechanism by which metastatic tumor cells migrate through confined microenvironments.
Dr. Stroka’s postdoctoral and predoctoral work were supported by an NIH NRSA F32 postdoctoral fellowship (2013-2014), NIH T32 postdoctoral fellowship (2012-2013), NIH NRSA F31 predoctoral fellowship (2010-2011), and NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (2006-2009). Dr. Stroka was also awarded the Burroughs Wellcome Career Award at the Scientific Interface (2014-2019) for her proposal on engineering blood-brain barrier mechanobiology in the context of tumor cell metastasis. She is the recipient of 9 different awards for travel to national and international conferences (2008-2011) and is also the recipient of the 2014 Rita Schaffer Young Investigator Award from the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES). Recently, she was was the recipient of the Research and Scholarship Award from the University of Maryland Graduate School for Summer 2017, as well as the 2017 Outstanding Young Scientist Award from the Maryland Academy of Sciences and Maryland Science Center.
In addition to research, Dr. Stroka is passionate about mentorship and outreach, both within the University and in the surrounding community. She and her group have led lab demonstrations and research and career talks for elementary school students from underrepresented minority groups, female middle and high school students, breast cancer patient advocates, students from a rural high school, and adults age 50+.
Dr. Stroka is also affiliated with the University of Maryland Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, and the UMD Biophysics Program.
Graduate STudents
Marina (Shumakovich) Pranda - Bioengineering PhD Candidate and Future Faculty Fellow
Joined Stroka Lab in March 2015
Marina Pranda graduated from Cornell University in January of 2014 with a B.S. in Biological Engineering and a minor in Biomedical Engineering. At Cornell, she conducted research in the Analytical Microsystems and Biosensors Lab under the direction of Dr. Antje Baeumner. Marina worked on the development of a point-of-care biosensor for thrombin detection and presented her findings at an American Chemical Society Regional Meeting in 2013. During her studies at Cornell, Marina received three undergraduate research grants, a competitive undergraduate research award, and an alumni scholarship in 2013. In the summer of 2013, Marina conducted research in the Amplified Molecular Sensors Lab at the University of Maryland under the direction of Dr. Ian White. She worked on the microfluidic synthesis of chitosan beads. After graduating from Cornell, Marina spent a semester working for the biotherapeutics start-up, Glycobia. Marina is interested in studying the biomechanics of cancer metastasis and building lab-on-a-chip models. Specifically, in Dr. Stroka’s lab Marina is working on engineering microenvironments in microfluidic devices for the study of metastatic tumor cell and blood-brain-barrier interactions. Marina has presented posters and talks at national and international conferences and received the International Conference Student Support Award and Goldhaber Travel Award from the University of Maryland Graduate School. Marina is a Clark School Future Faculty Fellow and received the 2017 Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award from the UMD Grad School. She also received the 2017 BMES Career Development Award. Most recently, she was awarded the Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Award ($15,000) from the UMD Grad School for fall 2018. She is involved in the Bioengineering Graduate Student Society and served as the Vice President of Academic Affairs for the 2016-2017 school year. Marina is passionate about teaching and has been engaged in outreach during her undergraduate and graduate studies. In her free time, Marina likes to hike, run, be outdoors, travel, and read.
Joined Stroka Lab in March 2015
Marina Pranda graduated from Cornell University in January of 2014 with a B.S. in Biological Engineering and a minor in Biomedical Engineering. At Cornell, she conducted research in the Analytical Microsystems and Biosensors Lab under the direction of Dr. Antje Baeumner. Marina worked on the development of a point-of-care biosensor for thrombin detection and presented her findings at an American Chemical Society Regional Meeting in 2013. During her studies at Cornell, Marina received three undergraduate research grants, a competitive undergraduate research award, and an alumni scholarship in 2013. In the summer of 2013, Marina conducted research in the Amplified Molecular Sensors Lab at the University of Maryland under the direction of Dr. Ian White. She worked on the microfluidic synthesis of chitosan beads. After graduating from Cornell, Marina spent a semester working for the biotherapeutics start-up, Glycobia. Marina is interested in studying the biomechanics of cancer metastasis and building lab-on-a-chip models. Specifically, in Dr. Stroka’s lab Marina is working on engineering microenvironments in microfluidic devices for the study of metastatic tumor cell and blood-brain-barrier interactions. Marina has presented posters and talks at national and international conferences and received the International Conference Student Support Award and Goldhaber Travel Award from the University of Maryland Graduate School. Marina is a Clark School Future Faculty Fellow and received the 2017 Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award from the UMD Grad School. She also received the 2017 BMES Career Development Award. Most recently, she was awarded the Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Award ($15,000) from the UMD Grad School for fall 2018. She is involved in the Bioengineering Graduate Student Society and served as the Vice President of Academic Affairs for the 2016-2017 school year. Marina is passionate about teaching and has been engaged in outreach during her undergraduate and graduate studies. In her free time, Marina likes to hike, run, be outdoors, travel, and read.
Kelsey Gray - Bioengineering PhD Candidate, Fischell Fellow, and Future Faculty Fellow
Joined Stroka Lab in March 2015
Kelsey Gray graduated in May 2012 from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree and minors in Biochemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering. As an undergraduate, she performed research at the University of Maryland in Dr. Gregory Payne’s lab where she worked on electrodeposition of stimuli responsive polymers (e.g. chitosan) to bridge the bio-device interface for lab-on-a-chip applications. While working in the Payne lab, Kelsey worked on an industry-university team developing immunosensors for point-of-care diagnostics, and traveled to France for several weeks to initiate a collaboration in Lyon. After graduation, she worked for a generic injectable pharmaceutical manufacturing company in NC where she gained experience with cGMP, regulatory requirements, product quality, and exception reports. During her time at the company, she won four awards for her contribution to various projects and regulatory inspections. As a graduate student, she is working to develop an electrodeposited blood-brain barrier-on-a-chip for use in understanding the mechanobiology of brain endothelium, and the role of extracellular vesicles in cellular communication at the blood-brain barrier. In 2014, Kelsey received the UMD Bioengineering Merit Scholarship and was awarded the Fischell Fellowship in Bioengineering to fully fund her graduate degree. Kelsey received the 2016 Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award and the 2017 Dr. Mabel S. Spencer Award for Excellence in Graduate Achievement ($15,000) from the UMD Grad School. She also won numerous competitive travel awards to give talks at national and international conferences, including the 2017 Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering (CMBE) Travel Award, 2017 BMES Travel Award, 2018 Shooting Star Award from CMBE, 2018 BMES Career Development Award, as well as the UMD Grad School's International Student Support Award and Goldhaber Travel Award. Kelsey is also a Clark School of Engineering Future Faculty Fellow. Kelsey also plays an active role in the department, having served as the Vice President of Academic Affairs (2015-2016) and President (2016-2018) of the Bioengineering Graduate Student Society. Outside of research, she enjoys crafting and do-it-yourself projects, picking Maryland blue crabs, and water sports on the Chesapeake Bay.
Joined Stroka Lab in March 2015
Kelsey Gray graduated in May 2012 from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree and minors in Biochemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering. As an undergraduate, she performed research at the University of Maryland in Dr. Gregory Payne’s lab where she worked on electrodeposition of stimuli responsive polymers (e.g. chitosan) to bridge the bio-device interface for lab-on-a-chip applications. While working in the Payne lab, Kelsey worked on an industry-university team developing immunosensors for point-of-care diagnostics, and traveled to France for several weeks to initiate a collaboration in Lyon. After graduation, she worked for a generic injectable pharmaceutical manufacturing company in NC where she gained experience with cGMP, regulatory requirements, product quality, and exception reports. During her time at the company, she won four awards for her contribution to various projects and regulatory inspections. As a graduate student, she is working to develop an electrodeposited blood-brain barrier-on-a-chip for use in understanding the mechanobiology of brain endothelium, and the role of extracellular vesicles in cellular communication at the blood-brain barrier. In 2014, Kelsey received the UMD Bioengineering Merit Scholarship and was awarded the Fischell Fellowship in Bioengineering to fully fund her graduate degree. Kelsey received the 2016 Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award and the 2017 Dr. Mabel S. Spencer Award for Excellence in Graduate Achievement ($15,000) from the UMD Grad School. She also won numerous competitive travel awards to give talks at national and international conferences, including the 2017 Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering (CMBE) Travel Award, 2017 BMES Travel Award, 2018 Shooting Star Award from CMBE, 2018 BMES Career Development Award, as well as the UMD Grad School's International Student Support Award and Goldhaber Travel Award. Kelsey is also a Clark School of Engineering Future Faculty Fellow. Kelsey also plays an active role in the department, having served as the Vice President of Academic Affairs (2015-2016) and President (2016-2018) of the Bioengineering Graduate Student Society. Outside of research, she enjoys crafting and do-it-yourself projects, picking Maryland blue crabs, and water sports on the Chesapeake Bay.
Mary Doolin - Bioengineering PhD Candidate
Joined Stroka Lab in March 2016
Mary Doolin graduated from the University of Delaware in May 2015 with a Bachelor of Biomedical Engineering degree and minors in Computer Science and Bioelectrical Engineering. As an undergraduate, she performed research in the Neuromuscular Biomechanics Lab under Dr. Jill Higginson. The goal of her project was to increase the effectiveness of physical rehabilitation for individuals with an injured lower limb using motion capture techniques. She presented her project results at the 2015 Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis Society conference. Mary also performed research under Dr. Li Liao in bioinformatics, where she developed a computer program that aids in predicting protein interactions. In summer months, Mary held internship positions at IBM and Covidien. While at the University of Delaware, she won the Biomedical Engineering Distinguished Junior Award, Biomedical Engineering Distinguished Senior Award, and John K. Scoggin, Sr. Memorial Award. As a graduate student, Mary is interested in stem cell mechanobiology and biomechanics, specifically how physical cues from the microenvironment direct stem cell differentiation. Currently, she is investigating the mechanisms that enable mesenchymal stem cells to migrate through confined channels in order to inform and improve tissue engineered scaffold designs. She presented her results at the 2017 Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering Annual Conference, for which she was awarded the Goldhaber Travel Grant from the UMD Grad School, and also at the 2017 BMES Meeting, for which she was awarded the BMES Student Travel Award. She is also the recipient of the 2017 Graduate Student Summer Fellowship ($5,000) from the UMD Grad School. When not in the lab, Mary enjoys hiking, practicing yoga, listening to music, and home brewing.
Joined Stroka Lab in March 2016
Mary Doolin graduated from the University of Delaware in May 2015 with a Bachelor of Biomedical Engineering degree and minors in Computer Science and Bioelectrical Engineering. As an undergraduate, she performed research in the Neuromuscular Biomechanics Lab under Dr. Jill Higginson. The goal of her project was to increase the effectiveness of physical rehabilitation for individuals with an injured lower limb using motion capture techniques. She presented her project results at the 2015 Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis Society conference. Mary also performed research under Dr. Li Liao in bioinformatics, where she developed a computer program that aids in predicting protein interactions. In summer months, Mary held internship positions at IBM and Covidien. While at the University of Delaware, she won the Biomedical Engineering Distinguished Junior Award, Biomedical Engineering Distinguished Senior Award, and John K. Scoggin, Sr. Memorial Award. As a graduate student, Mary is interested in stem cell mechanobiology and biomechanics, specifically how physical cues from the microenvironment direct stem cell differentiation. Currently, she is investigating the mechanisms that enable mesenchymal stem cells to migrate through confined channels in order to inform and improve tissue engineered scaffold designs. She presented her results at the 2017 Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering Annual Conference, for which she was awarded the Goldhaber Travel Grant from the UMD Grad School, and also at the 2017 BMES Meeting, for which she was awarded the BMES Student Travel Award. She is also the recipient of the 2017 Graduate Student Summer Fellowship ($5,000) from the UMD Grad School. When not in the lab, Mary enjoys hiking, practicing yoga, listening to music, and home brewing.
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Rebecca Moriarty - Bioengineering PhD Candidate and NIH Fellow
Joined Stroka Lab in January 2017 Becca Moriarty graduated in Mary 2016 from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and a minor in Spanish Language and Cultures. As an undergraduate, she performed research in the Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Lab (TEBL) under the direction of Dr. John Fisher. Her undergraduate thesis focused on a coculture system to aid in prevascularization of a large tissue engineered bone construct, and she also presented her findings at the 2015 Biomedical Engineering Society Meeting. Prior to her work in the TEBL, she held previous summer internships at RoosterBio, Inc., and at the National Cancer Institute-Frederick, where she worked under Dr. Susan Mackem. In Dr. Stroka's lab, Becca is interested in understanding the role that physical confinement plays in regulating tumor cell cycle progression. Becca has recently been awarded the Goldhaber Travel Award, as well as the Graduate Student Summer Research Fellowship from the UMD Grad School. Starting in fall 2018, Becca will be supported by a competitive Cancer Research Training Award from the NCI, through the UMD-NCI Partnership for Integrative Cancer Research. When she isn't in the lab, Becca enjoys running, hiking, cooking, and traveling. |
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CO-ADVISED GRADUATE STUDENTS
Ajmeeta Sangtani - Bioengineering PhD Candidate
Primary Advisor: Dr. James Delehanty (NRL)
Co-advised by Dr. Stroka since 2015
Primary Advisor: Dr. James Delehanty (NRL)
Co-advised by Dr. Stroka since 2015
Michelle Baird - Biophysics PhD Candidate
Primary Advisor: Dr. Clare Waterman (NIH)
Co-advised by Dr. Stroka since 2016
Primary Advisor: Dr. Clare Waterman (NIH)
Co-advised by Dr. Stroka since 2016
Undergraduate Students
Greg Dawson (Physiology and Neurobiology '19)
Joined Stroka Lab in January 2017
Maryland Summer Scholar (Summer 2018)
Thea Ornstein (Bioengineering '19)
Joined Stroka Lab in August 2017
HHMI Fellow (Fall 2018 - Spring 2019)
Brittney Murugeson (Bioengineering '21)
Joined Stroka Lab in November 2017
Maryland Summer Scholar (Summer 2018)
Paula Kleyman (Bioengineering '19)
Joined Stroka Lab in March 2018
Jae Jung (Bioengineering '21)
Joined Stroka Lab in August 2018
Joined Stroka Lab in January 2017
Maryland Summer Scholar (Summer 2018)
Thea Ornstein (Bioengineering '19)
Joined Stroka Lab in August 2017
HHMI Fellow (Fall 2018 - Spring 2019)
Brittney Murugeson (Bioengineering '21)
Joined Stroka Lab in November 2017
Maryland Summer Scholar (Summer 2018)
Paula Kleyman (Bioengineering '19)
Joined Stroka Lab in March 2018
Jae Jung (Bioengineering '21)
Joined Stroka Lab in August 2018
Lab Alumni
Name |
Degree |
Dates in Lab |
Research Awards |
Current Position |
Kenneth Wesley Bryant |
B.S. BIOE, 2015 |
Jan. 2015-Dec. 2015 |
--- |
- |
Matthew Angelico |
B.S. BIOE, 2016 |
Jan. 2015-Dec. 2015 |
ASPIRE Scholar |
Appian Consulting |
Dakota Katz |
B.S. BIOE, 2016 |
Jan. 2015-May 2016 |
ASPIRE Scholar, Maryland Summer Scholar |
PhD program, WashU BME |
Erica Brown |
B.S. BIOE, 2018 |
Jan. 2016-Dec. 2016 |
ASPIRE Scholar (2x) |
NOAA Fellow |
Jack Siglin |
B.S. Physiology and Neurobiology, 2017 |
Apr. 2016-Dec. 2016 |
--- |
MD program, University of Maryland School of Medicine |
Danielle Rossi |
B.S. BIOE, 2017 |
Sept. 2016-Dec. 2016 |
SEEDS Fellow |
MS program, UPenn BIOE |
Dani Khalilzadeh |
B.S. BIOE, 2017 |
Jan. 2015-Apr. 2017 |
Maryland Summer Scholar and SEEDS Fellow |
MD program |
Sukriti Ghosh |
B.S. BIOE, 2018 |
Sept. 2016-May 2017 |
--- |
FDA Intern |
Nate Girma |
B.S., Santa Clara University, Exp. 2019 |
Summer 2018 |
NSF REU Program |
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Greg Dawson |
B.S., Physiology and Neurobiology, Exp. 2019 |
Jan. 2017-Aug. 2018 |
Maryland Summer Scholar |
Applying to MD programs |
The Cells
We couldn't do it without the help of these guys.
Group Photos
The group - June 2018
From Left - Thea, Paula, Becca, Marina, Mary, Kim, Kelsey, Brittney, Greg
From Left - Thea, Paula, Becca, Marina, Mary, Kim, Kelsey, Brittney, Greg
Ice cream trip to the Maryland Dairy with our favorite (4-year-old) junior scientist! - June 2018
Fall Lab Party - November 2017
Ice cream trip to the Maryland Dairy with our favorite junior scientist! - June 2017
The mildest of the "funny photos" - June 2016
From Left - Kim, Erica, Michelle, Kelsey, Marina, Mary, Jack
From Left - Kim, Erica, Michelle, Kelsey, Marina, Mary, Jack
The group - June 2016
From Left - Marina, Kelsey, Jack, Michelle, Erica, Mary. Kim in front middle.
From Left - Marina, Kelsey, Jack, Michelle, Erica, Mary. Kim in front middle.
Lab Picnic - July 2015
From Left - Marina, Wes, Dakota, Gabriella, Kim, Matt, Kelsey
From Left - Marina, Wes, Dakota, Gabriella, Kim, Matt, Kelsey
The first group - May 2015
From Left - Dani, Dakota, Kelsey, Matt, Marina, Wes, Kim
From Left - Dani, Dakota, Kelsey, Matt, Marina, Wes, Kim