TEAM
Summer 2026
Karen E Martin, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Postdoc, Cancer Immunology, Oslo University Hospital
PhD, Bioengineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
BS, Mechanical Engineering, Cornell University
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Hometown: Williamsville, NY
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Hobbies: In her free time, Karen can be found in the mountains running, hiking, skiing, or rock climbing.
Bef. Mekonnen
PhD Student, Biomedical Engineering
BS, Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester
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Hometown:
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Project: An NK Cell Prime-and-Engage Strategy for Liver Cancer
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Hobbies:
Rahul Hurer
PhD Student, Biomedical Engineering
BS, Biomedical Engineering, Boston University
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Hometown:
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Project: Decoding CAR NK Cell Inhibitory Axes with High-Throughput shRNA Screens
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Hobbies:
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Morgan Foltz
MS Student, Biomedical Engineering
BS, Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
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Hometown: Easton, MA
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Project: LNP delivery of chemokines to promote NK cell homing to liver tumors
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Hobbies: In her free time, she enjoys painting, hiking, and scuba diving.
Lara Werner Schlickmann
MS Student, Biomedical Engineering
BS, Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah
Hometown:
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Project: Multiplexed CAR-shRNA Engineering of NK Cells to Overcome Solid Tumor Immunosuppression
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Hobbies:
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Shefali Bakre
Undergraduate Student, Biomedical Engineering
​Hometown: Burlington, MA
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Project: Identifying promising target pairs in pancreatic cancer for OR gated CARs
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Hobbies: In her free time, she likes to learn new dances, listen to music, and explore different cities.
Grant Cibulsky
Undergraduate Student, Biomedical Engineering
​Hometown: Wyomissing, PA
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Project: Optimizing shRNA constructs for NK cell inhibitory receptor knockdown
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Hobbies: He spends his free time listening to music, going on walks, and watching tv.
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![Martin lab pic[3].JPG.jpeg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/526f73_9299631894e647039c38e9d5059fc190~mv2.jpeg/v1/fill/w_259,h_344,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/Martin%20lab%20pic%5B3%5D_JPG.jpeg)
Gabi Merli
Undergraduate Student, Biomedical Engineering
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
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Project: Profiling NK cell activating and inhibitory receptors in colorectal cancer
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Hobbies: She likes to crochet, read, and do diamond paintings in her free time; she also does ballroom dancing!
Sihle "Tema" Shongwe
Undergraduate Student, Biomedical Engineering
Hometown: Mankayane, Eswatini
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Project: Armoring NK cells with stimulatory cytokines for enhanced tumor killing
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Hobbies: She likes reading romance novels, taking walks (not hiking), and watching Derry girls.
Aria Patel
Undergraduate Student, Biomedical Engineering
Hometown:
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Project: Leveraging NK Cell Engagers for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
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Hobbies:
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