Researchers at the PRL
Like all organizations, our success is predicated on the quality of our peers. Here at the PRL, we have gathered an incredible team of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers to accomplish our goals.
We are actively recruiting a Postdoctoral Research Scientist for the Pain Research Lab. For additional details and application, please visit: https://careers.pageuppeople.com/822/lowell/en-us/job/505629/research-scientist
We are also actively recruiting prospective MS- or PhD-track graduate students. Interested candidates seeking experience in fields of neural interfacing and neurophysiology should email Bryan_Black@uml.edu with a statement of interest and unabridged curriculum vitae.
Bryan James Black
Principal Investigator
Bryan Black was graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2014 with a PhD in Physics and Applied Physics. He subsequently served as a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at the University of Texas at Dallas under Joseph Pancrazio. Bryan is now an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts - Lowell where he studies optical and electrical neural interfaces and how they can be used to better understand and treat chronic pain conditions.
Lilly Lawson
Graduate Research Assistant, PhD Candidate
Lilly Lawson holds a BS in Chemistry from The University of North Texas at Denton and a MS in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Texas at Dallas. Lilly is currently a GRA in the Pain Research Lab at UML, where she studies cell signaling mechanisms of nociceptive sensory neurons and support cells and works towards developing a phenotypic screening platform using hiPSCs cultured on microelectrode arrays. When successful, this platform will be used for screening nonaddictive analgesics and investigating inflammatory pain mechanisms. She is a contributing author on two published papers in Micromachines and Acta Biomaterialia.
Rasha El Ghazal
Graduate Research Assistant
Rasha El Ghazal was graduated from UMass Lowell with a BS in Biomedical Engineering and will begin her Graduate Research Assistantship in Fall, 2022.
Smriti Kumar
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Smriti is pursuing an MS in Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology and hopes to continue her studies and carry her enthusiasm for research into medical school. Her work pertaining to traumatic neuromas and understanding clinical practices that are aimed to treat symptomatic neuromas. Apart from her research, she is passionate about her involvement in the Society of Women Engineers and mentoring female high schoolers and non-traditionals who are interested in STEM.
Alexander Somers
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Alex is an undergraduate student of Biomedical Engineering and Computer Science for the class of 2024. He builds GUI-based programs that utilize machine learning to interpret both single unit and local field potential neural data. Alex has a background in 3D printing, EEG design, and C/C++/MATLAB; skills that he hopes to someday apply to designing rehabilitative neural interfaces.
James Zook
Undergraduate Research Assistant
James is an undergraduate student in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Chemistry. He has corporate experience working at Millipore Sigma and Pfizer, and hopes to one day work in drug development. His research interests include in-vitro studies of drug effect on cells.
Mauricio Almeida
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Mauricio is an undergrad student studying biomedical engineering in the cell and tissue engineering track. His research interests involve neural engineering; specifically brain-machine interfaces.
Ben Johnston, MD, PhD
Collaborator and Honorary PRL Member
Dr. Johnston is currently a Neurosurgery Resident at Brigham and Women's Hospital and is graduated from Brown University with his MD and the University of Texas at Arlington with a PhD in Biomedical Engineering.
Alumni
Jayden Hairston
Graduated 2021 with BS in BME
Current position:
Assistant Scientist at PureTech Health
Emenji Muanya
Graduated 2021 with MS in BME
Current position:
Scientist at Merck
Elijah LaVancher
Graduated 2022 with BS in BME
Current position:
Scientist - Automated Cell Culture at Novartis