the research fellow defended his thesis scholarly

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Our Research Fellow Dr Domenico Zipoli Successfully Defended his PhD Thesis

16 April 2021

Our Research Fellow Dr Domenico Zipoli just defended with success his PhD thesis The Power of Engagement: Assessing the Effectiveness of Cooperation between UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies and National Human Rights Institutions at the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights of the University of Oslo (UiO) Faculty of Law . Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the defence took place online.

‘The overall experience of having the defence taking place online has been a positive one. Of course, it was a real pity to be away from friends and colleagues in Oslo and to celebrate this day together with them. At UiO Faculty of Law, the defence usually takes place in the beautiful Gamle Festsal, once the seat of the Norwegian Parliament. Needless to say, the online defence was a less grandiose affair, however, the technical staff did a wonderful job in facilitating a very smooth exchange between myself and the adjudication committee members. The online defence was also more accessible to those who wished to attend from outside of Oslo’ says Domenico.

Marika Lüders

Ethan Gruber

CCPR Centre>

Unpacking the Black Box of Inter-Institutional Cooperation Between International and Domestic Human Rights Mechanisms

By unpacking the black box of inter-institutional cooperation between the international and domestic mechanisms of human rights monitoring, this thesis explores the engagement between United Nations (UN) treaty bodies and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in the context of the state reporting procedure. In doing so, it examines whether this dyadic relationship and cooperation are effective in facilitating the implementation of human rights treaties through a combination of goal-based and empirical approaches.

‘This doctorate represents an important step in my understanding of the deep complexities that shape human rights implementation today. What I believe to be the real worth of a PhD degree is the process one goes through, of substantive investigation and discovery, of course, but also of close cooperation with leading experts in the field, learning the ‘art of the craft’ from their experience. The University of Oslo and Geneva Academy faculties have been of tremendous value in this regard. The opportunity of having Professor Christof Heyns appointed as a member of my doctoral adjudication committee has been the greatest of honours. I will always be grateful for his invaluable advice and guidance towards this achievement’ explains Domenico.

catherinecronin

Geneva Academy>

Closely Related to Research Conducted by Domenico Zipoli at the Geneva Academy

The link between international and domestic human rights monitoring mechanisms is also at the core of our research here at the Geneva Academy and at the Geneva Human Rights Platform more specifically.

‘The recently concluded research project on National Human Rights Systems is directly inspired from one of the thesis chapters. The policy implications of our research are a perfect step forward from the more theoretical analyses offered in Domenico’s PhD thesis’ explains Felix Kirchmeier, Manager of Policy Studies at the Geneva Academy and Executive Director of the Geneva Human Rights Platform .

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Writing a Paper: Academic Arguments

Definition of academic arguments, what is an academic argument.

An academic argument is your stance, your claim, or your take on your topic.

This stance, claim, or take is your contribution to the current conversation on your topic and provides your readers with a position, perspective, and/or point of view on your topic.

An academic argument is also based in the research, what we often call "evidence-based." This means you must support your argument with findings from sources you read.

An academic argument is not....

An academic argument is not a fight, a battle, or a negative confrontation. An academic argument is also not emotional nor focused on one person's opinion.

Academic Arguments Overview

Although reflection and summary play a role in academic writing, your papers need to be founded in analysis and critique. Learning to spot a strong argument in what you read can help you become better at constructing your own arguments when you write. The following subpages will help you learn how to understand and develop a strong argument in a paper and move beyond basic summary.

• Understanding Arguments
• Developing Arguments
• Comparing & Contrasting
• Avoiding Logical Fallacies
• Addressing Assumptions
• Responding to Counterarguments

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The top 10 thesis defense questions (+ how to prepare strong answers)

Crafting a thesis is significant, but defending it often feels like the ultimate test. While nerve-wracking, proper preparation can make it manageable. Prepare for your thesis defense with insights on the top questions you can expect, including strategies for answering convincingly.

Mastering the thesis defense: cultivate a success mindset

Question 1: why did you choose this particular topic for your research, question 2: how does your research contribute to the existing body of knowledge, question 3: what are the key findings of your research, question 4: can you defend your research methodology, question 5: how did you analyze the data and what challenges did you encounter, question 6: what theoretical frameworks or references underpin your research, question 7: how did you address ethical considerations in your research, question 8: in what ways does your research contribute to the field, question 9: how did you ensure your research was free from bias, question 10: where can future research go from here.

Nurturing a success mindset for your defense is pivotal. This means adopting a mental outlook geared towards achieving favorable outcomes during your thesis defense. To truly excel in this pivotal academic moment, it’s imperative to cultivate both confidence and composure.

Confidence enables you to present your research with conviction, while composure allows you to navigate any challenges with grace and clarity.

Remember, you know your thesis best, so trust in your expertise.

In essence, a success mindset encompasses the belief in your abilities, coupled with the ability to remain calm and focused under pressure.

Stay composed and focused, relying on your thorough preparation. If you encounter a question you can’t answer, gracefully guide the conversation back to familiar topics.

Use strategic responses when needed. For example, if a question goes beyond your thesis scope, acknowledge its relevance but steer back to your focused areas. Similarly, if you’re unfamiliar with a theory or literature, admit it but offer related insights or perspectives.

By embracing these principles and staying confident and adaptable, you’ll navigate your thesis defense with ease.

This question delves into the origins of your academic journey, aiming to understand not just what you studied, but the underlying motivations and processes that drove your exploration. It’s not merely about the superficial aspects of your research, but rather about the deeper intellectual curiosity that ignited your quest.

To effectively respond, take the opportunity to elaborate on the intricacies of your journey. Begin by unpacking the specific interests or questions that sparked your intellectual curiosity in the subject matter. What events, experiences, or influences led you to delve into this particular area of study? Providing an anecdote or example that vividly illustrates the genesis of your scholarly pursuit can be helpful.

Moreover, discuss the gaps you identified in the existing literature that motivated you to contribute to your field. What deficiencies or unanswered questions did you observe? How did these gaps inspire you to embark on your research journey with the aim of filling these voids? By articulating the specific shortcomings in the current body of knowledge, you demonstrate a nuanced understanding of your research area and underscore the significance of your work.

Additionally, highlight any personal or academic experiences that played a pivotal role in steering you towards your chosen topic. Whether it was a transformative educational experience, a profound personal interest, or a meaningful encounter, these experiences can offer valuable insights into the origins of your scholarly pursuits.

In summary, when articulating your narrative, consider the following key points:

• Unpack the specific interests or questions that sparked your intellectual curiosity.
• Discuss the gaps in the existing literature that motivated your research.
• Highlight any personal or academic experiences that influenced your choice of topic.

This question delves into the vital role your research plays within the existing body of knowledge, urging you to articulate its significance and impact. It’s not merely about the subject matter you’ve studied, but also about the unique contributions and advancements your research brings to your field. To effectively respond, delve into the intricacies of your work and its implications for the broader academic landscape.

Begin by emphasizing the novelties and breakthroughs your research introduces. Highlight specific aspects of your study that represent advancements in understanding or methodologies. Whether it’s a novel approach to a longstanding problem, the discovery of new phenomena, or the development of innovative methodologies, these contributions underscore the significance of your research within the academic community.

Next, describe how your work engages with or challenges current conversations in your field. Discuss the existing paradigms or theories your research builds upon or critiques. Articulate how your findings contribute to ongoing debates or reshape prevailing understandings. By positioning your research within the broader context of scholarly discourse, you showcase its relevance and impact on the evolving landscape of your field.

Illuminate how your findings could influence future research trajectories. Explore potential avenues for further inquiry that emerge from your research findings. Consider how your work opens up new questions or areas of exploration for future researchers. By identifying these potential research directions, you demonstrate the forward-looking nature of your work and its potential to shape the future trajectory of your field.

In summary, when addressing how your research contributes to the existing body of knowledge, consider the following key points:

• Emphasize the novelties and breakthroughs your research introduces.
• Describe the conversations in your field that your work engages with or challenges.
• Illuminate how your findings could influence future research trajectories.

Addressing the question of your research’s key findings demands skill, as it necessitates succinctly summarizing your work while conveying its significance. To effectively respond, distill your findings into digestible takeaways that encapsulate the essence of your research. Identify the central discoveries or outcomes of your study, ensuring clarity and conciseness in your presentation.

Furthermore, relate these findings to the broader implications they hold for your field. Articulate how your research contributes to advancing knowledge or addressing pressing issues within your academic discipline. Consider the potential impact of your findings on theory, practice, or policy, highlighting their relevance and significance within the larger scholarly community.

Additionally, be prepared to elucidate the nuances and complexities involved in your results. While providing a concise summary of your findings is essential, it’s equally important to acknowledge the intricacies and limitations of your research. Discuss any methodological considerations, unexpected outcomes, or areas for further investigation, demonstrating a nuanced understanding of your work.

In summary, when addressing the key findings of your research, consider the following key points:

• Distill your findings into digestible takeaways.
• Relate the outcomes to the broader implications they hold for your field.
• Be prepared to shed light on the nuances and complexities involved in your results.

Defending your research methodology entails a comprehensive understanding of its rationale, alignment with research objectives, and acknowledgment of potential limitations. It’s not merely about explaining the methods employed but also justifying why they were chosen over alternative approaches. To effectively respond, delve into the intricacies of your methodology and its implications for the study.

Begin by elucidating the reasons for selecting the chosen methodology over alternatives. Discuss the specific advantages or suitability of the selected approach in addressing the research questions or objectives. Consider factors such as feasibility, appropriateness for the research context, and compatibility with the theoretical framework guiding your study.

Furthermore, explain how your chosen methods align with your research objectives. Articulate how the selected methodology enables you to achieve the intended outcomes and contribute to answering the research questions. Discuss how each methodological choice supports the overall research design and furthers the overarching goals of the study.

Be prepared to discuss the limitations inherent in your chosen methodology and how you mitigated them. Acknowledge any constraints or shortcomings associated with the selected approach, such as potential biases, sample size limitations, or data collection challenges. Demonstrate your awareness of these limitations and discuss the strategies implemented to address or minimize their impact on the validity and reliability of your findings.

In summary, when defending your research methodology, consider the following key points:

• Justify the methodology with reasons for selecting it over alternatives.
• Explain the methods’ alignment with your research objectives.
• Be ready to discuss the limitations and how you mitigated them.

Addressing the intricacies of data analysis involves not only outlining the techniques employed but also navigating the challenges encountered and evaluating the reliability and validity of the interpretations drawn. When responding to inquiries about data analysis, it’s essential to provide a comprehensive understanding of the methodologies employed, the obstacles faced, and the strategies utilized to ensure the accuracy and credibility of the findings.

Begin by outlining the techniques used for data analysis. Describe the specific methods, tools, and software employed to process and interpret the data collected. Whether it involved quantitative statistical analysis, qualitative coding techniques, or a combination of both, provide insights into the analytical framework guiding your study. Additionally, discuss the rationale behind the chosen analytical approach and how it aligns with the research objectives and questions.

Next, share the hurdles faced during the data analysis process and how you overcame them. Reflect on any challenges encountered, such as data cleaning issues, missing data, or unexpected patterns in the dataset. Discuss the steps taken to address these challenges, whether through iterative refinement of analytical techniques, consultation with peers or supervisors, or adaptation of the research design. Highlighting your ability to navigate obstacles demonstrates resilience and resourcefulness in overcoming methodological challenges.

Furthermore, discuss the reliability and validity of your data interpretation. Evaluate the rigor and credibility of your analytical process, considering factors such as data integrity, consistency, and relevance to the research objectives. Discuss any measures taken to ensure the trustworthiness of the findings, such as inter-coder reliability checks, triangulation of data sources, or member checking with participants. By critically examining the reliability and validity of your data interpretation, you provide insights into the robustness of your analytical approach and the credibility of the conclusions drawn.

In summary, when addressing inquiries about data analysis, consider the following key points:

• Outline the techniques used for data analysis.
• Share the hurdles faced during the process and how you overcame them.
• Discuss the reliability and validity of your data interpretation.

Exploring the theoretical underpinnings of your research involves delving into the foundational frameworks and seminal works that informed your study’s conceptual framework and analytical approach. When responding to inquiries about theoretical frameworks , it’s essential to provide a comprehensive understanding of the theories and references that shaped your research, elucidate their influence on your hypothesis and analysis, and reflect on the potential contributions or revisions your study may offer to existing theoretical foundations.

Begin by naming the key theories and seminal works that guided your research. Identify the theoretical frameworks that provided the conceptual scaffolding for your study, as well as the seminal works that shaped your understanding of the research area. Discuss how these theories and references informed your research design, methodology, and analytical approach, providing a theoretical lens through which to interpret your findings.

Elucidate on how these frameworks shaped your hypothesis and analysis. Describe how the theoretical perspectives and insights gleaned from seminal works informed the development of your research questions, hypotheses, and analytical framework. Discuss the ways in which these theoretical frameworks guided your data collection and interpretation, influencing the selection of variables, measures, and analytical techniques employed in your study.

Reflect on how your research may contribute to or revise these theoretical foundations. Consider the implications of your findings for advancing existing theoretical frameworks or revising established paradigms within your field. Discuss how your research extends or challenges current theoretical perspectives, offering new insights, conceptual refinements, or empirical evidence that may enrich or reshape prevailing theories. By critically examining the relationship between your research and existing theoretical frameworks, you provide insights into the broader theoretical implications and contributions of your study.

In summary, when addressing inquiries about theoretical frameworks, consider the following key points:

• Name the key theories and seminal works that guided your research.
• Elucidate on how these frameworks shaped your hypothesis and analysis.
• Reflect on how your research may contribute to or revise these theoretical foundations.

When addressing ethical considerations in your research, it’s essential to demonstrate a commitment to upholding ethical standards and protecting the rights and well-being of participants. Responding to inquiries about ethical protocols involves explaining the steps taken to ensure ethical conduct throughout the research process, describing the consent process and data protection measures implemented, and mentioning any institutional review board (IRB) approvals obtained.

Begin by explaining the ethical protocols you followed. Detail the ethical guidelines, codes of conduct, or regulatory frameworks that informed your research design and conduct. Discuss how these guidelines influenced decisions regarding participant recruitment, data collection methods, confidentiality protocols, and data storage procedures, emphasizing your adherence to ethical principles throughout the research process.

Describe the consent process, if applicable, and how you protected participants’ data. Provide insights into how informed consent was obtained from participants, including the procedures used to inform participants about the research purpose, risks, benefits, and their rights. Discuss any measures taken to safeguard participants’ privacy and confidentiality, such as anonymizing data, securing data storage, and limiting access to sensitive information, ensuring the protection of participants’ identities and personal information.

Mention any institutional ethics review board approvals you obtained. Highlight any formal ethical review processes or approvals obtained from relevant regulatory bodies, such as IRBs or ethics committees. Discuss how the research protocol was reviewed for compliance with ethical guidelines and standards, including considerations of participant welfare, informed consent procedures, and data protection measures. By acknowledging the oversight and approval of institutional review bodies, you demonstrate your commitment to ethical integrity and accountability in conducting research involving human subjects.

In summary, when addressing inquiries about ethical considerations in your research, consider the following key points:

• Explain the ethical protocols you followed.
• Describe the consent process and data protection measures implemented.
• Mention any institutional ethics review board approvals obtained.

When discussing the contributions of your research to the field, it’s essential to highlight the novel insights and potential impact your thesis offers. Responding to inquiries about your research’s significance involves detailing the unique perspectives and fresh understanding it brings to the academic discourse, as well as considering its implications for future research or practice and arguing its relevance within the broader academic community.

Begin by detailing the novel insights your thesis provides. Articulate the key findings, discoveries, or perspectives that distinguish your research from existing literature and contribute to advancing knowledge within your field. Discuss how your study fills gaps in current understanding, challenges established assumptions, or offers innovative approaches to addressing pressing issues, highlighting its potential to generate new avenues of inquiry and broaden the scope of scholarly discourse.

Discuss how your findings might influence future research or practice. Consider the implications of your research for shaping future scholarship, informing policy decisions, or guiding professional practice within relevant domains. Reflect on the potential practical applications, theoretical advancements, or methodological innovations stemming from your findings, highlighting their significance for advancing the field and addressing real-world challenges.

Be prepared to argue the relevance of your research within the broader academic community. Articulate the broader significance of your study within the context of current debates, trends, or priorities within your discipline. Discuss how your research aligns with existing scholarly agendas, contributes to interdisciplinary dialogue, or addresses pressing societal concerns, underscoring its relevance and potential impact on shaping the direction of future research and practice.

In summary, when addressing inquiries about the contributions of your research to the field, consider the following key points:

• Detail the novel insights your thesis provides.
• Discuss how your findings might influence future research or practice.
• Be prepared to argue the relevance of your research within the broader academic community.

When ensuring the integrity of your research and minimizing bias, it’s crucial to maintain objectivity and rigor throughout the study. Responding to inquiries about bias involves discussing the steps taken to uphold objectivity, describing any blind or double-blind procedures employed, and acknowledging and mitigating any unavoidable biases that may have arisen during the research process.

Begin by discussing the steps taken to maintain objectivity and rigor. Detail the strategies implemented to minimize the influence of personal biases, preconceptions, or external factors on the research outcomes. This may include adhering to a predetermined research protocol, using standardized procedures for data collection and analysis, and engaging in peer review or validation processes to ensure the reliability and validity of the findings.

Describe any blind or double-blind procedures employed in the study. Explain how blinding techniques were used to prevent bias in data collection, analysis, or interpretation. This may involve withholding certain information from researchers or participants to minimize the potential for conscious or unconscious bias to influence the results. Discuss how these procedures were implemented and their impact on enhancing the credibility and impartiality of the research outcomes.

Acknowledge any unavoidable biases that may have emerged during the research process and discuss how they were mitigated. Reflect on the inherent limitations or sources of bias in the study design, data collection methods, or participant selection criteria. Discuss the steps taken to minimize the impact of these biases, such as conducting sensitivity analyses, controlling for confounding variables, or triangulating data sources to corroborate findings.

In summary, when addressing inquiries about bias in your research, consider the following key points:

• Discuss steps taken to maintain objectivity and rigor.
• Describe any blind or double-blind procedures employed.
• Acknowledge any unavoidable biases and discuss how they were mitigated.

When considering the potential trajectory of your research topic, it’s essential to identify areas where further investigation could yield valuable insights, discuss unexplored questions that emerged from your research, and reflect on the limitations of your study as starting points for future research endeavors. Responding to inquiries about the future direction of research involves suggesting fruitful areas for further investigation, highlighting unresolved questions, and leveraging the limitations of your study as opportunities for future exploration.

Begin by suggesting areas where further investigation could be fruitful. Identify specific gaps, ambiguities, or unanswered questions within the existing literature that warrant additional inquiry. Consider emerging trends, advancements in technology or methodology, or pressing societal issues that may inform potential research directions. Propose research topics or hypotheses that build upon the findings of your study and extend the boundaries of current knowledge within your field.

Discuss unexplored questions that arose from your research. Reflect on any unexpected findings, anomalies, or areas of ambiguity that emerged during the course of your study. Consider how these unanswered questions or unresolved issues could serve as catalysts for future research endeavors, prompting further investigation into related phenomena, alternative explanations, or novel research methodologies.

Reflect on the limitations of your study as starting points for future research. Acknowledge any constraints, biases, or methodological shortcomings that may have influenced the outcomes or interpretations of your study. Discuss how these limitations provide opportunities for future research to refine methodologies, address confounding variables, or explore alternative theoretical frameworks. Consider how addressing these limitations could enhance the validity, reliability, and generalizability of future research findings within your field.

In summary, when addressing inquiries about the potential trajectory of your research topic, consider the following key points:

• Suggest areas where further investigation could be fruitful.
• Discuss unexplored questions that arose from your research.
• Reflect on the limitations of your study as starting points for future research.

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How to write a fantastic thesis introduction (+15 examples)

Think of yourself as a member of a jury, listening to a lawyer who is presenting an opening argument. You'll want to know very soon whether the lawyer believes the accused to be guilty or not guilty, and how the lawyer plans to convince you. Readers of academic essays are like jury members: before they have read too far, they want to know what the essay argues as well as how the writer plans to make the argument. After reading your thesis statement, the reader should think, "This essay is going to try to convince me of something. I'm not convinced yet, but I'm interested to see how I might be."

An effective thesis cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." A thesis is not a topic; nor is it a fact; nor is it an opinion. "Reasons for the fall of communism" is a topic. "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" is a fact known by educated people. "The fall of communism is the best thing that ever happened in Europe" is an opinion. (Superlatives like "the best" almost always lead to trouble. It's impossible to weigh every "thing" that ever happened in Europe. And what about the fall of Hitler? Couldn't that be "the best thing"?)

A good thesis has two parts. It should tell what you plan to argue, and it should "telegraph" how you plan to argue—that is, what particular support for your claim is going where in your essay.

Steps in Constructing a Thesis

First, analyze your primary sources.  Look for tension, interest, ambiguity, controversy, and/or complication. Does the author contradict himself or herself? Is a point made and later reversed? What are the deeper implications of the author's argument? Figuring out the why to one or more of these questions, or to related questions, will put you on the path to developing a working thesis. (Without the why, you probably have only come up with an observation—that there are, for instance, many different metaphors in such-and-such a poem—which is not a thesis.)

Once you have a working thesis, write it down.  There is nothing as frustrating as hitting on a great idea for a thesis, then forgetting it when you lose concentration. And by writing down your thesis you will be forced to think of it clearly, logically, and concisely. You probably will not be able to write out a final-draft version of your thesis the first time you try, but you'll get yourself on the right track by writing down what you have.

Keep your thesis prominent in your introduction.  A good, standard place for your thesis statement is at the end of an introductory paragraph, especially in shorter (5-15 page) essays. Readers are used to finding theses there, so they automatically pay more attention when they read the last sentence of your introduction. Although this is not required in all academic essays, it is a good rule of thumb.

Anticipate the counterarguments.  Once you have a working thesis, you should think about what might be said against it. This will help you to refine your thesis, and it will also make you think of the arguments that you'll need to refute later on in your essay. (Every argument has a counterargument. If yours doesn't, then it's not an argument—it may be a fact, or an opinion, but it is not an argument.)

This statement is on its way to being a thesis. However, it is too easy to imagine possible counterarguments. For example, a political observer might believe that Dukakis lost because he suffered from a "soft-on-crime" image. If you complicate your thesis by anticipating the counterargument, you'll strengthen your argument, as shown in the sentence below.

Some Caveats and Some Examples

A thesis is never a question.  Readers of academic essays expect to have questions discussed, explored, or even answered. A question ("Why did communism collapse in Eastern Europe?") is not an argument, and without an argument, a thesis is dead in the water.

A thesis is never a list.  "For political, economic, social and cultural reasons, communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" does a good job of "telegraphing" the reader what to expect in the essay—a section about political reasons, a section about economic reasons, a section about social reasons, and a section about cultural reasons. However, political, economic, social and cultural reasons are pretty much the only possible reasons why communism could collapse. This sentence lacks tension and doesn't advance an argument. Everyone knows that politics, economics, and culture are important.

A thesis should never be vague, combative or confrontational.  An ineffective thesis would be, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because communism is evil." This is hard to argue (evil from whose perspective? what does evil mean?) and it is likely to mark you as moralistic and judgmental rather than rational and thorough. It also may spark a defensive reaction from readers sympathetic to communism. If readers strongly disagree with you right off the bat, they may stop reading.

An effective thesis has a definable, arguable claim.  "While cultural forces contributed to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the disintegration of economies played the key role in driving its decline" is an effective thesis sentence that "telegraphs," so that the reader expects the essay to have a section about cultural forces and another about the disintegration of economies. This thesis makes a definite, arguable claim: that the disintegration of economies played a more important role than cultural forces in defeating communism in Eastern Europe. The reader would react to this statement by thinking, "Perhaps what the author says is true, but I am not convinced. I want to read further to see how the author argues this claim."

A thesis should be as clear and specific as possible.  Avoid overused, general terms and abstractions. For example, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because of the ruling elite's inability to address the economic concerns of the people" is more powerful than "Communism collapsed due to societal discontent."

Copyright 1999, Maxine Rodburg and The Tutors of the Writing Center at Harvard University

Thesis Defenses

Congratulations to our wonderful students who have successfully defended their thesis projects.

Congratulations to Jillian Rosenberg who successfully defended her thesis entitled “Revealing T Cell Signaling States by 4-Dimensional Lattice Light-Sheet Microscopy of Receptor Dynamics” on April 30, 2021!

Congratulations to Robert Gruener who successfully defended his thesis entitled “Computational Drug Repositioning for Triple-Negative Breast Cancers” on April 27, 2021!

Congratulations to Chang Cui who successfully defended her thesis entitled “Leveraging Macrophages to Develop Cancer Therapeutics” on February 17, 2021!

Congrats to John Cao who successfully defended his thesis entitled “Erythropoiesis is Controlled by External Stimuli through Covalent Epigenetic Modifications and Chromatin Looping” on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2021!

Congratulations Jessica Fessler who successfully defended her thesis entitled “The gut microbiome shapes the tumor microenvironment by tuning innate immunity” on January 25, 2021!

Molly successfully defended her thesis entitled "The Role of CUX1 In Therapy-Related Myeloid Neoplasms" on September 4th, 2020.  

Matthew successfully defended his thesis entitled “Identification of Risk Factors and Comorbidities Associated with Treatment-Related Hearing Loss and Tinnitus and Comparison of their Genetic Architecture with De Novo Etiologies” on June 16, 2020.  

Kyle successfully defended his thesis entitled "Discovery and Validation of Methacryllysine Modification on Histone Proteins" on April 9, 2020.  

Alexander successfully defended his thesis entitled "Predicting clinical drug combination efficacy using  in vitro  monotherapy data" on November 7, 2019.  

Calvin successfully defended his thesis entitled "Revealing Mechanisms of Tumor Suppression Driven by MEIS and HOX Transcription Factors in Prostate Cancer" on July 25, 2019.  

Lindsey successfully defended her thesis entitled "Distinct cell death sensitivity and adaptivity in T cell subsets following manipulation of the BCL-2 family of proteins" on July 22, 2019.  

Sriram successfully defended his thesis entitled "Mechanism of Action of a Signaling Protein DOCK4 in Myelodysplastic Syndromes" on July 12, 2019.  

Yanran successfully defended her thesis entitled "A chimeric antigen receptor recognizes multiple different antigens on a single cancer cell" on July 9, 2019.  

Anna successfully defended his thesis entitled "Preventing estrogen receptor alpha-positive breast cancer outgrowth with the use of hormone replacement therapy" on April 8, 2019.  

Cynthia successfully defended his thesis entitled "The essential molecular mechanisms underlying keratinocyte differentiation and epidermal homeostasis" on March 15, 2019.  

Ali successfully defended his thesis entitled "Discovery of anti-metastatic therapies guided by the physiological suppressor Raf Kinase Inhibitory Protein" on January 7, 2019.  

Payal successfully defended her thesis entitled "Metabolically activated macrophages in mammary adipose tissue link obesity to triple negative breast cancer" on September 4, 2018.

Jillian, a second year student, is one of the recipients of the 2018 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship. Jillian has published a first-author review paper in Current Opinion this year. Her research is characterizing T cell and NK cell interactions with tumor cells using Lattice Light Sheet Microscopy and single cell omics technologies.  Well done Jillian!

Haynes Research Group

• Current Members
• Past Group Photos
• Grad Student Alumni
• Postdoc Alumni
• Undergrad Alumni

Haynes Lab Group Members

Haynes Group in June 2023

Principal Investigator: Dr. Christy L. Haynes (she/her)

Christy (she/her/hers) completed her undergraduate work at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN (1998) with a major in Chemistry and minors in Mathematics and Spanish. Christy's doctoral work was done at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL (2003) under the direction of Richard P. Van Duyne . Her doctoral thesis title was "Fundamentals and Applications of Nanoparticle Optics and Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering." Before arriving at the University of Minnesota, Christy performed postdoctoral research as an NIH NRSA postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of R. Mark Wightman at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (2005). Her efforts in the Wightman lab focused on applying microelectrode amperometry to probe single cell exocytosis.

Christy has been running the Haynes Lab at the University of Minnesota since Fall 2005 and has been head of the Department of Chemistry since June 2023. Find more details on her curriculum vitae. Pronouce Christy Haynes .

Current Group Members

Graduate student: riley lewis, joined in fall '19.

Riley (he/him/his) is a fifth year graduate student. He graduated in 2019 with a B.A. in Chemistry from the New College of Florida. While in the Haynes lab, he plans to work on designing nanoparticles with PFAS affinity as joint work between the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology and a NIEHS collaboration. Riley was a Biotechnology training grant trainee and also completed an internship at Seagate during his graduate work.Pronouce Riley Lewis .

Graduate Student: Beza Tuga, Joined in Fall '19

Beza is a fifth year chemistry graduate student. She earned her B.S. in biochemistry from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh. While in the Haynes group, she will be working to develop nanomaterials for agricultural applications as part of the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology. Pronouce Beza Tuga .

Beza's LinkedIn profile is available.

Graduate Student: Eleni Spanolios, Joined in Fall '19

Eleni is a fifth year graduate student who earned her B.A. in Chemistry from New College of Florida. While in the Haynes group, she will be working on single cell electrochemistry. Pronouce Eleni Spanolios .

Graduate Student: Cheng-Hsin Huang , Joined in Fall '20

Cheng-Hsin is a fourth year graduate student who earned her B.S. and M.S. in chemistry from National Taiwan University. While in the Haynes group, she plans to design nanoparticles with PFAS affinity as joint work between the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology and a NIEHS collaboration. Pronouce Cheng-Hsin Huang .

Graduate Student: Mahmoud Matar Abed, Joined in Fall '20

Mahmoud is a fourth year graduate student who earned his bachelors degree in Chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico-Humacao. He also received a Masters degree in Materials Science & Engineering from Arizona State University. While in the Haynes lab, he will be working with plasmonic/SERS based sensors. Mahmoud held a GEM Fellowship and also completed an internship at NASA during his graduate work. Pronouce Mahmoud Matar Abed .

Graduate Student: Wilanyi Alvarez Reyes, Joined in Fall '21

Wilanyi is a third year graduate student who earned her B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey in May 2021. While in the Haynes Lab, she plans to develop nanomaterials for agriculture applications as joint work between the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology and a USDA collaboration. Pronounce Wilanyi Alvarez Reyes .

Graduate Student: Casey Wouters, Joined in Fall '21

Casey is a third year graduate student who earned her B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Oklahoma in May of 2021. While in the Haynes lab, she plans to study plasmonic sensing as a NSF graduate research fellow. Pronouce Casey Wouters .

Graduate Student: Clare Froehlich, Joined in Fall '22

Clare is a second year graduate student in chemical engineering, co-advised by Professor Vivian Ferry. She joined the Haynes lab as an undergraduate in 2019, and graduated summa cum laude with her B.ChE. in chemical engineering and B.S. in chemistry from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities in 2022, then continued in the group as a graduate student. While in the Haynes lab, she will be working on developing chiral plasmonic nanomaterials for use in SERS sensors as a NSF graduate research fellow. Pronouce Clare Froehlich .

Graduate Student: Abigail Stitgen, Joined in Fall '22

Abby is a second year graduate student who earned her B.A. in Chemistry from Ripon College in May 2022. While in the Haynes lab, she plans to work on carbon dots. Pronouce Abby Stitgen .

Graduate Student: Rhea Caldwell, Joined in Fall '23

Rhea is a first year graduate student who earned her B.S. in Chemistry at Saint Louis University in May 2023. While in the Haynes lab, she plans to work on electrochemical redox sensing. Pronounce Rhea Caldwell .

Graduate Student: Timmy Nguyen, Joined in Fall '23

Timmy is a first year graduate student who earned his B.S. in Biochemistry and Biotechnology with a minor in Physiology at Cal Poly Pomona. While in the Haynes Lab, he plans to work on devloping and using plasmonic/SERS sensing. Pronounce Timmy Nguyen .

Undergraduate Researcher: Andrea Ligocki

Andrea is a junior majoring in Chemistry. She joined the Haynes Lab in October 2021 and is working with Beza to develop nanoparticles for sustainable agriculture.

Undergraduate Researcher: Rima Jamous

Rima is a senior majoring in Chemistry. She joined the Haynes lab in January 2023 and will be working with Wilanyi on developing nanomaterials for sustainable nanotechnology.

Undergraduate Researcher: Katie Riley

Katie is junior majoring in Biomedical Engineering. She joined the Haynes lab in September 2023 and will be working with Mahmoud to develop SERS sensors.

Undergraduate Researcher: Heather Muenter

Heather is a junior earning their B.S. in Chemistry and minoring in Astrophysics. They joined the Haynes lab in January 2024 and is working with Dr. Safia Jilani on carbon dot sensors.

Undergraduate Researcher: Lon Yang

Lon is a sophomore undergraduate student studying chemistry and chemical engineering. While in the Haynes Lab, he will work with Beza, Wilanyi, and Cheng-Hsin to develop nanomaterials for agriculture applications.

Postdoc: Dr. Safia Jilani (she/her)

Safia earned her B.S. in chemistry and studied secondary education at Dominican University. She then earned her Ph.D. with distinction in chemistry at Georgetown University. Her work focused on nanomaterials, electrochemical catalysis, and spectroelectrochemistry in the context of designing better catalysts for ethanol fuel cells. In the Haynes lab and Center of Sustainable Nanotechnology, Safia is working with Eleni and Riley on electrochemical measurements of reactive oxygen species. Pronouce Safia Jilani .

Safia’s LinkedIn profile is available here .

Archive of Group Photos

Haynes Group in August 2021

Haynes Group in May 2021

Haynes Group in January 2020

Haynes Group in December 2018

Haynes Group in Winter 2018

Haynes Group in August 2017

Haynes Group in July 2015

Haynes Group in July 2014

Haynes Group in February 2014

Haynes Group in January 2013

Haynes Group in February 2012

Haynes Group in June 2011

Haynes Group in June 2010

Haynes Group in July 2009

Haynes Group in October 2008

October 2007

August 2006

Graduate Student Alumni

Graduate student: dr. bryce marquis, joined in fall '05.

Bryce successfully defended his Ph.D thesis on August 6, 2010. Bryce was the first student to work on the Haynes group's nanotoxicity project. In addition, he mentored many undergraduate and junior graduate student researchers and performed significant department and community service. After defending his thesis, Bryce did postdoctoral reearch at NIST working on in vivo nanotoxicity studies with Bryant Nelson. Bryce is currently a tenure-track faculty member at the University of Central Arkansas Medical School.

Graduate Student: Dr. Shencheng Ge, Joined in Fall '05

Shencheng successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis on April 26, 2011. Shencheng was the first student to exploit electrochemical techniques to study chemical messenger storage in and secretion from individual blood platelets. Shencheng was a recipient of the University of Minnesota's Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship and is currently performing postdoctoral research with George Whitesides at Harvard.

Graduate Student: Dr. Kyle Bantz, Joined in Fall '06

Kyle successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis on November 4, 2011. While in the Haynes lab, she used surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to characterize complex mixtures of pollutant and lipid systems. After defending her thesis, Kyle performed postdoctoral research with Milan Mrksich at Northwestern University. Kyle is now a term faculty member in the UMN Chemistry Department with a focus on undergraduate analytical courses.

Graduate Student: Dr. Sara Love, Joined in Fall '06

Sara successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis on November 1, 2011. While in the Haynes lab, she explored bioanaytical aspects of nanoparticle cytotoxicity in chromaffin cells and blood. Sara is the Associate Director of Clinical Chemistry, Toxicology, and POC testing in the laboratory medicine & pathology department at Hennepin County Medical Center.

Graduate Student: Dr. Yu-Shen Lin, Joined in Fall '07

Yu-Shen successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis on April 12, 2012. While in the Haynes lab, he was a recipient of the Taiwan Merit Scholarship and a Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship. His research focused on synthesizing novel chemotherapeutic nanoparticles and assessing their cytotoxicity. Yu-Shen spent some time as a Scientist at Oncothyreon in Seattle, WA. and is now a Senior Research Chemist at Ferrotec.

Graduate Student: Dr. Melissa Maurer-Jones, Joined in Fall '07

Melissa successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis on November 27, 2012. While in the Haynes lab, she was a recipient of the NSF Graduate Fellowship, an ACS DAC Fellowship, and a Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship. Her research focused on the correlation between reactive oxygen species and chemical messenger secretion after cell exposure to nanoscale materials. Melissa also initiated the Haynes group's work considering bacterial nanoparticle toxicity. After doing postdoctoral research with Prof. Kris McNeill at the ETH in Zurich, Melissa is now a tenure-track Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota, Duluth.

Melissa Maurer-Jones' curriculum vitae is available.

Graduate Student: Dr. Secil Koseoglu, Joined in Summer '09

Secil successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis on December 14, 2012. While in the Haynes lab, co-advised by Phil Buhlmann, Secil's work focused on characterizing the fundamental behavior of individual human platelets, with specific interest on membrane phenomena. Secil did postdoctoral research with Dr. Robert Flaumenhaft at Harvard Medical School and is currently a Research Scientist at Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

Graduate Student: Dr. Benjamin Manning, Joined in Fall '08

Ben successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis on July 16, 2013. While in the Haynes lab, Ben was a Chemical Biology Trainee (2010-2012) and a recipient of a Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship. His work focused on study of chemical messenger delivery in mast cells in various inflammatory states. Dr. Manning is currently attending medical school at the University of Minnesota.

Graduate Student: Dr. Audrey Meyer, Joined in Fall '08

Audrey successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis on October 22, 2013. While in the Haynes lab, Audrey was a recipient of the NSF Graduate Fellowship and a Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship. Her work focused on developing MS analysis methods for the mast cell and platlet secreteome/lipidome. In November 2013, Audrey began work as a Process Engineer at Intel in Portland, OR.

Graduate Student: Dr. Donghyuk Kim, Joined in Fall '08

Donghyuk successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis on October 23, 2013. His work focused on building a microfluidic model of the immune system and exploring how immune cells communicate with one another. Following his thesis defense, Donghyuk began postdoctoral research with Dino DiCarlo at UCLA.

Graduate Student: Sam Egger, Group member from Fall '12 to Fall '14

While in the Haynes lab, Sam worked to synthesize mesoporous silica nanoparticles for both biomedical and sensing purposes.

Graduate Student: Dr. Antonio Campos, Joined in Fall '11

Tony successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis on April 6, 2015. His work focused on developing SERS sensors for detection of bloodborne protein species. Tony is currently serving as an adjunct professor at University of Texas at Austin.

Graduate Student: Dr. Katie Hurley (née Stevens), Joined in Fall '10

Katie successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis on August 25, 2015. Her work focused on building multifunctional therapeutic nanoparticles. While pursuing her doctoral work, Katie was a NSF Graduate Research Fellow and won a UMN Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship. She is now working at a Principal Chemist in the On-Premise Laundry group within Institutional R&D at Ecolab in Eagan, MN.

Graduate Student: Dr. Solaire Finkenstaedt-Quinn, Joined in Fall '10

Solaire successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis on January 28, 2016. Her thesis work focused on exploring the fundamentals of human platelet chemical messenger storage and secretion, with an emphasis on imaging techniques. In addition, Solaire pursed a significant amount of chemical education research considering both outreach and formal school audiences. She is now working as a postdoctoral fellow at University of Michigan on a project titled “Collaborative Research: Accelerating the Pace of Research and Implementation of Writing-to-Learn Pedagogies across STEM Disciplines.”

Graduate Student: Dr. Sarah Gruba, Joined in Fall '12

Sarah successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis on April 21, 2016. Her thesis work focused on both single cell and mass spectrometric analysis of platelet and mast cell secretion. During her time as a graduate student, she was supported as a trainee on the Biotechnology Training Grant and did an internship at Boston Scientific where she is now working. Email Sarah

Graduate Student: Dr. Ian Gunsolus, Joined in Fall '11

Ian successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis on May 3, 2016. His thesis work focused on the interaction between engineered nanomaterials and Gram-negative bacteria. During his time as a graduate student, he was a trainee on the Biotechnology Training Grant and was also a recipient of the Torske Klubben Fellowship and Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship. Dr. Gunsolus is currently a Laboratory Scientific Director for HealthPartners in the Twin Cities.

Graduate Student: Dr. Xiaojie Wu, Joined in Fall '11

Xiaojie successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis on August 3, 2016. His thesis work focused on developing microfluidic platforms to study immune cell interactions in complex, dynamic environments. During his time as a graduate student, he did an internship at ZeptoLife, and is now an R&D Manager in a Sino-Japanese joint venture in Shanghai.

Graduate Student: Dr. Victoria Szlag, Joined in Fall '12

Victoria successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis on February 16, 2018. Her thesis work, co-advised by Professor Theresa Reineke, focused on the use of glycopolymers as affinity agents in SERS sensors. She is now a Senior Scientist in R&D Pharmaceutical Sciences at Boston Scientific.

Graduate Student: Dr. Tian (Autumn) Qiu, Joined in Fall '12

Autumn successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis on March 27, 2018. Her thesis work focused on studying environmental nanotoxicity and developing new analytical methods to study nanoparticles in complex matrices as part of the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology. She is now Beckman Institute Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Illinois, working in the laboratory of Prof. Jonathan Sweedler.

Graduate Student: Dr. Joe Buchman, Joined in Fall '13

Joe successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis on December 18, 2018. His thesis work focused on uncovering the key molecular interactions underlying nano-bio interactions as part of the "Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology." During his time in the Haynes lab, Joe held a National Science Foundation graduate fellowship and was also a trainee on the Biotechnology Training Grant.

Graduate Student: Dr. Sunipa Pramanik, Joined in Fall '13

Sunipa successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis on December 20, 2018. Her thesis work focused studying environmental nanotoxicity of Cd-free quantum dots as part of the "Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology" and the "Materials Research Science & Engineering Center." Sunipa is currently a science advisor for Environmental Health & Safety at Columbia University.

Graduate Student: Dr. Bo Zhi, Joined in Fall '14

Bo successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis on August 16, 2019. His thesis work focused on bacterial toxicity evaluation of group IV semiconductor nanocrystals for the MRSEC and synthesis and applications of carbon-based luminescent nanoparticles for the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology. Bo is currently a senior research scientist at Zeon in Japan.

Graduate Student: Peter Clement, Joined in Fall '16

Peter completed his M.S. work in the Haynes lab exploring the toxicity of complex metal oxides and phosphate nanomaterials within the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology.

Graduate Student: Dr. Hyunho Kang, Joined in Fall '14

Hyunho successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis on December 19, 2019. His thesis work focused on multifunctional mesoporous silica nanoparticle synthesis within the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology. Hyunho is currently a research chemist at Merck in Rahway, New Jersey.

Graduate Student: Dr. Natalie Hudson-Smith, Joined in Fall '15

Natalie successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis on September 21, 2020. Her thesis work focused on methods development for characterizing the toxicity of engineered nanoparticles and science outreach within the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology. Natalie is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Stonybrook University as part of the IRACDA-NY teaching/research program, performing research with Prof. Liz Boon.

Graduate Student: Dr. Amani Lee, Joined in Fall '15

Amani successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis on August 26, 2020. His thesis work was co-advised by Dr. Haynes and Dr. Pomerantz, focusing on fluorine-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles for biomedical applications. Amani is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Graduate Student: Dr. Kang Xiong-Hang, Joined in Fall '15

Kang successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis on August 25, 2020. Her thesis work focused on characterizing the role of blood platelets in malarial infection using single cell electrochemical measurements. Kang is currently a clinical chemistry fellow at HCMC in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Graduate Student: Dr. Becky Rodriguez, Joined in Fall '16

Becky defended her Ph.D. thesis on November, 5 2021. Her thesis work focused on using SERS and polymers to detect for various toxins. Becky is currently a research staff member in the operational evaluation division of the Institute for Defense Analysis. Pronouce Rebeca Rodriguez .

Graduate Student: Dr. Jiayi He, Joined in Fall '16

Jiayi defended her Ph.D. thesis on July 12, 2022. Her thesis work focused on transistor-based sensors to detect small and large molecule targets. Jaiyi is currently a consultant at McKinsey & Company in New Jersey.

Graduate Student: Dr. Xiaoxiao Yao, Joined in Fall '17

Xiaoxiao defended her Ph.D. thesis on July 28, 2022. Her thesis work focused on both fundamental and applied studies of carbon dots. Xiaoxiao is currently a senior chemist at Biorad in San Francisco. Pronouce Xiaoxiao Yao .

Graduate Student: Dr. Tana O'Keefe, Joined in Fall '18

Tana defended her Ph.D. thesis on March 1, 2024. Her thesis work focused on the use of nanoparticles for agricultural applications as part of the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology. Tana also completed an internship at 3M during her graduate work. Tana is currently a senior scientist at Land O' Lakes in Arden Hills, MN. Pronouce Tana O'Keefe .

Postdoc and Visiting Scholar Alumni

Postdoc: dr. adam d. mcfarland.

Adam is now a research scientist at Eli Lilly. He joined the Haynes research group as an expert in Raman spectroscopy ready to explore the synthesis and transport of neurotransmitters inside cultured neuronal cells.

Adam earned his B.S. at the University of Dayton (1999) and his Ph.D. in the Van Duyne group at Northwestern University (2004). He performed one year of postdoctoral research in the Hersam group at Northwestern University (2005) before joining the Haynes lab.

Postdoc: Dr. Nathan Wittenberg

Nate joined the Haynes Lab after a postdoctoral stint at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Nate did his undergraduate work at the University of Minnesota and completed his Ph.D. at Penn State University (2006) under the guidance of Prof. Andrew Ewing , where he used giant liposomes to mimic cellular processes.

While in the Haynes lab, Nate worked to perform spectroscopic and electrochemical identification of neurotransmitters in invertebrae and single blood platelets. Nate is currently performing postdoctoral work with Prof. Sang-Hyun Oh at the University of Minnesota.

Postdoctoral Researcher: Dr. Ashish Datt

Ashish earned his PhD with Dr. Sarah Larsen at the University of Iowa , where he studied adsorption properties of silica and zeolite particles. As a postdoctoral researcher in the Haynes lab, he synthesized novel multifunctional core-shell mesoporous nanomaterials for biomedical and sensing applications.

Postdoctoral Researcher: Dr. Kayeong Shin

Kayeong earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry with Dr. Hoeil Chung at Hanyang University (2014), Korea, where she worked on detection of disease biomarkers based on SERS combined with FFF system. While in the Haynes group, her research interest focused on live cell imaging using TIRF microscopy. Kayeong departed the Haynes lab in March 2016 to be a Senior Research Engineer at Samsung Electronics in Korea.

Postdoctoral Researcher: Dr. Zhe Gao

Zhe earned her PhD in Chemistry with Dr. Ilya Zharov at the University of Utah, where she worked on synthesis and characterization of novel boron and silica nanoparticles. While in the Haynes group, she worked on SERS analysis of protein analytes in blood and synthesis of mesoporous silica for biomedical applications. Zhe is currently a research associate in the Bischof Lab at the University of Minnesota.

Zhe's curriculum vitae is available.

Postdoctoral Researcher: Dr. Hattie Ring

Hattie earned her undergraduate degrees at Iowa State University (2007) with majors in Physics and Chemistry. She then completed her Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley (2012), where she worked on NMR and MRI applications of xenon hyperpolarization and atomic magnetometry in Alex Pines' group. While in the Haynes lab, she worked on a wide variety of collaborative projects largely focused on quantification of iron-oxide nanoparticles in vivo with magnetic resonance imaging. In 2021, Hattie took a position as a Research Specialist at 3M focused on NMR in research and development (photo credit: David Trease).

Hattie's LinkedIn profile is available.

Research Fellow: Ozlem Ersin

Ozlem worked in the Haynes lab to add her expertise in immunology. She collaborated with Shencheng, Audrey, Donghyuk, and Ben to advance our immune system-on-a-chip work. Ozlem is currently an Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Manchester College.

Visiting Faculty: Prof. Vivian Feng

Vivian is an Associate Professor at Augsburg College who spent her 2014-2015 academic year on sabbatical in the Haynes lab. She is working as part of the "Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology" on environmental nanotoxicity using a bacterial model.

Summer 2013 NNIN RET Researcher: Cassandra Knutson

Cassie is a chemistry teacher and technology integration specialist in White Bear Lake Area Schools. Cassie earned her undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University of North Dakota and obtained her Masters degree in science education from the University of Minnesota. During summer 2013, Cassie worked with Audrey Meyer to optimize the pedagogical focus of the Haynes group's outreach activities.

Summer 2013 LEF Researcher: Jolene Johnson Armstrong

Jolene is an assistant professor at St. Catherine University who joined the Haynes lab in June 2013 with two of her undergraduate researchers, Sara and Rachel. Jolene got her doctorate in the Mueller lab in the Physics department at the University of Minnesota before taking a position at St. Kate's in Fall 2012. Sara is a senior and Rachel a junior at St. Kate's, both are Chemistry majors. They worked with mentor Solaire Finkenstaedt-Quinn to perform TIRF imaging on platelets in a microfluidic device.

Summer 2012 RET Researcher: Sharon Haldeman

Sharon is a high school teacher at Southwest High School, teaching Chemistry, Biology, and Physical Science. She worked, during summer 2012, on outreach activities (with mentors Melissa Maurer-Jones and Audrey Meyer) as a participant of the NNIN RET program.

Summer 2015 and 2016 MRSEC RET Researcher: Sarah Schoeller

Sarah a chemistry teacher at White Bear Lake High School. She spent summer 2015 and 2016 participating in the MRSEC "Research Experience for Teachers" program and was working with Solaire on a project involving science in dystopian literature.

Summer 2017 MRSEC RET Researcher: Michael Maudal

Michael was a chemistry teacher at White Bear Lake High School. He spent summer 2017 participating in the MRSEC "Research Experience for Teachers" program and was working with Natalie on two projects involving science in dystopian literature and hands-on activities to explain the chemistry of climate change.

Visiting Scholar: Dr. Guicen Ma

Guicen got her PhD degree in Chemistry from Zhejiang University of China in 2013. Now, she is an associate research fellow at the Tea Research Institute, CAAS, in China. Her research interest is in the detection of trace contaminants in tea; while in the Haynes lab, she will use the SERS for pesticide detection.

Undergraduate Researcher Alumni

Undergraduate researcher: meredith hoff.

Meredith was a senior majoring in Chemistry at Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC during her time as 2023 Lando summer research student in the Haynes lab. She worked with Clare to develop chiral nanomaterials for SERS sensors.

Undergraduate Researcher: Zephani Melichar

Ani was a fourth year undergraduate student studying Biomedical Engineering at the University of Arizona when she spent Summer 2023 in the Haynes lab as a CSN SURE researcher. She worked with Eleni on electrochemical measurements of reactive oxygen species.

Post-baccalaureate: Sharmaka Mohamud

Sharmaka was a post-bacc researcher working in the Haynes lab as a North Star STEM PRELS Research Fellowship from January - August 2023. He graduated from Augsburg University in 2021, where he earned his B.S. in Biopsychology. While in the Haynes lab, he worked with Tana O’Keefe and Cheng-Hsin Huang to develop mesoporous silica nanoparticles for agricultural applications.

Summer 2023 Incoming Graduate Student Researcher: Rhea Caldwell

Rhea was a year zero graduate student who earned her B.S. in Chemistry at Saint Louis University in 2023. She spent Summer 2023 in the Haynes lab working with Clare to develop SERS sensors. Pronounce Rhea Caldwell .

Summer Undergraduate Researcher: David Ajayi

David was a premed health sciences student at the University of Minnesota Rochester who joined the Haynes Lab in June 2022 through the CSN's Research Experience for Veterans (REV) program. He was mentored by Eleni focusing on electrochemical detection of reactive oxygen species.

Summer Undergraduate Researcher: Timmy Nguyen

Timmy was a third year undergraduate student double-majoring in Biochemistry and Biotechnology with a minor in Physiology at Cal Poly Pomona. He joined the Haynes Lab in June 2022 through the REU/LANDO program and was mentored by Casey on plasmonic sensing for the summer. Pronounce Timmy Nguyen .

Summer 2022 Incoming Graduate Student Researcher: Antavia Paredes-Beaulieu

Antavia studied Chemistry at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, MN and is excited to begin her Ph.D. Studies at the University of Minnesota in Fall of 2022. She spent Summer 2022 working in the Haynes Lab with her mentor, Cheng-Hsin Huang. Antavia worked with Cheng-Hsin to synthesize mesoporous silica nanoparticles for environmental applications.

Undergraduate Researcher: Clare Froehlich

Clare was a Chemistry and Chemical Engineering double major at the University of Minnesota. She joined the Haynes Lab in February 2019 and worked with Becky and Jiayi on aptamer-based toxin sensing and became an expert in surface plasmon resonance, graduating in May 2022 summa cum laude. In Fall 2022, Clare re-joined the Haynes Lab as a jointly advised doctoral students. Pronouce Clare Froehlich .

Undergraduate Researcher: Salman Jaiteh

Salman was a UMN Chemistry major from West Africa, the Gambia. He joined the Haynes lab in Fall 2021 to work with Riley on nanoparticles for environmental remediation applications until his graduation in May 2022.

Undergraduate Researcher: Astrid Hernandez

Astrid , who joined the Haynes Lab in June 2021, graduated with her Chemistry major in Spring 2022. Mentored by Eleni, she developed electrochemistry methods to detect reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Astrid is now a chemistry specialist for WuXi AppTec. Pronouce Astrid Hernandez .

Undergraduate Researcher: Ali Anod

Ali worked in the Haynes lab with Tana for Fall 2020 on nanoparticles for agricultural applications and returned to the lab again for the 2021-2022 academic year to continue that research. He graduated in Spring 2022 with a major in Human Physiology.

Undergraduate Researcher: Meghan Cahill

Meghan , who joined the Haynes Lab in September 2017, graduated with her Chemistry major in May 2021. Mentored by Natalie, she studied nanotoxicity in bacteria as part of the NSF Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology. Meghan is currently a researcher at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven, CT.

Undergraduate Researcher: Trever Sheldon

Trever graduated in May 2021 with a major in chemistry and a minor in pharmacology. He joined the Haynes Lab in September 2019 and worked with Jiayi and Becky on mycotoxin sensor design until his graduation. Trever is currently attending pharmacy school at UMN.

Undergraduate Researcher: Mary McIntire

Mary joined the Haynes Lab in January 2020 and worked with Xiaoxiao on carbon dot synthesis until August 2021.

Summer Undergraduate Researcher: Kaitlyn Gruber (she/her)

Kaitlyn was a Summer 2021 LANDO/NSF REU Student from Gustavus Adolphus College where she double-majored in Chemistry and Biochemistry/Molecular Biology. During her summer in the lab, she worked with Jiayi and Clare on aptamer-based serotonin sensing using SPR.

Summer Undergraduate Researcher: Radwa Abdelaziz

Radwa was a Summer 2021 CSN SURE student joining from CUNY-Hunter College where she majors in Chemistry with minors in Middle Eastern and Environmental Studies. During her summer in the lab, she worked with Beza on assessing nanoparticle toxicity utilizing growth-based viability assays.

Undergraduate Researcher: Wilanyi Alvarez Reyes

Wilanyi is a senior majoring in chemistry and minoring in mathematics at University of Puerto Rico who worked (remotely) in the Haynes lab during summer 2020. As part of the CSN REU program, she worked with Natalie Hudson-Smith and Tana O'Keefe on a nanoscience-themed interactive-text game project.

CSN Summer Undergraduate Researcher: Emma Henshaw

Emma , was a rising junior at St. Lawrence University studying biology, chemistry, and public health, who joined the Haynes group for Summer 2019. She worked with mentor Hyunho Kang to characterize how nanoparticle surface roughness influences nano/bio interactions.

Undergraduate Researcher: Sang-Hyuk Lee

Sang-Hyuk was an undergraduate researcher in the Haynes lab, majoring in chemistry and minoring in biology. He worked with his mentor Amani to optimize nanoparticle loading with fluorinated molecules.

Undergraduate Researcher: Elaine Kappel

Elaine joined the Haynes group in Spring 2018 and worked in the lab until leaving to study abroad in August 2019. She worked for one semester with D. Hattie Ring to expand the applications of the ferrozine assay and then worked with Xiaoxiao to examine carbon dots and their various properties.

Undergraduate Researcher: Eileen McIntire

Eileen joined the Haynes lab in January 2016 and stayed until December 2018. She worked with Sunipa to characterize bacterial response to Si nanocrystals and CSN nanomaterials and is now working at Ecolab.

Undergraduate Researcher: Davis Long

Davis joined the Haynes Lab in February 2017 as a biochemistry major. Mentored by Hyunho, he synthesized mesoporous silica nanoparticles as part of the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology.

Undergraduate Researcher: Kaila Kemnetz-Ness

Kaila joined the Haynes lab in September 2017 and stayed until her graduation in May 2018. While in the Haynes lab, she worked with mentor Kang Xiong-Hang to explore the role of blood platelets in malarial infection through a mouse model. She is now attending pharmacy school.

Undergraduate Researcher: Katie Landy

Katie joined the Haynes research lab in August 2016 and stayed until her graduation in May 2018. She majored in Chemistry with minors in Biochemistry and Sustainability Studies and worked with Joe Buchman in the Haynes Lab to explore bacterial toxicity of nanoparticles. Katie is now a graduate student in the Chemistry Program at Northwestern University

Undergraduate Researcher: Sam Bryson

Sam ,a Chemistry and Chemical Engineering double major, joined the Haynes lab in January 2016 and continued research until Spring 2018. While in the Haynes lab, he worked with mentor Victoria Szlag to create SERS substrates for use as novel sensors.

Undergraduate Researcher: Kyle Johnson

Kyle joined the Haynes lab in Fall 2014 and stayed until his graduation in May 2018. He worked jointly with the Haynes lab and the Feng lab to explore the bacterial toxicity of Au nanoparticles as part of the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, and he wrote a summa cum laude honors thesis based on this work. Kyle is currently working as an indefinite contractor for 3M via Pace Analytical in Minneapolis, MN.

CSN Summer 2017 Undergraduate Researcher: Lizbeth Hernandez

Liz was a junior majoring in Biology who joined the Haynes lab for summer 2017. She worked with Natalie to explore the toxicity of new battery materials as part of the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology.

MRSEC Summer 2017 Undergraduate Researcher: Sam Merlus

Sam was a rising junior majoring in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Tuskegee University who spent summer 2017 in the Haynes lab. Through the MRSEC REU program, Sam was working in the Haynes lab with mentor Bo Zhi to assess the toxicity of doped silicon nanocrystals.

Lando Summer 2017 Undergraduate Researcher: Huan (Kyle) Nguyen

Kyle was a rising senior chemistry major at the College of Wooster who spent summer 2017 in the Haynes lab. Through the Lando program, Kyle was working in the Haynes lab with mentor Amani Lee on his PFC-loaded nanoparticle work.

CSN Summer 2017 Undergraduate Researcher: Anaeli Shockey Lopez

Anaeli was a undergraduate in Chemical Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez when she spent summer 2017 in the Haynes lab. While in the Haynes lab, she was working with Tian (Autumn) Qiu and Peter Clement to explore the interaction between lipid vesicles and gold nanoparticles.

Undergraduate Researcher: Dona-Carla Forester

Dona was a Chemistry major who worked the Haynes lab from September 2015 until May 2017. Dona worked with Autumn to characterize the molecular character of nanoparticle/bacteria interactions and is the co-author on a paper published in Analytical Chemistry .

Lando Summer 2016 Undergraduate Researcher: Anna Krieger

Anna spent summer 2016, when she was a rising senior at Gustavus Adolphus College, in the Haynes lab. At Gustavus, she majored in chemistry and minored in statistics. Through the Lando program, she worked in the Haynes lab with mentor Kang Xiong-Hang on her blood platelet work.

CSN Summer 2016 Undergraduate Researcher: Susan Pham

Susan spent summer 2016, when she was ready to begin her 5th year as an undergraduate at Oklahoma State University. AT Oklahoma State, she's a triple major in chemistry (B.S.), biochemistry & molecular biology (B.S.A.G.), and mathematics, and She plans to go to graduate school after graduate. Her research interests are in synthesizing/characterizing materials for different types of applications. During summer 2016, Susan worked with Bo on synthesizing carbon dots from a variety of carbon precursors.

Undergraduate Researcher: Megan Klein

Megan was a Chemistry major at the University of Minnesota who worked in the Haynes lab from May 2013 - August 2016. While in the Haynes lab, she worked with mentors Ashish Datt and Katie Hurley to fabricate mesoporous silica-based sensors. Megan is current in graduate school for chemistry at MIT.

Undergraduate Researcher: Michael McDermott

Michael was an undergraduate Chemistry major who worked in the Haynes lab from December 2014-August 2016. While in the Haynes lab, we worked with Dr. Zhe Gao to create core-shell nanoparticles. He is currently a process engineer in the diffusion department at Polar Semiconductor.

Undergraduate Researcher: Adam Joules

Adam was a Chemical Engineering major who worked the Haynes lab from January 2014 - July 2016. While in the Haynes lab, he worked with mentors Sam Egger and Dr. Hattie Ring to synthesize mesoporous silica nanoparticles for drug delivery. Adam went on to be a research associate at Applied Membrane Technology, Inc. and then started in UMN's Biomedical Engineering PhD program in Fall 2019.

Undergraduate Researcher: Kadir Hussein

Kadir graduated with a Chemistry major from the University of Minnesota in December 2016. While working in the Haynes lab from April 2013-February 2016, he worked with mentors Ian Gunsolus and Ben Meyer to monitor bacteria respiration during nanoparticle exposure. Kadir's work was supported in part by the McNair Scholars Program.

Undergraduate Researcher: Matt Styles

Matt worked in the Haynes lab from May 2013 until leaving for grad school in August 2015. While in the Haynes lab, worked with mentors Antonio Campos and Victoria Szlag to fabricate substrates for surface-enhance Raman scattering and use them for protein sensing applications.

Summer Undergraduate Researcher: Nate Rackstraw

Nate was a rising junior at Macalester College pursuing a B.A. in chemistry when he worked in the Haynes lab for summer 2015. Nate worked with Autumn on her environmental nanotoxicity project.

UMN Lando Researcher: Emily Cliff

Emily was a rising junior at Ripon College where she was majoring in chemistry and minoring in biology when she worked in the Haynes lab for summer 2015. As part of the Lando REU program, she worked with Xiaojie Wu to use microfluidic devices to research how different cell types communicate using biological signaling molecules.

MRSEC REU Researcher: Jacob White

Jake was a rising senior at Tulane University majoring in chemistry and minoring in public health when he worked in the Haynes lab for summer 2015. As part of the MRSEC REU program, he worked with Sunipa on her nanotoxicity project.

ACS Seed Researcher: Ka Lia Xiong

Ka Lia was a rising junior in high school at Washington Technology Magnet School when she worked in the Haynes lab for summer 2015. As part of the ACS Project SEED program, she worked with Joe on a nanotoxicity project.

Undergraduate Researcher: Molly Newbold

Molly worked in the lab from September 2013 until graduation in May 2015 as she pursued a major in Chemistry with a minor in Biology. Molly is planning to attend dental school after the completion of her undergraduate degree. While in the Haynes lab, she worked with Xiaojie to study the interaction in neutrophils and chemokines in microfluidic devices.

Undergraduate Researcher: Bruno Bohn

Bruno worked in the lab while he was a freshman and sophomore majoring in Chemistry with a minor in Biochemistry. He worked in the Haynes lab from January 2014-January 2015, with mentors Sarah Gruba and Solaire Finkenstaedt-Quinn. He plans to attend medical school after the completion of his undergraduate degree.

2014 Lando Summer Undergraduate Researcher: Danielle Francis

Danielle is a senior chemistry major at Mississippi State University who worked in the Haynes lab during the summer of 2014. Through the LANDO program, she worked with mentor Sarah Gruba to study opioid receptors on blood platelets using a variety of bioanalytical techniques.

2014 Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology Undergraduate Researcher: Ky Christenson

Ky is a sophomore chemical engineering major at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. He worked with Autumn and other CSN collaborators on the topic of environmental nanotoxicity as part of the 2014 CSN REU program.

2014 Summer Undergraduate Researcher: Hilena Frew

Hilena is a Sophomore at Augsburg College, who is advised by Dr. Vivian Feng. She is double majoring in chemistry and mathematics. While in the Haynes lab during summer 2014, she was investigating environmental nanotoxicity on a bacteria model.

2014 Summer Undergraduate Researcher: Lyle Nyberg

Lyle is a sophomore chemistry and biology double major attending Augsburg College working under Dr. Vivian Feng. While in the Haynes lab during summer 2014, he analyzed how gold nanoparticles affect a gram-positive bacterial model as part of the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology.

Summer 2013 NNIN REU Researcher: Ashlyn Young

Ashlyn is an undergraduate student at UNC, Chapel Hill who joined the Haynes lab for summer 2013. While in the Haynes lab, Ashlyn worked with mentor Xiaojie Wu to study neutrophil chemotaxis using microfluidic platforms.

Undergraduate Student: Dan Bakke

Dan is an undergraduate Chemistry and Materials Science & Engineering double major at the University of Minnesota who worked in the Haynes lab from December 2012- December 2013. While in the Haynes lab, he worked with Katie Hurley to develop separation techniques for iron oxide nanoparticles to be incorporated into mesoporous silica shells.

Undergraduate Student: Yiwen Wang

Yiwen was an undergraduate chemistry major at the University of Minnesota who worked in the Haynes lab from April 2012 until June 2013. While in the Haynes lab, she worked with mentors Audrey Meyer and Ben Manning to monitor cell-secreted species using HPLC with electrochemical detection.

Undergraduate Student: Heidi Nelson

Heidi was an undergraduate Chemistry major at the University of Minnesota who worked in the Haynes lab from January 2011 until August 2012. While in the Haynes lab, she worked with mentors Kyle Bantz and Secil Koseoglu to exploit plasmonics for various sensing applications. Heidi's work was supported in part by a competitive Heisig-Gleysteen Award and UROP funding. Her research was included in her undergraduate honors thesis, a key component to her summa cum laude Latin honors.

Undergraduate Student: Alec Nicol

Alec is an undergraduate chemistry/biochemistry double major at the University of Minnesota. who worked in the Haynes lab from September 2011 until October 2012. While in the Haynes lab, he worked with mentor Katie Hurley to synthesize multifunctional mesoporous nanoparticles. Alec's work was supported in part by a competitive UROP award that he earned for 2011-2012. Alec spent summer 2012 in Japan as a researcher in the NanoJapan: IREU program.

Undergraduate Student: Cole Christenson

Cole is a chemistry major at Gustavus Adolphus who spent summer 2011 and 2012 working in the Haynes lab. While in the Haynes lab, he is worked with mentor Melissa Maurer-Jones to perform nanotoxicity experiments in bacteria.

Undergraduate Student: John Thompson

John was an undergraduate Chemistry/Physics/Philosophy triple major at the University of Minnesota who worked in the Haynes lab from September 2009 - May 2012. While in the Haynes lab, he worked with mentors Sara Love and Audrey Guerard to examine blood-nanoparticle interactions and the mast cell secretome. John's work was supported in part by a competitive UROP award that he earned for 2009-2010. John is currently enrolled in the UCLA MD/PhD program.

Undergraduate Student: Zhen (Nancy) Liu

Nancy is a senior undergraduate Chemistry/Chemical Engineering double major at the University of Minnesota who worked in the Haynes lab from June 2009 - May 2011. While in the Haynes lab, she worked with mentors Sara Love and Bryce Marquis to investigate nanoparticle shape effects on cellular toxicity. Nancy's work was supported in part by a competitive UROP award that she earned for 2009-2010.

Undergraduate Student: Gregory Gibson

Gregory is a junior Chemical Engineering major at the University of Minnesota. While in the Haynes lab, he worked with mentor Melissa Maurer-Jones to develop a model for nanoecotox studies of metal oxide nanoparticles.

Undergraduate Student: Emily Woo

Emily graduated with her Chemistry major from the University of Minnesota in May 2011. She began working in the Haynes lab in Summer 2008, and while in the Haynes lab, she worked with mentor Shencheng Ge to investigate the secretion of chemical messengers from individual blood platelets. Emily wrote and defended an honor's thesis based on her research. She is currently attending the University of Minnesota Medical School.

Undergraduate Student: Nardine Abadeer

Nardine graduated with her chemistry major from the University of Minnesota in May 2011. She began working in the Haynes lab in January 2010, and while in the Haynes lab, she worked with mentor Yu-Shen Lin to fabricate mesoporous nanoparticles and assess their toxicity and drug loading capacity. Nardine is now attending chemistry graduate school at the University of Illinois and working with Professor Cathy Murphy as a NSF Graduate Research Fellow.

Undergraduate Student: Gyung Ah (Tiya) Kim

Tiya graduated with her biochemistry major from the University of Minnesota in May 2011. While in the Haynes lab, she worked with mentor Ben Manning to perform HPLC analysis of mast cell-secreted species. Tiya wrote and defended an honor's thesis based on her research. She is currently attending medical school at Ewha Womans University in Korea.

Undergraduate Student: Benjamin Carlson

Ben was a chemistry/biochemistry double major at the University of Minnesota. While in the Haynes lab, he worked with mentor Secil Koseoglu to perform carbon-fiber microelectrode modification to minimize fouling.

Undergraduate Student: Marsha Sintara

Marsha graduated with her chemistry major from the University of Minnesota in May 2011. While in the Haynes lab, she worked with mentor Audrey Meyer to perform biomolecule extraction and purification from mast cell releasate. Marsha is attending chemistry graduate school at the University of Rhode Island.

Undergraduate Student: Joe Zibley

Joe is a chemistry major at the University of Minnesota. He worked in the Haynes lab during spring semester 2011, working with mentor Donghyuk Kim to build microfluidic devices for single cell manipulations.

Undergraduate Summer Researchers 2011: Cole Christenson, Sarah Gruba and Leah Laux

Cole is a junior chemistry major at the University of Minnesota who spent summer 2011 working in the Haynes lab. While in the Haynes lab, he worked with mentor Melissa Maurer-Jones to perform nanotoxicity experiments in bacteria.

Sarah is a recent graduate of Creighton University who spent summer 2011 working in the Haynes lab as a Lando researcher. While in the Haynes lab, she worked with mentor Ben Manning to use HPLC to characterize mast cell secretion.

Leah is a junior biomedical engineering major at Washington University who spent summer 2011 working in the Haynes lab as a NNIN researcher. While in the Haynes lab, she worked with mentor Donghyuk Kim to use microfluidic platforms to analyze neutrophil chemotaxis.

Undergraduate Summer Researchers 2010: Ozge Kurtulus and Yingxia Wang

Ozge was a chemistry major at Middle East Technical University who spent summer 2010 working in the Haynes lab as a Lando researcher. While in the Haynes lab, she worked with mentor Kyle Bantz to perform SERS on lipid species. Ozge is currently in the Chemical Engineering graduate program at UC Davis.

Yingxia was a chemical engineering major at MIT who spent summer 2010 working in the Haynes lab as a NNIN researcher. While in the Haynes lab, she worked with mentor Donghyuk Kim to create microfluidic devices for detection of cell secretion.

Undergraduate Student: Katherine L. Braun

Kathy graduated as a biomedical engineering major from the University of Minnesota in May 2010. While in the Haynes lab as a UROP researcher, she worked with mentor Bryce Marquis to prepare nanoparticle-exposed cell samples for TEM and performed microscopy analysis. She is a co-author on 3 publications in the Haynes lab and began graduate school in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Minnesota in Fall 2010.

Undergraduate Student: Jenna Stevens

Jenna graduated as a chemistry major from the University of Minnesota in May 2010. While in the Haynes lab, she worked with mentor Melissa Maurer-Jones to investigate the generation of reactive oxygen species in nanoparticle-exposed cells. She is making use of her keen analytical skills working in a Minnesota crime lab.

Undergraduate Student: Chelsea DeRuyter

Chelsea graduated as a Chemistry major at the University of Minnesota in December 2009. She worked in the Haynes lab throughout the 2009 calendar year. While in the Haynes lab, she worked with mentor Kyle Bantz to fabricate SERS-active polymer scaffold nanostructures. Chelsea is currently an AmeriCorps Promise Fellow at the Minnesota Alliance with Youth.

Undergraduate Summer Researchers 2009: Sarah Connolly and Ivan Lenov

Sarah was an undergraduate at the University of Florida who spent Summer 2009 in the Haynes lab as a NNIN REU researcher. While in the Haynes lab, she worked with mentor Melissa Maurer-Jones to investigate the role of reactive oxygen species in nanoparticle toxicity. Sarah is now a CDC fellow in Central Florida.

Ivan was an undergraduate Chemistry major at Truman State who who spent Summer 2009 working in the Haynes lab as a Lando researcher. While in the Haynes lab, he worked with mentors Kyle Bantz and Nate Wittenberg to investigate the effects of partition layer ordering on SERS sensor performance. Ivan is currenlty a graduate student at the University of Illinois working in Stephen G. Sligar's group.

Undergraduate Student: Courtney Jones

Courtney was an undergraduate Chemistry major at the University of Minnesota (graduated December 2008) who worked in the Haynes lab for one year. While in the Haynes lab, she worked with mentor Kyle Bantz to fabricate novel SERS substrates and characterize them using atomic force microscopy. Her research resulted in one manuscript and an honors thesis. Courtney is currently a technical services specialist at Kerry Ingredients in Dayton, OH

Undergraduate Student: Kyle Kulseth

Kyle was an undergraduate Chemistry major at the University of Minnesota who worked in the Haynes lab during the 2008 calendar year. While in the Haynes lab, Kyle worked with mentor Shencheng Ge to explore immune cell communication using microelectrochemistry techniques. Kyle is currently working at 3M in Maplewood in the Industrial Adhesives and Tapes Division in Product Engineering.

Undergraduate Student: Michelle Malaska

Michelle graduated from the University of Minnesota undergraduate program in Spring 2008. While in the Haynes lab, she worked with mentor Sara Love to investigate the effects of nanoparticles on cellular behavior.

Undergraduate Summer Researcher 2008: Richard Kurker

Rick was an undergraduate at Providence College who spent Summer 2008 in the Haynes lab as a Lando NSF REU student. Rick worked with Nate Wittenberg to monitor real-time calcium concentration in leech neurons and won the Lando poster session at the end of the summer.

Undergraduate Student: Lindsay Werkmeister

Lindsay was an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota who graduated in December 2007. While in the Haynes lab for two years, she focused on nanoparticle synthesis and TEM characterization.

Undergraduate Student: Han Na Park

Han Na was a senior undergraduate Chemistry major at the University of Minnesota. While in the Haynes lab, she developed retinal tissue protocols and performed electrochemical measurements in that tissue with Shencheng.

Undergraduate Summer Researchers 2006 : Virginia Senkomago and Eva Cornell

Virginia graduated from Berea College and spent Summer 2006 in the Haynes lab as a Lando NSF REU student. Virginia worked with Shencheng to culture retinal neurons.

Eva graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College and spent Summer 2006 in the Haynes lab as an NNIN REU student. Eva worked with Bryce to prepare TEM samples for cytotoxicity studies.

High School Researcher: Brian Petkov

Brian worked in the Haynes lab when he was a senior at St. Paul Central High School and taking chemistry courses at the University of Minnesota. While in the Haynes lab, he worked with mentor Ben Manning on murine mast cell extraction and analysis.

High School Student: Anushua Bhattacharya

Anushua worked in the Haynes Lab during the summers of 2010 and 2011 while she was a high school student. She worked with mentors Sara Love and Melissa Maurer-Jones to explore metal nanoparticle cytotoxicity in both mammalian and bacterial cells.

SSC CPO Examination 10 Nov 2022 (Second Shift) Answer Key

Click here to show answer/hide.

Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow.

While there is no denying that the world loves a winner, it is important that you recognise the signs of stress in your behaviour and be healthy enough to enjoy your success. Stress can strike anytime, in a fashion that may leave you unaware of its presence in your life. While a certain amount of pressure is necessary for performance, it is important to be able to recognise your individual limit. For instance, there are some individuals who accept competition in a healthy fashion. There are others who collapse into weeping wrecks before an exam or on comparing mark sheets and finding that their friend has scored better.

Stress is a body reaction to any demands or changes in its internal and external environment. Whenever there is a change in the external environment such as temperature, pollutants, humidity and working conditions, it leads to stress. In these days of competition when a person makes up his mind to surpass what has been achieved by others, leading to an imbalance between demands and resources, it causes psycho-social stress. It is a part and parcel of everyday life.

Stress has a different meaning, depending on the stage of life you are in. The loss of a toy or a reprimand from the parents might create a stress shock in a child. An adolescent who fails in the examination may feel as if everything has been lost and life has no further meaning. In an adult the loss of his or her companion, job or professional failure may appear as if there is nothing more to be achieved.

Such signs appear in the attitude and behaviour of the individual, such as muscle tension in various parts of the body, palpitation and high blood pressure, indigestion, and hyperacidity. Ultimately, the result is self-destructive behaviour such as eating and drinking too much, smoking excessively, relying on tranquilisers. There are other signs of stress such as trembling, shaking, nervous blinking, dryness of throat and mouth and difficulty in swallowing. The professional under stress behaves as if he is a perfectionist. It leads to depression, lethargy, and weakness. Periodic mood shifts also indicate the stress status of the students, executives, and professionals.

Comprehension:  In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.

Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. There _____(1)_______ progress over the last decades: More girls are going to school, fewer girls are forced into early marriage, more women are serving in parliament and positions of leadership, and laws are being reformed to _____(2)_______ gender equality. Despite these gains, many challenges remain: discriminatory laws and social norms remain ______(3)_______, women continue to be underrepresented at all levels of political leadership, and 1 in 5 women and girls between the ages of 15 and 49 report experiencing physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner within a 12-month period. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic could reverse the limited progress that has been made on gender equality and women’s rights. The coronavirus outbreak _____(4)_______ existing inequalities for women and girls across every sphere – from health and the economy to security and social protection.Women play a disproportionate role in responding to the virus, including as frontline healthcare workers and carers at home. Women’s unpaid care work has increased significantly as a result of school closures and the increased needs of older people. Women are also harder hit by the economic ______(5)_______ of COVID-19, as they disproportionately work in insecure labour markets. Nearly 60 per cent of women work in the informal economy, which puts them at greater risk of falling into poverty.

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Ace Your Thesis Defense: Proven Techniques To Defend Your Thesis

You’ve done the research, written the thesis, and now it’s time to defend your hard work in what could be the most significant academic presentation of your life.

Nervous? Don’t be.

This blog is designed to give you the insider tips and techniques that can help you sail through your thesis defense like a pro. 

Whether you’re working towards a master’s or a Ph.D., understanding the nuances of a thesis defense can make all the difference.

Read on to find out how to prepare, what to expect, and how to impress your committee. With this guide, you’ll not only be well-prepared but may actually find yourself enjoying the experience.

What is a Thesis Defense?

A thesis defense is the culminating event in a graduate student’s academic journey, often compared to the “final boss” in a video game.

However, contrary to popular anxiety-inducing belief, it’s not a test; it’s more akin to a scholarly discussion.

After years of research and writing, students present their thesis to a committee made up of subject matter experts.

The purpose is to demonstrate expertise, defend research choices, and prove that they have made a contribution to their field.

What Does a Thesis Defense Look Like?

 Students should expect to give an initial presentation, followed by a Q&A session where committee members probe further. It can go on for up to 3+ hours. 

Typically there are external experts in a particular field who have read the thesis and have now attended your university to watch your presentation and ask you questions about it. It can be done in a public forum or privately in a closed room.

Expect queries that dig into your methodology, specific results, and how your work advances the current body of knowledge.

Once you have answered the questions the candidate is often asked to leave the room while the experts deliberate – it can be quite an anxious wait. 

Top tips from PhDs for a thesis defence – FAQs

• Read Your Thesis Again : Even if you think you’ve completed your thesis, allocate time to read it again to refresh your memory.
• Prepare for Open-Ended Questions : Your committee will ask questions that are usually open-ended and require deep understanding. Prepare answers in advance.
• Know the Purpose : Understand that the purpose of a thesis defense is to prove you’re an expert in your field, not to interrogate you.
• Conduct a Q&A Session : Practice a question and answer session with your advisor or a professor to prepare for possible questions.
• Time Management : Be aware that the length for a thesis defense can vary. Some may take only 20 minutes, so focus on main points.
• Public Speaking : Use this as a chance to hone your public speaking skills. Many graduate degree programs require an oral defense or practicum.
• Committee Members : Know who is on your committee and what they specialize in to anticipate the types of questions they might ask.
• Consult Your Advisor : Your advisor can give you an overview of what to expect, helping you feel more confident.
• Be Ready for Formalities : Realize that the defense is a formal academic formality; it’s not only a presentation but also an evaluation of your ability to think critically.
• Understand the Evaluation : Your defense isn’t just about defending a thesis; it’s also about showing you can contribute to the existing body of knowledge in your graduate program.
• Prepare for Varied Questions : Questions may cover everything from your thesis topic to your research methods, so be prepared for a wide range.
• Think of It as a Job Interview : Like a job interview, your thesis defense gives you a chance to show your expertise. Be as prepared as possible.

How to Prepare for Your Thesis Defense

When it comes to prepping for your thesis defense, organization and mindset are crucial.

Sure, you’ve spent months, if not years, researching and writing your thesis, but now it’s time to defend it in front of your committee. One insider tip is to treat the defense as a “discussion,” not a “test.” Your thesis committee is there to engage in an academic conversation with you; they’re not looking to trip you up.

One golden nugget of advice is to print out a copy of your thesis, but not just any printout will do.

Create a “defense-friendly” format, complete with tabs marking significant sections and even color-coding if you’re a visual person.

The point is to make the document easy to navigate during the defense when your committee members ask questions you need to address promptly.

Beyond having the thesis itself in hand, go the extra mile and print out five or fewer key pages that may be the subject of focused discussion.

This can include graphs or data that didn’t make it into the final thesis but could still be relevant. For instance, one student printed out a large-scale version of a critical diagram from their thesis and had it ready when committee members inevitably asked about it.

The committee was impressed, and it made for a smoother defense.

To prepare, make sure you’ve allotted sufficient time for the process—ten days is a good benchmark. Take one day to review your thesis in its entirety and then a few days for each chapter. Revisit literature, anticipate questions, and try to see your work from the committee’s perspective.

Make use of prep templates available online, which can help you consider your thesis’ different parts in-depth. So when D-Day comes, you’re not just prepared; you’re defense-ready.

My Experience with a Thesis Defense

When it came time for my thesis defense, I was a bundle of nerves despite having practiced extensively.

I had simulated the entire defense multiple times with friends and even consulted my advisor for last-minute tips. To my surprise, the questions posed by the committee weren’t as hard as I had anticipated.

They seemed to flow naturally from the work I had done, and my extensive preparation made it easier to respond confidently. The time during the defense passed more quickly than I had imagined, adding to the sense of flow.

What was unexpected was how much I actually enjoyed the experience. The defense turned into a meaningful academic conversation, making me feel like a genuine expert in my field.

Wrapping up – prepare for a thesis defense

Defending your thesis is a significant milestone, whether you’re aiming for a master’s degree or pushing the boundaries of academia with a Ph.D. It’s the culmination of your hard work, the moment you demonstrate that you’ve written a good thesis and are ready to join the ranks of the experts in your field. For many students, the experience can be nerve-wracking, but as you’ve seen in this blog, it doesn’t have to be. 

From understanding the type of thesis defense questions you may encounter to gaining insights into the formalities involved, you now have the tools to prepare for a thesis defense effectively. The aim is not just to survive but to thrive, turning your defense into an enlightening academic conversation.

Your defense is more than just a hurdle to overcome; it’s an opportunity to showcase your research, your understanding, and your ability to contribute to your field. You’ve spent years preparing for this moment—take the time to prepare a little more, and the experience could be rewarding in ways you never expected.

Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.

Thank you for visiting Academia Insider.

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Group Timeline

• April 2024: Congratulations to Nina for her NSF Graduate Research Fellowship !
• January 2024: Congratulations to Thomas  who successfully defended his thesis!
• November 2023: Konnor Walter joins the group as a PhD student: Welcome!
• September 2023: Nina Perr y and Ian Greeley join the group as PhD students: Welcome!
• September 2023: Along Audrey Yung (senior MSE), Heather Hare (senior MSE) and Eli Rotman (SUGS) also join the group to work on year long research projects: Welcome!
• May 2023: Congratulations to Anshul  who successfully defended his thesis!
• May 2023: Austin Lan (MSE SUGS) joins us for to work on a summer research project: Welcome Austin!
• January 2023: Dr Reza Roumina joins us as a postdoc: Welcome!
• January 2023: Benjamin Routhier (MSE undergraduate) joins us for a semester to learn more about research. Welcome Ben!
• September 2022: Best wishes to Dr Tian Liu for her next adventures at PNNL!
• September 2022: Nina Perry (MSE undergraduate) and Audrey Yung (MSE undergraduate) join us to work on undergraduate research projects: Welcome Nina and Audrey!
• May 2022: Aaron Cooke (MSE undergraduate) and Kate Moo (MSE SUGS) join us for research experiences this summer and next year: Welcome Kate and Aaron!
• January 2022: Nina Perry (MSE undergraduate) joins us to learn about APT: welcome Nina!
• September 2021: Daniele Offidani joins the group: Welcome Daniele!
• September 2021: Wishing Juliane all the best on her next adventures.
• May 2021: All the best, Kathleen , in your new adventures at Eaton!
• April 2021: Congratulations to Iman for his faculty position at the University of Oklahoma! Enjoy the summer and all the best!
• March 2021: Congratulations to Kathleen  who successfully defended her thesis!
• October 2020: Congratulations to Li-Jen who successfully defended his thesis! Wishing you a safe trip to Taiwan.
• September 2020: Dr Fei Xue joins us as a postdoc: Welcome!
• June 2020: Congratulations to Talia  who successfully defended her thesis! Best wishes for your next adventures on the west coast!
• February 2020:  Kathleen  is awarded the 2020 Henry DeWitt Smith Scholarship from TMS and the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (AIME). Congratulations Kathleen!
• September 2019: Talia receives the ACerS GEMS Award , Diamond Ranking for her presentation at MS&T in Portland, OR: Congratulations Talia!
• September 2019: David Allen and Hailey Kuntz , both MSE seniors, start research projects with us: Welcome!
• September 2019: Juliane Scholtz joins the group: Welcome!
• July 2019: Kathleen wins one of a best poster prize at the Gordon Research Conference on Physical Metallurgy and is elected co-chair of the next (2021) Gordon Research Seminar on Physical Metallurgy. Congratulations Kathleen!
• May 2019: Ransom  received his Master’s Degree. Congratulations Ransom!
• May 2019: Paul  received his Master’s Degree. Congratulations  Paul and all the best in your future adventures!
• November 2018: Kathleen win silver medal in the MSE graduate symposium !
• October 2018: Welcome Dr Tian Liu !
• September 2018: Thomas Valenza and Anshul Kamboj join the group: Welcome!
• September 2018: Li-Jen  is now PhD candidate. Congratulations Li-Jen!
• August 2018: Dr. Yakun Zhu joins the group: Welcome!
• June 2018:  Kathleen  is now PhD candidate. Congratulations Kathleen!
• May 2018: David Allen and Malhar Kute , MSE rising juniors at UoM, join us for the summer: welcome!
• January 2018:  Ransom Stamps joins the group: welcome!
• December 2017: Best wishes to Peng-Wei in his next adventures in Taiwan and job with TSMC!
• November 2017: Talia  wins 2 nd prize in Structural Materials research Category at the UoM Engineering Graduate Symposium
• September 2017: Paul Chao joins the group: welcome!
• September 2017: Congratulations to Ellen  who successfully defended her thesis! Best wishes for your next adventures and job with Engineering Systems.
• August 2017:  Talia Barth  is now PhD candidate. Congratulations Talia!
• August 2017: Congratulations to Peng-Wei Chu who successfully defended his thesis! 
• August 2017: Ransom and Etienne : thank you for your time with us, we’ll miss you! 
• August 2017: Welcome Dr.  Iman Ghamarian !
• July 2017: Elaina  wins a 2017  Microscopy  &  Microanalysis  Student Scholar Award !
• June 2017: Ransom Stamps , senior student at  Missouri  University of Science and Technology in Rolla, joins us for the summer: welcome!
• May 2017: Congratulations to Kevin  who successfully defended his thesis! Best wishes for your next adventures and job with Bettis!
• April 2017: Best wishes to Yan for her next adventures and job with Applied Materials!
• April 2017: Best wishes to Mukesh for his next adventures at Idaho national Laboratory!
• March 2017: Etienne Le Mire, student at the Ecole Centrale de Nantes, joins us for a few months: welcome!
• December 2016: Congratulations to Yan  who successfully defended her thesis!
• December 2016:  Ellen  selected for the 2017 TMS Light Metals Magnesium Best Paper – Student Award !
• November 2016: Ellen  and Peng-Wei  win silver medals in the MSE graduate symposium!
• September 2016: Larissa Woryk  (MSE senior) joins us for a few months.
• September 2016:  Elaina  is now PhD candidate. Congratulations Elaina!
• September 2016: Best wishes to Vic  for his next adventures in Zurich!
• August 2016: Li-Jen Yu  and Kathleen Chou join the group: welcome!
• July 2016: Kevin Fisher wins a  Microcopy and Microanalysis Student Award !
• June 2016: James Mohan (sophomore – MSE major) and Riley Bohr (junior – CS major) join us for the summer of research on atom probe tomography data analysis methods.
• May 2016: Best wishes to Lan  and Adam  for their next adventures!
• April 2016: Lindsay  wins the  Best Session Award for all of the Medical Device Development Projects in the  ME Undergraduate Symposium . Congratulations Lindsay!
• April 2016:  Adam  received his Master’s Degree. Congratulations Adam!
• December 2015: Best wishes to Jong-Doo Ju for his next position.
• September 2015: Junhua Chen , Ana Reyes , and Lindsay Purvis start undergraduate research projects: welcome!
• September 2015: Welcome to the group, Talia Barth !
• June 2015: JongDoo Ju joins the group: welcome!
• May 2015: Timothy Chan , Graham Keep , Yuling Liu , and Yuxiang Zhang start a summer of undergraduate research experience with us: welcome!
• April 2015: Ellen  is now PhD candidate. Congratulations Ellen!
• April 2015: Best wishes to Craig  for his new job!
• March 2015: Lifan Yan joins the group half time. Welcome back Lifan!
• April 2015: Andrew Chen Thank you for your participation as undergrad researcher- have fun at Stanford!
• January 2015: Thomas Bajis Thank you for your participation as undergrad researcher!
• October 2014: Yimeng  is starting a new position at Cameca Instruments in Madison, WI. We will miss you!
• September 2014: Elaina Anderson : Welcome to our group!
• August 2014: Dr. Vicente Aurollo-Peters joins us from the University of Sydney: welcome!
• August 2014: Peng-Wei  is now PhD candidate. Congratulations Peng-Wei!
• August 2014: UM junior Benjamin Utall-Beroff finished his summer project with us: have fun next semester in Japan!
• May 2014: UM senior Chad Kay is graduating and starting at Ford . Thank you for your time with us and all the best!
• May 2014: UM junior Maureen Daum finished her semester project: thank you for your contribution!
• April 2014: Reshma Mathew is awarded a MS degree: best wishes for the future.
• April 2014: Kevin Fisher is now PhD candidate. Congratulations Kevin!
• December 2013: Allen Hunter is off to FEI . Thank you for your contribution and time with us!
• November 2013: Dr. Lan Yao from Oak Ridge National Laboratory joins the group!
• September 2013: Craig Shaner , Welcome to the group!
• August 2013: Yan Dong ‘s first paper accepted in Journal of Nuclear Materials.
• July 2013: UM senior Julia Kohanek ‘s short summer with us. Good luck in grad school!
• May 2013: Good luck to UM sophomore Sean Gray in his future endeavors. Thank you for your contribution and time with us!
• April 2013: Congratulations to Adam McFarland for winning the 2013 Brian Worth Prize !
• Feb 2013: Congratulations to Yan Dong for receiving the 2013-2014 Barbour fellowship !
• Feb 2013: Peng-Wei Chu Welcome to our group!
• September 2012: Ellen Sitzmann and Kevin Fisher join the group.
• May 2012: Welcome Adam McFarland , a summer undergraduate researcher!
• March 2012: Dr. Allen Hunter from Northwestern U joins the group.
• February 2012: Dr. Mukesh Bachhav  from U. of Rouen joins the group.
• September 2011: Yan Dong and Reshma Mathew join the group.
• June 2011: Dr.  Yimeng Chen  from NIMS in Japan joins the group.
• January 2011: Day 1.

Welcome to the Information Retrieval Lab at the University of Amsterdam

Senior staff

• Mohammad Aliannejadi , assistant professor [ mail , scholar , web ]
• Evangelos Kanoulas , professor, director of the IRLab Amsterdam [ mail , scholar , web ]
• Mounia Lalmas , distinguished research fellow [ mail , scholar , web ]
• Maarten Marx , assistant professor [ mail , scholar , web ]
• Maarten de Rijke , distinguished university professor [ mail , scholar , web ]
• Andrew Yates , assistant professor [ mail , scholar , web ]
• Vacancy , assistant professor in responsible advice giving systems

Researchers

• Songgaojun Deng , postdoc [ mail , scholar ]
• Panagiotis Eustratiadis , postdoc [ mail , scholar ]
• Jia-Hong Huang , postdoc
• Ming Li , visiting postdoc
• Vacancy , postdoc with Andrew Yates
• Zahra Abbasiantaeb , PhD student
• Samarth Bhargav , PhD student [ mail , scholar , web ]
• Xinyi Chen , PhD student
• Romain Deffayet , PhD student [ mail , scholar , web ]
• Shashank Gupta , PhD student [ mail , scholar , web ]
• Philipp Hager , PhD student [ mail , scholar , web ]
• Ruben van Heusden , PhD student
• Maria Heuss , PhD student [ mail , scholar ]
• Dylan Ju , PhD student
• Jingwei Kang , PhD student
• Jasmin Kareem , PhD student (jointly with Eindhoven University of Technology)
• Barrie Kersbergen , PhD student (jointly with the INDE Lab )
• Pooya Khandel , PhD student (jointly with the PCS Research team) [ mail , scholar , web ]
• Antonios Krasakis , PhD student
• Yibin Lei , PhD student
• Yongkang Li , PhD student [ mail , scholar , web ]
• Yuanna Liu , PhD student
• Simon Lupart , PhD student
• Yougang Lyu , PhD student
• Kidist Mekonnen , PhD student
• Chuan Meng , PhD student
• Maryam Mousavian , PhD student (jointly with University of Lugano)
• Thong Nguyen , PhD student [ mail , scholar ]
• Vaishali Pal , PhD student [ mail , scholar ]
• Roxana Petcu , PhD student
• Jingfen Qiao , PhD student
• Thilina Rajapakse , PhD student
• Julien Rossi , PhD student [ mail , scholar ]
• Clara Rus , PhD student
• Georgios Sidiropoulos , PhD student
• Clemencia Siro , PhD student [ mail , scholar ]
• Olivier Sprangers , PhD student
• David Vos , PhD student [ mail , scholar , web ]
• Zihan Wang , PhD student [ mail , scholar ]
• Weijia Zhang , PhD student
• Yuyue Zhao , PhD student
• Hongyi Zhu, PhD student

Research assistants

• None at the moment
• Arian Askari (Leiden University), December 2022-December 2023
• Peibo Li (University of New South Wales), April 2024

Support staff

• Maik Larooij , research engineer [ scholar ]
• Ivana Markovic , secretary
• Gabrielle Poerwawinata , research engineer [ mail , scholar ]
• Mozhdeh Ariannezhad , PhD student, defended her thesis in December 2023
• Gabriel Bénédict , PhD student, defended his thesis in March 2024
• Petra Best , secretary, joined the project management team for ICAI and LTP ROBUST in March 2023
• Maurits Bleeker , PhD student, is scheduled to defend his thesis in June 2024
• Wanyu Chen , PhD student, defended her PhD thesis in February 2021
• Praveen Dakwale , PhD student, defended his PhD thesis in October 2020
• Pablo Di Capua , secretary, moved to the HR department in January 2023
• Marzieh Fadaee , PhD student, defended her PhD thesis in October 2020
• Yang Fang , PhD student, defended his thesis in December 2023
• Iman Firouzifard , Research assistant, Q1 2023
• Marta Freixo Lopes , Research assistant, Q1 2023
• Hamidreza Ghader , PhD student, defended his PhD thesis in October 2020
• Hinda Haned , professor by special appointment, joined the new Socially Intelligent Artificial Systems lab in December 2020
• Mariya Hendriksen , PhD student, is scheduled to defend her thesis in Q4, 2024
• Maartje ter Hoeve , PhD student, defended her thesis in May 2023
• Jin Huang , PhD student and visiting postdoc, defended her thesis in February 2024
• Rolf Jagerman , PhD student, defended his PhD thesis in December 2020
• Shaojie Jiang , PhD student, is scheduled to defend his thesis in Q3, 2024
• Sami Jullien , PhD student, is scheduled to defend his thesis in Q4, 2024
• Ron Kremer , Research assistant, Q1 2023
• Ilias Koutsakis , research engineer, left the IRLab in December 2022
• Chang Li , PhD student, defended his PhD thesis in March 2021
• Dan Li , PhD student and postdoc, defended her PhD thesis in November 2020 and then held a postdoc position until January 2022
• Ming Li , PhD student, defended his PhD thesis in February 2024
• Ziming Li , PhD student and postdoc, defended his PhD thesis in December 2020 and then held a postdoc position until May 2021
• Ana Lucic , PhD student, defended her PhD thesis in September 2022
• Ilya Markov , assistant professor, left the IRLab in September 2021
• Harrie Oosterhuis , PhD student, defended his PhD thesis in November 2020
• Jiahuan Pei , PhD student, defended her thesis in December 2022
• Vera Provatorova , PhD student, is scheduled to defend her thesis in 2024
• Pengjie Ren , postdoc, joined Shandong University in December 2020
• Fatemeh Sarvi , PhD student, is scheduled to defend her PhD thesis in Q3, 2024
• Angela van Sprang , research assistant, January-September 2022
• Giulio Starace , research assistant, January-September 2022
• Svitlana Vakulenko , postdoc, left the IRLab in October 2021
• Ali Vardasbi , PhD student, defended his thesis in December 2023
• Nikos Voskarides , PhD student, defended his PhD thesis in February 2021
• Chuan Wu , PhD student, defended his PhD thesis in November 2020
• Ruqing Zhang , postdoc during 2022-2023
• Yangjun Zhang , PhD student, defended her PhD in December 2022
• Jie Zou , PhD student and postdoc, defended his PhD thesis in September 2021 and then held a postdoc position until November 2021

Past visitors

• Amin Abolghasemi (Leiden University), March-August 2023
• Qingyao Ai (University of Utah), virtual, October 2021
• Krisztian Balog (University of Stavanger and Google), March 2024
• Ben Carterette (Spotify), virtual, September 2021
• Carlos Castillo (Universitat Pompeu Fabra), virtual, January 2021
• Fabio Crestani (University of Lugano), June 2023
• Gianluca Demartini (University of Queensland), virtual, June 2021
• Fernando Diaz (Google Research Montreal), virtual, May 2021
• Carsten Eickhoff (Brown University), January-May 2022
• Negin Gashemitaheri (Radboud University), November 2022-March 2023
• Mounia Lalmas (Spotify), virtual, November 2020
• Yuanxing Liu (Harbin Institute of Technology), January-December 2022
• Federico Marcuzzi (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice), March-June 2023
• Oscar E. Mendoza (University of Milano Bicocca), March-June 2023
• Jian-Yun Nie (University of Montreal), virtual, February 2021
• Cosimo Rulli (University of Pisa), December 2023-Februari 2024
• Yuta Saito (Cornell University), virtual, June 2022
• Saedeh Tahery (K.N. Toosi University of Technology), July-December 2023
• Nava Tintarev (Maastricht University), October 2022
• Justine Winkler (Radboud University), virtual, October 2020-March 2021
• Yifei Yuan (Chinese University of Hong Kong), July 2022-March 2023
• Ziyi Ye (Tsinghua University), November 2023-January 2024
• Yueqing Yuan (RMIT), September 2023
• Min Zhang (Tsinghua University), virtual, July 2021