Personnel


Scott Lempka, PhD – Principal Investigator

Scott Lempka, PhD, was born in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1982. Scott earned the B.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering from Saint Louis University in 2004 and the Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University in 2010. His dissertation work focused on the use of computational and experimental techniques to characterize the interface between neural stimulation and recording electrodes and the surrounding tissue. He performed his postdoctoral training at the Cleveland Clinic and the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center in the area of neurostimulation for chronic pain management. In 2017, Dr. Lempka moved to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI.

Dr. Lempka is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Director of the Neuromodulation Laboratory. The Neuromodulation Lab implements engineering approaches, such as computational modeling, to study the mechanism of action of clinical neuromodulation therapies for chronic pain management and other neurological disorders. The fundamental goal of the research program is to innovate future neuromostimulation technologies that dramatically improve patients’ lives.

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Sauradeep Bhowmick, PhD – Research Fellow

Sauradeep Bhowmick

Sauradeep Bhowmick, PhD, is a research fellow in Biomedical Engineering from Calcutta, India. Sauradeep graduated with a B.E. in Civil Engineering from IIEST, Shibpur in 2014 and earned his PhD in Engineering Mechanics from the University of Cincinnati in 2020. Currently, his research uses computational models to design and study novel technologies for neuromodulation therapies.


Fariba Mohammadi, PhD – Research Fellow

Fariba Mohammadi, PhD, is a research fellow from Dhaka, Bangladesh. She completed her BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Military Institute of Science and Technology in 2013 and earned her PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Kansas in 2022. She joined the Neuromodulation lab in 2022. Her research aims to develop computational models to design and understand novel and existing neuromodulation therapies for chronic pain management.


Meagan Brucker-Hahn, MSE – Graduate Student

Meagan Brucker-Hahn is a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering from Leavenworth, Kansas. She graduated with her BS in Computer Engineering from Kansas State University in May 2020 and her MSE in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 2022. The overall goal of her research is to develop patient-specific models of neurostimulation therapies for chronic pain, to maximize pain relief in all patients.

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Luis Ruiz, BS – Graduate Student

Luis Ruiz

Luis Ruiz is a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering hailing from St. Louis, Missouri. Luis earned his BS in Biomedical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis in May 2020. His current research concentrates on modeling clinical pudendal nerve stimulation, a neurostimulation therapy targeting bladder dysfunction. The goal of his research is to deepen our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of this therapy, leading to enhanced patient outcomes.

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Adrian Porras, BS – Graduate Student

Adrian Porras is a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering from Lima, Peru and Salt Lake City, Utah. He graduated with a BS in Civil Engineering and a minor in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Utah. The overall goal of his research is to use computer modeling to understand how the implementation of spinal cord stimulation can be improved to maximize pain relief in all patients.


Wutt Hmone Thin Kyi, BS – Graduate Student

Wutt Kyi is an incoming PhD student in Biomedical Engineering from Yangon, Myanmar. She graduated with a BS in Biomedical Engineering and a minor in Neuropsychology from Bucknell University in May 2022. The overall goal of her research is to utilize computational modeling to improve chronic pain treatment through spinal cord stimulation. 

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Liam Matthews, BSE – Graduate Student

Liam Matthews is a Biomedical Engineering PhD Student from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University, earning BSE degrees in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering in May 2022. By utilizing computational models of spinal cord stimulation, he aims to investigate the mechanistic effects of these therapies to improve chronic pain treatment. 

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Alyssa Anderson – Undergraduate Student

Alyssa Anderson

Alyssa Anderson is an undergraduate student double majoring in Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering from Livonia, Michigan. Her research focuses on developing computational models of neurostimulation therapies to improve patient outcomes in managing chronic pain.


Andrew Qian – Undergraduate Student

Andrew Qian is an undergraduate student majoring in Biomedical Engineering from Clarksville, Maryland. His research focuses on the development and application of computational models of spinal cord stimulation as a method to improve chronic pain treatment efficacy.


Israel Smith Flores – Undergraduate Student

Israel Smith Flores is an undergraduate student majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Computer Science from Fort Worth, Texas. The goal of his research is to elucidate the mechanisms of spinal cord stimulation through patient-specific computational models in order to maximize pain relief in patients.


Alumni

Postdocs

Nystha Baishya, PhD

Ehsan Mirzakhalili, PhD (Postdoc, University of Pennsylvania)

Vishwanath Sankarasubramanian, PhD (Senior Field Clinical Scientist, Abbott)

Staff

Vanessa Pruitt, MSW (PhD Student, Purdue University)

Graduate students

Evan Rogers, PhD (Postdoc, University of Pittsburgh)

Amolak Singh Jhand, MSE (Medical Student, Wayne State University)

Jessica Loechli, BSc (Medical Student, Temple University)

Hans Zander, PhD (Sr Systems Engineer, Medtronic)

Robert Graham, PhD (Postdoctural Associate, Washington University in St. Louis)

Anagha Kotkar, MSE (Preclinical Research Engineer, Iota Biosciences)

Lianna Shimoun, MSE (Electrical Engineer, Stryker)

Carlos Anaya, MSE (R&D Engineer, Medtronic)

Hannah Soifer, MSE (Assistant Electrical Engineer, Burns & McDonnell)

Undergraduate students

Alice Tracey, BSE

Katrina Yeomans, BSE