Group Leader
Dr. Cheng-Yu Lai
Group Leader, Associate Professor, Materials Science and Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Material Engineering - Joint Faculty, Department of Chemistry
Dr. Cheng-Yu Lai is an associate professor at Florida International university. He obtained his BS and MS degrees in Chemistry from National Chung Hsing University in Taiwan, and his Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry (2004) from Iowa State University. During his Ph.D. and postdoctoral training (Scripps Research, CA) he specialized in nanomaterials with application in bio-medicine. His current research encompasses development of advanced functional materials with applications in bio-nanotechnology, catalysis for bio-fuels synthesis, tissue engineering, bio-sensors and bio-renewable resources utilization.
Fall 2019 – CHM 4611 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry, CHM 5620 Graduate Inorganic Chemistry, EGN 3365 Materials Engineering
Website: lai-afm.fiu.edu
Postdoctoral Researchers
Sahil Gasso
Postdoctoral Researcher
Research Focus:Stacked 2D TMDC/ MXene Hybrid Nanomaterials for Energy and Electronic Applications.
Graduate Students
Changliang An
Graduate Student
Research Focus:
Nanomedicine: Hybrid materials for Tissue Engineering, 3D Printing Biomimetic Scaffolds for Tissue Regeneration.
Na Ha
Graduate Student
Research Focus:
Nanoparticle Delivery of Edited Genes and Nucleic Acids; Bio-inspired Nanomaterials for Theranostic Nanomedicine.
Samuel Oyon
Graduate Student
Research Focus: Flexible conductive substrate and metal additive manufacturing
Jesna Sara Shaji
Graduate Student
Research Focus:
Nanostructured materials for solution-processed solar photovoltaics, Synthesis Sulvanite Nanoparticle via Cation exchange
Fei Zhang
Graduate Student
Research Focus:
Functionalization and Nanobiotechnology Applications of Bio-inspired Nanomaterials; 2D TMDC Nanomaterials for Theranostic Nanomedicine.
Jake Carrier (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry – FIU)
Graduate Student
Research Focus:
Nanostructured Materials for CO2 storage and conversion
Melissa Venedicto
Graduate Student
Research Focus: Nanomedicine: biological application of nanomaterials (collaboration with Dr. Daniela Radu)
Undergraduate Students
Anthony Humaran
Undergraduate Student
Research Focus : Metal Additive Manufacturing and Mechanical Testing
Benjamin Vargas
Research Focus :
3D Printing of Fused Filament Fabrication
Sebastian Vargas
Undergraduate Student
Research Focus :
Thermoplastic Polymers in Fused Filament Fabrication
Former Group Members
Postdoctoral Researchers
Prakash Manandhar, PhD, Former Postdoc, 2020 (NSF Support)
Johan Gonzalez, PhD, Former Postdoc, 2021 (NSF Support)
Graduate Students
Aleida Vieyra, MS,2020 (NSF Bridge to the Doctorate Program)
Helga Zepf, MS, 2020 (NSF Support)
Brian Rivera, MS, 2021
Mohammed Inzamam Ali Haqqani, MS, 2021 (NASA CRE2DO)
Faizan Syed, MME Graduate Student, 2022 (NASA CRE2DO)
Ashley Triana, MME Graduate Student, 2022 Spring NASA Pathway Program (2021 Fall, DOD Support)
Kiyana Saeedian, MME Graduate Student, 2023 (FIU Presidential Fellowship)
Undergraduate Students
Alexander De Socio, MME BS, 2020 (NASA)
Carlos Caiaffa, BME BS, 2020 (NASA)
Oscar Flores, MME Undergraduate Student 2021 (DOD Support)
Daniel Figueroa, BME BS, 2022 (NASA)