Lab Members

After graduating with a degree in Engineering Physics from IIT Madras, Kaustabh concluded that he liked physics more than engineering and joined the Physics PhD program at Maryland. As a graduate student, his work focuses on understanding the interplay between the cytoskeleton and early signaling in immune cells. In particular, he is interested in the role of adapter proteins linking the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons in mechanosensation and T cell signaling. When he is not working, Kaustubh enjoys baking and sharing random bits of trivia with anyone within earshot. Kaustubh is a postdoctoral fellow in the Laboratory for Receptor Biology and Gene Expression at NCI/NIH.

Ivan is from Villavicencio, Colombia. He studied Physics and then obtained a Masters degree on Biomedical Sciences both at Universidad de Los Andes in Bogota. Ivan joined the Biophysics PhD program at University of Maryland in the fall of 2013 and joined our lab a year after. His main research interest is how the self-assembly and dynamic structure of cytoskeletal filaments allow cells to change shape and regulate many processes. In his free time, Ivan enjoys exploring the forests and jungles in search of animals to capture with his camera. Ivan is currently a Research Associate at UniAndes in Bogota.

David is moving on to Management Consulting at BCG.

Nate is in graduate school in Biophysics at Michigan in the Veatch lab.

After graduating with a degree in Engineering Physics from IIT Madras, Kaustabh concluded that he liked physics more than engineering and joined the Physics PhD program at Maryland. As a graduate student, his work focuses on understanding the interplay between the cytoskeleton and early signaling in immune cells. In particular, he is interested in the role of adapter proteins linking the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons in mechanosensation and T cell signaling. When he is not working, Kaustubh enjoys baking and sharing random bits of trivia with anyone within earshot. Kaustubh is a postdoctoral fellow in the Laboratory for Receptor Biology and Gene Expression at NCI/NIH.

Altug Ozcelikkale received his PhD from Purdue University, School of Mechanical Engineering while working on freezing-induced biotransport phenomena in cells and tissues. As a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at Upadhyaya Lab, he worked on mechanosensation in T cell activation including cytoskeletal regulation of traction forces and early signaling as well as mechanoregulation of T cell – cancer cell functional interactions. When he is not doing research, Altug enjoys spending time with his family and friends, creating all sorts of computer graphics and spilling his love for Star Trek at every occasion. Altug is back in Turkey, where is an Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara

Brittany graduated from University of Maryland with a B.S. in Neurobiology and Physiology and minors in Physics and Astronomy. Her work in the lab focused on the effects of nanotopography on the dynamics and organization of cytoskeletal components during T cell activation. Outside of the lab Brittany enjoys tending to her many plants, meeting new cats and encouraging her friends and family’s sustainability efforts. Currently, Brittany is a graduate student in the Biologial and Chemical Sciences at Scripps, Florida studying the structural biology and function of Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetases.

Deep is at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine at Seton Hill as a hematologist-in-training.

Sarah is currently a graduate student at the University of Colorado, in the Department of Physics.

King is a postdoctoral fellow in the Niethammer lab at MSKCC studying immune function in zebrafish

Christy is training to be a Patent Attorney in Munich, Germany

Mike is living large in Santiago, Chile mining and analyzing player data as a scout for Arsenal (yes, that Arsenal)

Brian is a scientist at the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University