Bursac Lab

Nenad Bursac, PhD - Principal Investigator
[Research Information]

3000 Science Drive
Hudson Hall, Room 136   
Durham, NC 27708
Phone: (919) 660-5510
Fax: (919) 684-4488

Huda Asfour, PhD - Postdoctoral Associate


I was born in Lebanon and I have since lived in Tunisia, Gaza, the West Bank, and Egypt. In 2005, I moved to the United States where I finished my final year of undergrad and received a bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering from the George Washington University (GWU).
In the summer of 2006, I joined Dr. Matthew Kay’s lab at GWU. I was fascinated by the intricacy of the heart, both from an electrical and mechanical standpoint. In the fall, I started working on my PhD under the supervision of Dr. Matthew Kay and my co-advisor, Dr. Narine Sarvazyan. My doctoral work focused on studying cardiac cellular electrophysiology using impedance spectroscopy and microelectrode arrays as well as ex-vivo and in-vitro fast fluorescence imaging of living tissue. I recently joined Dr. Bursac’s lab as a postdoctorate associate at Duke University. I will be working primarily on studying the effect of micro-obstacles on electrical conduction in cardiac monolayers.
In addition to my engineering work, I’m also a musician. I released my debut album in 2011 and concluded my first tour in the Arab region in the summer of 2012. I also enjoy watching movies, playing tennis, swimming, organizing activities for the Palestinian community and discussing politics.

Jong Kim, PhD - Postdoctoral Associate


I majored in electrical engineering at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea, which is one of the most prominent engineering schools in Korea. After graduation, I decided to focus on biomedical engineering and joined the Cardiac Rhythm Management Lab at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where I worked as a research assistant from 2004 to 2007. During that period, I was actively involved in researching cardiac arrhythmogenesis by using cardiac mapping techniques (optical and electrical mappings during ventricular fibrillation) with renowned researchers in this field, Dr. Jack Rogers and Dr. Raymond Ideker. It was a truly amazing experience and I decided to pursue further research on mechanisms underlying cardiac arrhythmias. In August 2007, I joined Dr. Guy Salama’s research group at the University of Pittsburgh. My training mentored by Dr. Salama, who is one of the most prominent scientists in cardiac electrophysiology and known as the father of optical mapping, further advanced my understanding of the molecular basis of cardiac arrhythmias. Under Dr. Salama’s mentorship, I established strong research skills in dual mapping and confocal imaging in isolated animal hearts and single cells (myocyte and iPSC). Currently, I am working in the tissue engineering and electrophysiology lab at Duke University with Dr. Bursac as my advisor.  Training in this outstanding tissue engineering lab will strengthen my understanding of cardiac arrhythmogeneis and its therapeutic approaches, by using engineered cardiac tissues derived from stem cells as a model system.  My academic goal is to become an independent scientist contributing to development of novel therapies against cardiac disease.

Rob Kirkton, PhD - Postdoctoral Associate
[Research Information]

I attended Denison University in Granville, Ohio where I received a BS in Biology in 2001. I then moved to North Carolina to join a startup biotech company called Cogent Neuroscience in Durham. After 1.5 years at Cogent, I accepted a research position at BASF Corporation in RTP, NC and began working with ion channels. I joined Dr. Bursac's lab in the summer of 2005 to pursue my PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Duke and continue to develop my research interests in molecular biology and electrophysiology. I completed my PhD in the Bursac lab in April 2012 and am currently working as a postdoc in our lab to continue my work on a few exciting research projects and submit two manuscripts based on my thesis work.

Lauran Madden, PhD - Postdoctoral Associate


I grew up near Philadelphia, PA then moved to Ithaca, NY to earn my BS in Chemical Engineering at Cornell University. Under the supervision of Dr. Michael Kotlikoff, I used genetic engineering strategies to express genes of interest in specific cell types.  From this experience I was excited by the possibilities to understand and solve biological questions by developing technologies. From there, I moved to Seattle, WA and joined the department of Bioengineering at University of Washington under the supervision of Dr. Buddy Ratner. I completed my PhD work in 2012, which focused on biodegradable polymer synthesis for the implantation of fast vascularizing, organized cardiac muscle bundles. Now, I am working with Dr. Bursac as a postdoctoral associate. My project goal is to develop microbioreactors for the culture of human skeletal muscle as part of a collaboration to fabricate small devices containing multiple organoids for pharmacology testing.

Donghui Zhang, PhD - Postdoctoral Associate


I come from Xian Yang which is one of the oldest cities in China. I got my undergraduate degree of bioengineering in Xi’an Jiaotong University and my PhD in biotechnology in Peking University. My work is focus on the differentiation from human embryonic stem cells into cardiomyocyte, and then using these cells to develop the functional cardiac patches. Other than research, I love painting, cooking and sleeping. ^_^

Asvin Ganapathi, MD - Surgery Fellow


Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, I went to Stanford and graduated with a degree in Engineering in 2006.  I then returned to Cleveland and graduated from Case Western Reserve University Medical School.  While I was initially planning on a career in orthopedic surgery, I was swayed by rotations in general and cardiothoracic surgery and eventually matched in the Duke General Surgery Residency Program.  Now in my research years, I am working with Dr. Bursac to help establish the animal models to better characterize the in vivo effects of engineered tissues developed in his labs.  In my spare time I enjoy playing and watching all sorts of sports, reading, and listening to music.

Ava Krol, MS - Lab Manager
[Research Information]

I am originally from Poland. I came to the US 22 years ago, and since then have been working at Duke University as a research support staff member. Very few people know that I have a Master's degree in ornithology from Poland, and before coming to Duke, had worked doing field research on the breeding biology of birds. At Duke University, my work in the past included a lot of histology, cell culture, animal surgery, and molecular biology techniques. I have been involved in the research in different fields from neurobiology and plant molecular biology to drug delivery in cancer and glaucoma research.

I joined Dr. Bursac's lab in January 2009. In addition to routine laboratory duties, such as weekly neonatal rat heart dissections and cardiomyocytes isolations for all laboratory members, I have been involved in a project that aims to answer questions about the role of fibroblasts in the electrophysiology of the heart.

Outside my work, I like birdwatching, gardening and insect photography. I am also addicted to Farmville.

Liqing Li, BS - Associate in Research


I come from Southern China. I joined Dr. Bursac's lab recently, and I am happy to be part of the team. For now, I am working on molecular biology, creating new gene constructs. For my free time, I like to read, some garden work and a little bit of sewing too.

Chris Jackman, BS - Graduate Student


I am originally from Tyler, TX, and graduated from Georgia Tech in 2011 with a BS in Biomedical Engineering. I then joined Dr. Bursac's lab at Duke to study tissue engineering of cardiac muscle and pursue a PhD. My allegiance to two universities in the same athletic conference can sometimes be a source of torn emotions and deep internal conflict. In my free time, I enjoy playing basketball and ultimate frisbee.

Mark Juhas, BS - Graduate Student


I was born and raised in Webster, NY, a snowy town on Lake Ontario. I earned my BS in Bioengineering and the University of Pittsburgh. At Pitt I did research in TE using decellularized matrices under Dr. Thomas Gilbert when I wasn't making a fool of myself at sporting events (Go Panthers!). I met Dr. Bursac at the BMES conference in Pittsburgh in 2009 and the rest was history. I joined the Bursac lab in the summer of 2010 and am currently working on cardiac and skeletal muscle TE projects on route to a PhD. In my free time I enjoy basketball, tennis, bars, watching the Yankees and Bills (even though they break my heart) and tricking girls in believing I play basketball for Duke (being 6'9 helps).

Yanzhen Li, MS - Graduate Student


I grew up on the east coast of China, and came to United States in 2008 to study stem cell biology. I earned my MS degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2011, with the thesis titled tumor-like growth of embryonic stem cells. I joined Dr. Bursac’s lab as a PhD student in January 2012. I will investigate the mechanism of heterocellular communications in cardiac tissues, and endeavor to generate functional skeletal muscle tissues in vitro. In my free time, I enjoy reading bible, watching movies, travelling and playing with my baby daughter mostly.

Brian Liau, BS - Graduate Student
[Research Information]

I did my undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins. I am from Singapore. My non-scientific interests include movies, playing tennis, judo, and organizing events for the Singaporean community here at Duke.

Hung Nguyen, BS - Graduate Student


I had my heart created in Vietnam and nourished there by family and friends for 17 years before I came to Singapore as an undergrad. College was a tough time for my heart: exams made it race, teenage crushes made it jump, and the harsh winter during my internship in Berlin froze it. All kinds of stress in the senior year eventually broke the not-yet-thawed heart. So I decided to join Dr Bursac's Cardiac Electrophysiology and Tissue Engineering lab in August 2010 in order to find a way to mend my heart. With a perfectly strong heart, I can enjoy my two favorite activities: backpacking and playing soccer.

Swarnali Sengupta, BS - Graduate Student


I am from Virginia Beach, VA, but am originally from northeastern North Carolina. So yes, I LOVE the beach and the Outer Banks and I am a huge Duke fan. I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering and Applied Mathematics and Statistics from Johns Hopkins University. I will be pursuing my PhD, concentrating my research in cardiac electrophysiology.  I just recently completed my Bharatanatyam Arangetram (Indian classical dance debut).  So in my free time, I love to dance and sing.

Ilia Shadrin, BS - Graduate Student


I was born and raised in Moscow, Russia, and eventually moved to the United States in 1999. I graduated from Caltech in 2009 with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. That same year, I enrolled in Duke Medical School to pursue an MD/PhD dual degree. Taking care of heart failure patients on the wards greatly influenced my decision to pursue cardiovascular research for my PhD. As a result, in January of 2012 I joined Dr. Bursac's lab where I hope to characterize the interactions of mesenchymal stem cells and cardiomyocytes as they pertain to the treatment of cardiac dysfunction. Outside the lab, I enjoy playing tennis, doing P90X at my house, and spending quality time with my fiancee.

Swathi Rangarajan, - MS Student


I am originally from India (moved around a lot so spent a chunk of time in several cities), where I received my B.Tech in Biotechnology. I am currently in my second year of MS in Biomedical Engineering, hoping to convert it to a PhD (fingers crossed!). I joined Bursac Lab in April 2011. I am working on a bioreactor design for skeletal muscle cells under Mark. When I am not working I like to read novels, sing, play badminton, swim and watch cricket.

Nicholas Gillum, - Undergraduate Student


I am originally from Worcester, Massachusetts, but I came down to Duke to pursue a B.S.E. in Biomedical Engineering and a B.S. in Mathematics. I joined the Bursac lab in January 2012 to study mathematical and cellular models of excitable cells under the mentorship of Hung. I spend much of my free time reading, attending seminars, and working as an emergency medical technician.

Brad Peet, - Undergraduate Student


I came to Duke from Lake Forest, IL to study biomedical engineering at the Pratt School.  I decided during sophomore year to pursue a degree in BME as well as ECE, electrical and computer engineering.  I joined the Bursac Lab on June 1, 2011, and have continued my research work there during the recent school year doing an independent study on mechanical and electrical stimulation of engineered skeletal muscle constructs.  My first research job at Duke was the summer of 2010 in the Gersbach Lab doing molecular cloning and some mammalian cell culture  This summer of 2012, and on into my senior year, I will remain at the Bursac lab as a Pratt Research Fellow.  When not working and studying, I enjoy running and cooking.

Joe Sharick, - Undergraduate Student


I grew up just outside the wonderful city of Columbus, Ohio.  My passions for engineering, life sciences, and basketball made coming to Duke a natural choice.  After deciding that a career in cellular and molecular BME research was for me, I joined the lab in September 2011.  I am currently working with Mark on the isolation and utilization of muscular satellite cells.  In my free time I listen to music, rock out on guitar, follow Duke sports and Cleveland pro sports religiously, and play Madden and FIFA.

Angela Woods, - Undergraduate Student


I am studying biomedical engineering and biology at Duke University. I joined the Bursac lab in the summer of 2012, and I am currently researching with Dr. George Engelmayr on creating an optimal media for the growth of myoblasts and satellite cells.  I have conducted mathematical biology research on the population of CD4+ cells in response to HIV at Duke in the summer of 2011, as well as optical spectroscopy research under Dr. Adam Wax and Matt Rinehart in the fall of 2011.  In my free time, I enjoy playing music, working out, and spending time with my family and friends.

Nima Badie, PhD - PhD Graduate
[Research Information]

Originally from Northern California, I graduated from UCLA in 2003 with a BS in Electrical Engineering (BME emphasis). I graduated with a PhD at Duke in Fall 2010. When I'm not busy pushing the frontiers of cardiac micropatterning and electrophysiology, I enjoy cooking (immediately followed by eating), listening to music, and spending quality time with my friends. Ultimately, I would like to return to Northern California to be closer to my family.

Weining Bian, PhD - PhD Graduate
[Research Information]

Born in Shanghai, one of the largest cities in China, I spent 18 years of my prime life time in this prosperous metropolis, a place used to be called 'Oriental Paris' and now a rising economic and financial center in the asia-pacific region. In 1999, I was unexpectedly admitted by Tsinghua University, one of the most prestigious colleges in China. As a result of this surprising accident, I moved to Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China, and graduated with a major in Electrical Engineering after 4 years of memorable college life. Deeply attracted by the beautiful magic of the marriage between biology and engineering, I came to the United States for my graduate studies in the exciting field of Biomedical Engineering. I spent 2 years at Johns Hopkins and obtained my master degree with a thesis on cardiac reentrant arrhythmias. In the summer of 2005, I joined Dr. Bursac's cardiac electrophysiology and tissue engineering lab at Duke to pursue my Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Engineering. Outside the lab, I like to hang out with my lovely friends and have fun. I also enjoy spending my limited amount of leisure time on a variety of fun activities, such as traveling, dancing, hiking, swimming, playing badminton, yoga, Karaoke and cooking.

George Engelmayr, PhD - Research Scientist


I grew up in and around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and earned my BS in Chemical Engineering and Bioprocess Engineering from Penn State University in 1997.  Following graduation I worked for Merck until 2001, first as a contract engineer and later as a 2nd shift production supervisor.  Working 2nd shift offered me the opportunity to drink a lot of coffee while pursuing my Master of Biotechnology degree at the University of Pennsylvania during the day, as well as my first tissue engineering experience in Prof. Keith Gooch's course and lab.  I earned my PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh in 2005; my doctoral research was conducted under the guidance of Prof. Michael S. Sacks and focused on biomechanical and mechanobiological aspects of heart valve tissue engineering.  From 2005 to 2009 I conducted postdoctoral training in cardiac muscle tissue engineering under the guidance of Dr. Lisa E. Freed and Prof. Robert Langer at MIT.  I then joined the Department of Bioengineering at Penn State University as an Assistant Professor, where I directed my Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory until December 2011.  Prof. Bursac offered me the wonderful opportunity to solve my two-body problem while continuing and expanding my research in tissue engineering. I joined Prof. Bursac's lab in January 2012 and will be contributing to a variety of projects, including vascularization and bioreactor cultivation of engineered skeletal and cardiac muscle tissues. In my free time I enjoy eating good food, watching movies, and taking leisurely strolls with my wife, reading and writing, and playing guitar.

Denny Himel, PhD - Postdoctoral Associate
[Research Information]

I grew up in southern Louisiana, where I attended Southeastern Louisiana University and earned B.S. degrees in physics, mathematics, and microbiology (and a minor in chemistry). Biomedical engineering seemed like a logical way to integrate what I had learned as an undergraduate. I headed to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where I earned M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in BME, with specialization in cardiac electrophysiology. I then spent two years performing research under a clinical electrophysiologist at the VA hospital in Brooklyn, NY. I then returned to the triangle area to join Dr. Bursac's group and learn more about their micropatterning and cell culture methods, and to help with further development of their optical mapping systems.

Sara Hinds, MS - MS Graduate
[Research Information]

Born and raised in sunny Miami, Florida, I started my career in science during my freshman year of high school when I earned a research opportunity with the organic chemistry department at the University of Miami. I graduated from Ransom Everglades high school in Coconut Grove and was accepted early to the undergraduate program at Duke's Pratt School of Engineering. I spent a summer working as a neurology lab assistant in Dr. Dalton Dietrich's laboratory at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and in my junior year, I was given a Duke Pratt fellowship, which is when I began my work in Dr. Bursac's lab. Under his guidance, my research primarily concentrated on engineering bio-artificial muscle constructs for experimental studies and tissue replacement therapy. Upon graduating from Duke, I was awarded the Pilkington Memorial Award for my accomplishments in the study of BME and have since enrolled in Duke's graduate School of Engineering where I earned a thesis Master's degree.

Luke McSpadden, PhD - Postdoctoral Associate
[Research Information]

I grew up in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, a small town in the northeast corner of the state and home of the Price Tower. I attended college at The University of Oklahoma where I studied electrical engineering and received a BS in 2004. After graduating, I decided to switch my focus to Biomedical Engineering and came to North Carolina to study cardiac electrophysiology in Dr. Bursac's lab at Duke where I worked for several years. I received my PhD in May, 2011. Outside of lab I like to run, play IM sports, read novels, follow OU football and Duke basketball, and explore what the Triangle has to offer.

Wayne Pfeiler, PhD - Postdoctoral Associate
[Research Information]

After growing up in eastern Tennessee, I attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville to study biomedical engineering and earn my BS and MS degrees. Next I moved to Raleigh to attend the Joint BME Department at NCSU and UNC where I earned my PhD with a minor in biotechnology studying mechanical stimulation of mesenchymal stem cells. I recently joined Dr. Bursac's lab at Duke to study electro-mechanical stimulation of cardiac tissue constructs.

Woohyun Yoon, PhD - Postdoctoral Associate
[Research Information]

Originally from South Korea, I got my PhD in Cell Biology at Duke studying the membrane adaptor protein, ankyrin. I then moved to human genetics research for epilepsy and HIV/AIDS. Recently I joined Dr. Bursac's lab to study adult stem cell differentiation toward cardiomyocytes using a lentiviral system.