Principal Investigator
James P. Landers, PhD, FRSC
jpl5e@virginia.edu Professor of Chemistry Professor of Mechanical Engineering Associate Professor of Pathology Director, Center for Nano-Biosystems Integration Member, UVA Cancer Center Jefferson Scholar Faculty Fellow Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry 1991: Canadian Medical Research Fellow, Mayo Clinic 1988: Ph.D. Biochemistry, University of Guelph, Canada 1983: B.S. Biochemistry, University of Guelph, Canada |
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Dr. James Landers is currently Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Virginia, as well as Associate Professor of Pathology at the University of Virginia Health System. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry with a minor in Biomedicine and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Guelph in Ontario (Canada) in 1984 and 1988, respectively. After a year as a post-doctoral fellow at the Banting Institute at the University of Toronto School of Medicine, as a Canadian Medical Research Council (MRC) Fellow at the Mayo Clinic-Rochester, he studied cancer biology and diagnostics under Thomas Spelsberg, a renowned breast cancer biochemist. He launched and directed Mayo Clinic’s Clinical Capillary Electrophoresis Facility in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, developing clinical assays based on capillary electrophoretic technology.
Dr. Landers joined the Chemistry Department at the University of Pittsburgh in 1997, where he forayed into analytical microfluidic systems with the goal of developing the next generation molecular diagnostics platform. This research was bolstered by the move in 1999 to the University of Virginia where access to a dedicated class-100 cleanroom for microchip fabrication allowed for rapid prototyping of microdevices for separations, DNA purification, and DNA amplification. His group was among the first to generate a fully integrated lab-on-a-chip (PNAS 103:19272, 2006), successfully applied to detecting infectious agents in biofluids and cancer diagnostics, and more recently defined new approaches to fluidic control on microchips (NATURE Physics 5:231, 2009). He has authored more than 180 papers and 25 book chapters on topics as diverse as receptor biochemistry, capillary electrophoretic method development, microchip fabrication, forensic DNA analysis and integrated microfluidic systems for application to both the clinical and forensic arenas. In addition, he has recently completed the third in the succession of editions of CRC Press Handbook of Capillary Electrophoresis, with this one extrapolated to microchip electrophoresis and associated microtechniques.
Dr. Landers joined the Chemistry Department at the University of Pittsburgh in 1997, where he forayed into analytical microfluidic systems with the goal of developing the next generation molecular diagnostics platform. This research was bolstered by the move in 1999 to the University of Virginia where access to a dedicated class-100 cleanroom for microchip fabrication allowed for rapid prototyping of microdevices for separations, DNA purification, and DNA amplification. His group was among the first to generate a fully integrated lab-on-a-chip (PNAS 103:19272, 2006), successfully applied to detecting infectious agents in biofluids and cancer diagnostics, and more recently defined new approaches to fluidic control on microchips (NATURE Physics 5:231, 2009). He has authored more than 180 papers and 25 book chapters on topics as diverse as receptor biochemistry, capillary electrophoretic method development, microchip fabrication, forensic DNA analysis and integrated microfluidic systems for application to both the clinical and forensic arenas. In addition, he has recently completed the third in the succession of editions of CRC Press Handbook of Capillary Electrophoresis, with this one extrapolated to microchip electrophoresis and associated microtechniques.
PhD Candidates
Anchi Tsuei
at3ae@virginia.edu degrees
MSc, University of Waikato (NZ) BSc(Tech), University of Waikato research interests
Rapid DNA extraction techniques. Forensic DNA analysis, including rapid DNA technologies, differential extraction, touch DNA, direct PCR. Microchip fabrication, fluidics and applications. other activities
Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy 2016 participant International Symposium on Human Identification 2015 poster presentation Conference on National Defense and Intelligence 2015 participant Research Scientist, University of Virginia, 2015. Scientist, Microlab Diagnostics, 2012-2014. Scientist, ZyGEM Corp, 2010-2012. selected publications
patents
Microfluidic Cartridge. Europe 13709628.5. Issued February 22, 2013 |
Shane Woolf
msw2s@virginia.edu degrees
M.S. Forensic Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2016 B.S. Biology and minor in pre-professional Secondary Education, James Madison University, 2007 A.A.S. Physical Therapy, Tidewater Community College, 1996 research interests
Forensic science and biometrics, human identification, microfluidic separations, microchip and microdevice fabrication, analytical and biological chemistry, and the detection of bioweapons, pathogens, and explosives other activities
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Tiffany Layne
trl3ts@virginia.edu degrees
M.S. Forensic Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2016 B.S. Forensic Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2014 B.S. Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2014 research interests
Forensic DNA analysis, body fluid identification, microfluidics and fabrication, rapid DNA technologies. other activities
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Killian O'Connell
kco4yh@virginia.edu degrees
B.S. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, 2015 research interests
Point-of-care diagnostics for infectious diseases, personalized medicine, bioanalytical chemistry. other activities
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Leah Dignan
lmd4bt@virginia.edu Degrees
B.S. Chemistry (ACS Certified), Mathematics Minor, St. Mary's College of Maryland, 2016 Research interests
Forensic chemistry, microfluidic analysis and device fabrication, and the detection of illicit drugs,explosives, and chemical warfare agents. Other activities
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Jamila Marshall Roberts
jsm2dg@virginia.edu Degrees
MSc Chemistry, Clark Atlanta University, 2015 BSc Chemistry (Hons.), Biology minor, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados, 2010 Research Interests
Forensic science, microdevice fabrication, microfluidic separations, bioanalytical chemistry, and the detection of opiates, accelerants and biomarkers. Other Activities
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Sadie Kiendzior
smk8ud@virginia.edu Degrees
B.S. Biology, University of Saint Joseph, 2018 Research Interests
Forensic analysis of nucleic acids, detection of microbial pathogens for forensic analysis, development and genetics. Other Activities
Selected publications
Lambert, K. M., Z. D. Stempel, S. M. Kiendzior, A. L. Bartelson and W. F. Bailey (2017). "Enhancement of the Oxidizing Power of an Oxoammonium Salt by Electronic Modification of a Distal Group." The Journal of Organic Chemistry 82(21): 11440-11446. |
Renna Nouwairi
rln3bm@virginia.edu Degrees
B.S. Chemistry (ACS Certified), Mathematics Minor, James Madison University, 2017 Research Interests
Forensic DNA analysis, bioanalytical chemistry, detection of explosives and chemical warfare agents, microfluidics and device fabrication. Other Activities
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Graduate Students
Rachelle Turiello
rat3a@virginia.edu Degrees
B.A. Interdisciplinary Studies: Bio-Cultural Hominid Anthropology, University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) M.S. Forensic Science, Towson University Research Interests
Forensic DNA phenotyping, centrifugal microfluidics, rapid SNP detection, epigenetic methods for human identification, microchip fabrications for human identification Other Activities
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Zachary Baker
zb3vj@virginia.edu Degrees
B.S. Medicinal Biochemistry, Ethics Minor, Arizona State University, 2019 Research Interests
Microfluidics, Environmental Forensics, Separations, Ceramics Other Activities
Heavy metal, the beach, anything with cheese in it. Selected Publications
Evidente, V.; Baker, Z.; Evidente, M; Garrett, R.; Lambert, M.; Ponce, F. Orthostatic Tremor is Responsive to Bilateral Thalamic Deep Brain Stimulation: Report of Two Cases Performed Asleep. Tremor Other Hyperkinet Mov (N Y). (2018). 8: 566. |
Larissa Cunha
llc9t@virginia.edu Degrees
B.S. Chemistry, University of South Carolina, 2019 B.S. Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 2013 Research interests
Drug Detection, Microchip Fabrication for Forensic Applications, Microfluidic Separations, Forensic Chemistry, Detection of Chemical/Biological Weapons. Other activities
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Undergraduate Students
Isabella Mighell
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Antea Cooper
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Alvand Moini
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Major: Biochemistry
Mentor: Leah Dignan |
Major: Biochemistry
Mentor: Tiffany Layne |
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Mentor: Killian O'Connell |
Major: Biology
Mentor: Killian O'Connell |
Major: Chemistry
Mentor: Shane Woolf |
Alumni
Christopher Birch, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow
Jingyi Li, PhD, Research Scientist
Charlie Clark, PhD
Shannon Krauss, PhD
Jacquelyn DuVall, PhD
Kimberly Jackson, PhD
Hillary Sloan, PhD
Kerui Xu, PhD
Qian Liu, PhD
Yiwen Ouyang, PhD
Ling Huang, PhD
Jian Wen, PhD
Joan Bienvenue, PhD
Lindsay Bazydlo, PhD
Jessica Norris, PhD
Daniel Marchiarullo, PhD
Brian Poe, PhD
Kyudam Oh, Ph.D
Briony C. Strachan, Ph.D
Jenny A. Lounsbury, Ph.D
Jingyi Li, Ph.D
Carmen R. Reedy, Ph.D
Kristin A. Hagan, Ph.D
James M. Karlinsey, Ph.D
Christopher J. Easley, Ph.D
Daniel C. Leslie, Ph.D
Brandon Thompson, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow
Daniel Nelson, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow
Francisco Lara, Ph.D, Post-doctoral Fellow
Murali Ghatkesar, Ph.D, Post-doctoral Fellow
Mariana Almeida, Visiting Graduate Student
Juliane Cristina Borba, Visiting Graduate Student
Gabriela Duarte, Ph.D, Visiting Graduate Student
Annie Piland, Undergraduate
Alexandra Markmann, Undergraduate
Sabrina Kim, Undergraduate
George Fairman, Undergraduate
Christopher Tomley, Undergraduate
Liam Spears, Undergraduate
Kendall Jenkins, Undergraduate
Victoria Holt, Undergraduate
Josh Shield, Undergraduate
Sarah Wychoff, Undergraduate
Jacob Hughes, Undergraduate
Megan Taleg, Undergraduate
Casey Engel, Undergraduate
David Dent, Undergraduate
Morgan Carter, Undergraduate
Michael Do, Undergraduate
Brett A. Melnikoff, Undergraduate
Ibrahim Tora, Undergraduate
Mackenzie Long, Undergraduate
Michelle Sjostrom, Undergraduate
Anne Karlsson, Visiting Undergraduate
Alexis Chernish, Undergraduate