Team
Principal Investigator
Asst. Professor, Bioengineering, Rice University
(Associate Professor with tenure, starting 07/2026)
Core member, Rice Neuroengineering Initiative
x@rice.edu, x=jszab
Training:
B.Sc. Biological Engineering, MIT
Ph.D. Bioengineering, Caltech
research field: Chemical Biology, Dervan lab
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Postdoc, Chemical Engineering, Shapiro lab, Caltech
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Awards (selected): ​
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Renaissance Philanthropy BiTS Fellow
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Sloan Research Fellowship (Chemistry)
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NIH Director's New Innovator Award
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Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering
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DARPA Young Faculty Award
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NIH NIBIB Trailblazer
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NARSAD Young Investigator
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Dr. Joe G. Hollyfield New Investigator Award for Macular Degeneration Research, Bright Focus Foundation
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Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award (Rice University)
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Bauer fellowship
Jerzy Szablowski, Ph.D. [CV] [06/03/2026]
Bio: Jerzy O. Szablowski is an Associate Professor of Bioengineering at Rice University and a core member of the Neuroengineering Initiative. His research focuses on noninvasive neuroengineering, bridging the gap between molecular biology and hardware tools to monitor and control the living brain. He is currently developing mechanism-agnostic drug delivery platforms and pioneered the creation of Released Markers of Activity (RMA) that enable spatially targeted, circuit-specific readout of gene expression with 5 microliters (a single drop) of blood. As the co-founder and CEO of Imprint Bio, he translates these deep-tech platforms into therapeutic applications for nervous system disorders. His laboratory’s research is supported by a robust portfolio of funding, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) New Innovator Award (DP2, R01, R21), Sloan Research Fellowship, ARIA, the Packard Fellowship, and the DARPA Young Faculty Award. He received his Ph.D. in Bioengineering and postdoctoral training in chemical engineering and noninvasive neuromodulation at Caltech, following a B.Sc. in Biological Engineering from MIT.
Postdoctoral fellows
Kritika Sood, Ph.D.
Bioengineering
Ph.D. Indian Institute of Science Education & Research (2024)
x@rice.edu, x=ks288
Incoming Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at University of Pittsburgh [lab website]
Sho Watanabe, Ph.D.
Bioengineering
Ph.D. University of Tokyo (2023)
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) fellow
x@rice.edu, x=ws57
Research staff
Yerim Kim, M.Sc.
Bioengineering, Research Technician
x@rice.edu, x=yk75
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Graduate students
Boao Xia, M.Sc..
Bioengineering, Ph.D. student
x@rice.edu, x=bx8
Yuanmuhuang Long
Bioengineering, Ph.D. student
x@rice.edu, x=hl156
Sarah Van Winkle, B.Sc.
MD/Ph.D. in Bioengineering, Rice-BCM
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x@rice.edu, x=sv86
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Nicolas Buitrago, B.Sc.
Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology (SSPB), Ph.D. student
NSF NRT Bioelectronics Fellow
x@rice.edu, x=nsb5
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Ruoxin Wen, B.Sc.
Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology (SSPB), Ph.D. student
x@rice.edu, x=rw43
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Shirin Nouraein, M.Sc.
Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology (SSPB), Ph.D. student
x@rice.edu, x=sn54
Schuyler Link, B.Sc.
MD/Ph.D. student, Bioengineering, Rice-BCM
x@rice.edu, x=sl210
Emma Raisley, B.Sc.
Rice University Bioengineering, Ph.D. student
NSF GRFP Fellow (2023)
x@rice.edu, x=er66
Honghao Li, B.Sc.
Rice University Bioengineering, Ph.D. student
x@rice.edu, x=hl156
Undergraduate students
Akshara Sankar
Kara Fan
Jesus Adame
Helena Song
Sophia Jeffrey
Abigail Proell
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Eesha Kodavatikanti
Recruitment
We are recruiting research scientists, graduate students, postdocs, and technicians. Write me an email if you are interested in joining the group or doing a research rotation.
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In particular, we are now looking for people with experience in: protein engineering, neuroscience, in vivo work, and ultrasound device development, but willingness to learn new things is the most important.
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See possible research projects, and contact information.
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