Shreyas S. Rao, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
Education
Postdoctoral, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 2014-2015
Postdoctoral, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 2013-2014
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 2012
M.S., Chemical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 2010
B.E. Chemical Engineering, R.V. College of Engineering, Visvesvaraya Technological University, India, 2007
Biographical Information
Dr. Shreyas Rao is a tenured Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at The University of Alabama. Dr. Rao completed his graduate work in the area of neural biomimetic materials for investigating cancer cell behaviors under the guidance of Dr. Jessica Winter at The Ohio State University. His postdoctoral work performed at Northwestern University and The University of Michigan under the guidance of Dr. Lonnie Shea developed novel technologies for early detection of metastatic disease. Dr. Rao is a recipient of the National Science Foundation CAREER award (2018), METAvivor Early Career Investigator Award (2020), American Cancer Society Research Scholar Award (2021), and was named ‘Emerging Leader in Biological Engineering’ in 2019, by the Journal of Biological Engineering, an official publication of the Institute of Biological Engineering (IBE). He has also received the American Institute of Chemists Outstanding Graduate Student Award, Joseph H. Koffolt Graduate Fellowship, Pelotonia Graduate Research Fellowship, and was invited as a “top student innovator” to the first Procter & Gamble Innovation Camp.
Postdoctoral Research Associates
Graduate Students
PhD ChBE Student
PhD ChBE Student
Undergraduate Students
BS ChBE Student
Expected Graduation: Spring 2027
BS ChBE Student
Expected Graduation: Spring 2028
BS ChBE Student
Expected Graduation: Spring 2028
Alumni and Visiting Students
| Name | Degree and Year | Current Position (if known) |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Venu Yakati | N/A | Postdoctoral fellow, College of Community Health Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL |
| Kyra Berger | B.S., 2025 | M.D. program, University of Alabama at Birmingham |
| Nicholas Lenart | M.S., 2024 | |
| Kasra Goodarzi | Ph.D, 2024 | Postdoctoral Research Associate, Radiation Oncology UT Southwestern Medical Center |
| Rachel Lane | B.S., 2024 | Engineer, Nephron Pharmaceuticals |
| Sofia Luna | B.S., 2024 | Ph.D. program, BME, Vanderbilt University |
| Raghu Vamsi Kondapaneni | Ph.D., 2023 | Postdoctoral Research Associate, Bioengineering, Rice University |
| Madeline Fisher | M.S., 2022 | Research Associate, BlueRock Therapeutics |
| Rachel Warren | B.S., 2022 | Ph.D. program, BioE, University of Maryland |
| Pinaki Nakod | Ph.D., 2022 | R&D Scientist, BIOMILQ, Inc. |
| Isaiah Roberts | B.S., 2024 (Howard University) | B.S. (ChE) student, Howard University |
| Emma Sanders | B.S., 2021 | M.D. Program, University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine |
| Akshay Narkhede | Ph.D., 2020 M.S., 2018 | Upstream Process Development Scientist, Shattuck Labs, Inc. |
| Brandon Edney | B.S., 2020 | M.D Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham |
| Kasie Coogan | B.S., 2020 | Production Engineer, Dow Chemical Company |
| Payton Stone | B.S., 2020 | Ph.D Program, ChE, Vanderbilt University |
| James Crenshaw | B.S. 2019 | M.D Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham |
| Nicole Sempertegui | B.S. 2019 | Ph.D Program, BME, Cornell University |
| Courtney Geary | B.S., 2019 | |
| Riley Manning | B.S., 2018 | Ph.D. Program, BME, University of Minnesota |
| Anne Lehmann | B.S., 2018 | |
| Mary Alsobrooks | B.A., 2018 | University of Alabama |
| David Yaroshevsky | B.S., 2018 (Georgia Tech) | Veeva Systems |
| John Stoffer | B.S., 2017 | M.D. Program University of Cincinnati |