Staff Directory

Zach McDargh is a postdoctoral researcher in the group, who joined in fall 2017. During his doctoral work in the Physics department at Carnegie Mellon University, he studied dynamin-mediated endocytosis and membrane mechanics. This work primarily aimed toward the goal of understanding how dynamin induces membrane fission from a mechanical and geometric perspective using analytical and computational models. Currently, he works on neurotransmission, membrane fusion, and cytokinesis. Outside of the office, Zach enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and exploring New York.

Yiting received her B.S. in Chemistry and Mathematics from Hope College. Her undergraduate research focused on spectral clustering and analytical chemistry. Her current interests are at the intersection of chemistry, biology, and machine learning. She joined the research group in Fall 2025 as a Master’s student. Outside of research, she enjoys hiking, snowboarding, and climbing.

Yingwen received his M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University, and B.S. in Materials Science from Shanghai Jiaotong University. He harbors a strong passion for biology and life science projects. In his spare time, Yingwen delights in traveling and spending time with friends. He is curious about the world and would like to explore new experiences.

Tianyi received her B.S. degree in chemical engineering from the University of California, Davis. Her research was about the synthesis and function of GUVs and cell-mimic disks. She joined the group in 2020, Fall as a Ph.D. student. Her research interests are in cell-transportation-related areas while applying computational methods in research. In her spare time, she does workout regularly, and she likes hiking and playing tennis. She also enjoys cooking.

Rui Su received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Tsinghua University. He joined the group in 2017 as a ChemE PhD student. His research focuses on developing mathematical models and using simulation methods to understand membrane fusion and neurotransmission. In his spare time, he likes jogging and watching basketball games.

Ray Nobuhara is an undergraduate sophomore (Class of 2027) at Columbia University, intending to major in Chemical Engineering for a Bachelors of Science degree. She joined the group in Summer 2024 and is excited to learn more about computational techniques while also bridging her interests in chemical engineering and neuroscience. Beyond her academic pursuits, Ray enjoys composing music, playing the tenor saxophone, acting, and contributing to sound productions for musicals.

Jin Zeng received his B.S in Chemical Engineering from University Of Colorado Boulder in spring 2018 and his M.S. from Columbia University. He joined Professor O'Shaughnessy's group in fall 2019.

Jeff received his B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in New Brunswick. His undergraduate research involved measuring the solution properties of ionomers, polymers with ionic functional groups. He joined the research group in 2024, Spring as a Master’s student. His current interests are the intersection of chemistry and computational methods in research. Away from research, he plays the guitar, practices yoga, and frequents art attractions in the City.

Cristina Butu received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University. Her undergraduate research was in computational fluid dynamics, and now she is passionate about projects that lie at the interface of chemical engineering and biology. She joined the group in Spring 2022 as a ChemE M.S. student at Columbia. In her free time, she enjoys playing the piano and spending time outdoors.

Hongkang received his M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University, and B.S in Chemical Biology from Tsinghua University. He joined the group in 2019 as a PhD candidate. He is excited to use quantitative methods to solve biological problems. In his spare time, he likes playing the piano as well as PUBG Mobile.

Grace Fluskey is a rising junior at the University of Notre Dame and is pursuing a B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. She joined the group in Summer 2024 and is excited to use machine learning and chemical engineering to further research in neuronal ensembles. Outside of the lab, Grace enjoys dancing, reading, and exploring new restaurants with her friends.

Dong An received a B.S. in Chemistry from Xiamen University and his M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Columbia. He joined the group in 2018 as a ChemE PhD student. In his spare time, he likes to read manga and watch animations.

Daniel is an undergraduate junior pursing a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University. He joined the group in Spring 2024 and is excited to use machine learning and other computational techniques to research dormancy and glassy systems. In his spare time, Daniel likes to run outdoors and cook with friends.

Christos Nikas received his MS at Columbia and previously completed his undergraduate degree at Cornell. He joined the group in January 2024 focusing on applying machine learning methods to predictive analytics. In his free time, he enjoys swimming and running.

Ben O’Shaughnessy is a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering. He earned his PhD in polymer physics with Professor Sir Sam Edwards at the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge University, England. Before joining Columbia he studied non-linear dynamics and chaos theory as a postdoctoral researcher with Professor Itamar Procaccia at the Weizmann Institute of Science. He received a B.Sc. degree in Mathematics and Physics at Bristol University, England. 

Aru Tiwari received his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Virginia Tech in the Spring of 2019. After 4 years of industry experience, he began his MS chemical engineering degree at Columbia University with a concentration in data and computational science. Aru joined the group in January of 2024 and is focused on analyzing drosophila germ-band extension. In his free time, he enjoys hiking with his dog, playing tennis, and watching sports.