Who We Are

Principal Investigator

she/her/hers

Monét received her Ph.D. at Cornell University in Biomedical Engineering before her postdoctoral research career at Virginia Tech/Fralin Biomedical Research Institute. She is an Assistant Professor in Bimomedical Engineering and Mechanics at Virginia Tech. Outside of the lab, she loves all things fashion, cartoons, playing video games, and also being a dog and plant mom.

Theme Song: "Float" by Janelle Monae

Graduate Students

Samantha Ferrao

PhD Student

Samantha is of Indian origin, but she has lived most of her life in the vibrant city of Dubai. She has always had an interest in tackling human disease on the molecular level. This led to her pursuing her undergraduate degree in biotechnology with a focus on molecular biology and nanotechnology, which she carried into her master's degree in biomedical engineering, and still maintains an interest in for her PhD. In her free time, she loves to try cooking new recipes, play role-playing videogames, and do arts and crafts.

Theme Song: "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor

De Shanna Johnson

PhD Student

De Shanna was born and raised in North Carolina. Her academic interests have always been centered around Tissue engineering and cell-cell interactions from the age of 14! She received her BSE in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University in 2020 and promptly entered the biotech industry after graduating. Being able to experience the work field confirmed her interest in further education. She enjoys playing video games(mostly the SIMS and anything Zelda-related), cooking, and painting in her downtime.

Theme Song: "Love on Top" by Beyonce

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Cristina Pokhrel

PhD Student

Cristina was born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal. She got her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry/Biochemistry from Hollins University, Roanoke. Currently, she is a Translational Biology, Medicine and Health (TBMH) PhD student and she is passionate about studying disease progression and proliferation in cancer. Her interests lie in exploring the associated biomarkers in cancer research and how these could be potential therapeutic targets. Cristina intends to research and translate innovative bioengineering techniques into impactful resources for cancer treatment. Outside of the lab, she enjoys hanging out with friends, going on walks, swimming, and cooking.

Theme Song: “Dhairya” by Sajjan Raj Vaidya
(Translation: “Patience”)

Ed Shangin

PhD Student

As a Virginia Native, Ed knew he wanted to attend Virginia Tech, and he did so by receiving both his Bachelor and Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering. In 2025, he was awarded the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, where he plans to pursue a PhD that focuses on investigating mechanisms of breast cancer metastasis to the bone microenvironment. Outside of the lab, he loves to shoot pool, watch sports with friends, and play video games.

Hailey Murphy

Master's Student

Originally from Tampa, FL, Hailey received her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Florida State University. Throughout her undergraduate degree, she became interested in the distinguishable characteristics that cancer cells have and methods targeting these characteristics to improve the effectiveness of treatments. This interest inspired her to pursue research opportunities post-grad and to pursue graduate school to expand her knowledge of these topics. Outside of the lab, Hailey enjoys being outdoors, running, playing her Nintendo Switch, and going to the movies.

Theme song: "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears

Khadijat Oyediran

Master's Student

Khadijat Oyediran was born and raised in Nigeria. In 2024, she completed her bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech and is currently pursuing a master degree in Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics. Her interest in understanding the how fluid flow affects the central nervous system (CNS) led her into research, where she studies breast cancer metastases to the brain. Her work focuses on how cancer cells enter the CNS and interact with immune like cells in the brain. In her free time, you can find her binge watching tv shows and chilling with good company.

Theme Song: All of Hamilton Soundtrack

Undergraduate Students

Melody Garcia-Vega

Undergraduate Researcher

Melody is an Undergraduate Researcher and ESTEEMED Scholar that was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, but raised in Roanoke, Virginia. She’s always wanted to study at Virginia Tech to obtain a major in Biomedical Engineering and a minor in Spanish. Over the summer, she participated in a rotation-based research experience that allowed her to explore different labs at Virginia Tech, which led her to discover an interest in cancer research within Biomedical Engineering. Outside of the lab, she likes to hang out with friends, visit family, read, and play video games.

Elise Richardson

Undergraduate Researcher

Elise is a senior majoring in Biomedical Engineering at Virginia Tech. She grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia and has been interested in tissue engineering and cancer research since high school. She has completed a co-op as an engineer with Thermo Fisher Scientific and an internship with LifeNet Health, a global leader in regenerative medicine. Outside of the lab, she is a competitive member of the Virginia Tech Club Cross Country & Track Team, is the Vice President of the Undergraduate Biomedical Engineering Society and is involved in Cru, a campus ministry.

Sarah Krishnamoorthy

Undergraduate Researcher

Sarah is proudly of Colombian and Indian roots and has always had a love for the sciences. She is currently pursuing her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering. Her interests lie in bioinformatics and molecular and tissue engineering. Previously, Sarah worked in the Munson Lab for Oncoengineering at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute where the project she worked on focused on intratumoral heterogeneity and fluid flow in glioblastoma. Outside of the lab, Sarah loves cooking and spending time outdoors and with friends.

Peyton Emmel

Undergraduate Researcher

Peyton is a sophomore in Biomedical Engineering with an interest in women’s health! Her campus involvement includes being part of the Dance Company at Virginia Tech and teaching yoga through Rec Sports.

Theme Song: "Ain't It Fun" by Paramore

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Melina Panda

Undergraduate Researcher

Melina Panda is a rising senior at Virginia Tech, majoring in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Biomedical Engineering. Her interest in regenerative medicine began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she explored online courses in tissue engineering and related fields. She also brings coding skills from her time in Dr. Hongliang Xin’s lab, which she hopes to integrate with her biomedical background to develop innovative approaches in regenerative medicine. Outside of academics, she enjoys traveling, photography, charcoal and digital art, and swimming.

Aubrie Fowler

Undergraduate Researcher

Aubrie is a sophomore in Biomedical Engineering at Virginia Tech and pursuing a focus in cell/tissue engineering. She was raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia and developed a love for biology and the gift of education. After shadowing a biomedical engineer at ODU, she knew BME would satisfy her hunger for knowledge and desire to help others in the medical field. Aubrie is a mentor for the Center for Engineering Excellence and Discovery where she hopes to spread her passion for education to her mentees. In her free time, Aubrie loves to listen to music, do various arts and crafts, and play video games.

Lab Alumni
Undergraduates
Ryan Smith, Graduate Student, Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia
Sara Altreuter, Medtronic
Gianna Manzo
Ashil Amin
Anirudh Venkanagari

Who We Are

Graduate Students

PhD Student

PhD Student

PhD Student

PhD Student

Master's Student

Master's Student

Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate Researcher

Undergraduate Researcher

Undergraduate Researcher

Undergraduate Researcher

Undergraduate Researcher

Undergraduate Researcher

Lab Alumni Undergraduates Ryan Smith, Graduate Student, Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia Sara Altreuter, Medtronic Gianna Manzo Ashil Amin Anirudh Venkanagari

Lab Alumni
Undergraduates
Ryan Smith, Graduate Student, Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia
Sara Altreuter, Medtronic
Gianna Manzo
Ashil Amin
Anirudh Venkanagari