We're hiring!
The Zierden Lab is currently hiring! We are looking for motivated graduate and postdoctoral researchers interested in learning more about how extracellular vesicles aid in biological communication and using these particles as therapeutics to treat women's health indications.
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Meet Our Team
Dr. Hannah Zierden
Principal Investigator
Dr. Zierden is an Assistant Professor in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department at UMD. Dr. Zierden graduated from The Ohio State University with a B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. While at OSU, she performed research under the guidance of Dr. David Wood, investigating efficient methods of protein purification. She then joined the ChBE program at Johns Hopkins University, where she earned her Ph.D. under the supervision of Drs. Laura Ensign and Justin Hanes in the Center for Nanomedicine. Her thesis focused on improving vaginal drug delivery during pregnancy, and the resulting work highlighted the need for effective drug delivery in order to understand drug action in the context of disease. In order to better understand biological mechanisms, and master the tools necessary to probe these questions, Dr. Zierden joined the laboratory of Dr. Tracy Bale as a postdoctoral researcher. In the Bale Lab, Dr. Zierden studied how extracellular vesicles from the placenta aid in maternal-fetal communication, and how these biological nanoparticles may play a role in pregnancy outcomes. The Zierden Lab combines these experiences by asking how extracellular vesicles from the maternal vaginal microbiome communicate with the host to dictate both maternal and fetal health outcomes, and how these particles may be used as therapeutics in a wide range of human disease.
Graduate Students
Robert Kirian
Joined Feb. 2023
Robert is a PhD student in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering at the University of Maryland. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Ohio State University, he worked as a process development engineer at RoosterBio, Inc. in Frederick, MD, where he developed processes to manufacture mesenchymal stem/stromal cells in bioreactors. In the Zierden Lab, Robert is exploring methods to produce bacterial derived extracellular vesicles as therapeutic carriers for drug delivery applications.
Joined Feb. 2023
Robert is a PhD student in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering at the University of Maryland. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Ohio State University, he worked as a process development engineer at RoosterBio, Inc. in Frederick, MD, where he developed processes to manufacture mesenchymal stem/stromal cells in bioreactors. In the Zierden Lab, Robert is exploring methods to produce bacterial derived extracellular vesicles as therapeutic carriers for drug delivery applications.
Darby Steinman
Joined Feb. 2023
Darby Steinman is a Graduate Student in the Bioengineering Department. She received her bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering (Bioimaging and Bioinstrumentation) from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2022, where she investigated the regulation of bacterial transposon binding under Dr. Richard Bonocora. In the Zierden Lab, she is currently studying the implications of bacterial vaginosis on maternal health and fetal development.
Joined Feb. 2023
Darby Steinman is a Graduate Student in the Bioengineering Department. She received her bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering (Bioimaging and Bioinstrumentation) from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2022, where she investigated the regulation of bacterial transposon binding under Dr. Richard Bonocora. In the Zierden Lab, she is currently studying the implications of bacterial vaginosis on maternal health and fetal development.
Alyssa Petersen
Joined Dec. 2023
Alyssa Petersen is a Graduate Student in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Maryland. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology in 2020 from Pennsylvania State University. While there, she researched differentiation of astrocytes into neurons by small molecule treatments under Dr. Gong Chen. Afterwards she worked at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals for three years where she managed the stability testing process for critical protein reagents. Now her work in the Zierden lab focuses on modeling host pressures to evaluate changes in bacterial signaling.
Joined Dec. 2023
Alyssa Petersen is a Graduate Student in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Maryland. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology in 2020 from Pennsylvania State University. While there, she researched differentiation of astrocytes into neurons by small molecule treatments under Dr. Gong Chen. Afterwards she worked at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals for three years where she managed the stability testing process for critical protein reagents. Now her work in the Zierden lab focuses on modeling host pressures to evaluate changes in bacterial signaling.
Undergraduate Students
Karolina Akelaitis, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Ethan Bolinger, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Yasmi Chibber, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Rose Coats, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Xavier Garcia, Bioengineering
Shirin Haan, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Hayden Medlin, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Aryan Shabanpour, Kinesiology
Kiana Yip, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Ethan Bolinger, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Yasmi Chibber, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Rose Coats, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Xavier Garcia, Bioengineering
Shirin Haan, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Hayden Medlin, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Aryan Shabanpour, Kinesiology
Kiana Yip, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Lab Alumni
Giselle Dilone, Microbiology, BS 2023
Fran Riley, Biochemistry
Fran Riley, Biochemistry
Interested in joining us?Interested graduate students and postdocs should send your CV and a short cover letter to Dr. Zierden: hzierden <at> umd.edu
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