People

NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY LAB

RNAi - DRUG DELIVERY - BIOMATERIALS - NANOTECHNOLOGY

| CLEMSON UNIVERSITY

| COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, COMPUTING, AND APPLIED SCIENCE

| DEPARTMENT OF BIOENGINEERING

Jessie Boulous

M.S. Student

Anthony Hazleton

Honors Research Undergraduate Student

Angela Alexander-Bryant

Assistant Professor

Director of Diversity and Inclusion

Ph. D. Bioengineering, Clemson University, 2015
M.S. Materials Science & Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 2009

B.S. Materials Science & Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 2008

Dr. Angela Alexander-Bryant received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Materials Science & Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. She completed her Ph.D. in the Clemson-MUSC Joint Bioengineering Program in Charleston, SC in 2015. She has received many honors and awards, including the Gates Millennium Scholarship, honorary membership in the National Academy of Inventors, and a Minority Scholar in Cancer Research Award from the American Association for Cancer Research. She has been an Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at Clemson University since 2017. As PI of the Nanobiotechnology Lab, she leads her research team on the development of novel self-assembled biomaterials for delivery of chemotherapy and nucleic acid-based therapies to improve targeted treatment of aggressive and drug-resistant cancers. Dr. Alexander-Bryant was appointed Director of Diversity and Inclusion in the department in January 2018. In this role, she works to increase recruitment and retention of students from underrepresented groups and foster an inclusive environment to contribute to a more diverse student body, promoting collegiality and engagement of students across all backgrounds.

Timmy Samec

4th year Ph.D. Student

Hollings Cancer Center Graduate Fellow

"Multifunctional peptide-mediated delivery of a siRNAs for treatment of ovarian cancer"

Email: tsamec@g.clemson.edu

Timmy is a fourth year PhD candidate from Drums, PA. Timmy’s research focuses on developing peptide systems for delivering siRNA in ovarian epithelial cancer as well as real-time image analysis and novel chemotherapeutic effects on glioblastoma multiforme. Outside of the lab, he is heavily involved in the bioengineering, Clemson campus, and greater Clemson community through leadership roles in several organizations including the Clemson Bioengineering Organization, Omicron Delta Kappa, the Clemson Triathlon Club, and the Clemson Wrestling Club. Timmy is also a competitive triathlete and if he isn’t in the lab you can probably find him in the pool/lake, on one of his bikes, or running! During quarantine Timmy has been catching up with friends by playing video games during down time in groups online.

Jessie Boulos

1st year M.S. Student

"siRNA-mediated gene silencing in glioblastoma"

Email: jboulos@g.clemson.edu

Jessie Boulos is a MS student from Greenville, SC. She joined the lab as an undergrad in August of 2018. Currently, her project focuses on the development of a tandem peptide for delivery of siRNA to treat glioblastoma. Outside of the lab, Jessie enjoys swimming and hanging out with friends. During quarantine, Jessie has loved learning to cook new things and having game nights with her roommates.

Megan Pitz

2nd year Ph.D. Student

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow

"Self-assembling peptide nanoparticle for delivery of therapeutically active temozolomide in glioblastoma multiforme treatment"

Email: mpitz@g.clemson.edu

Originally from East Tennessee, Megan has a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Biological Sciences from The University of Tennessee (Go Vols!). Her research in the Nanobiotechnology lab is focused on tuning self-assembling peptides for drug delivery and conversion. She is interested in the intersection between science and government and is also pursuing a certificate in Policy Studies while at Clemson. Outside of the lab, she loves being outdoors, especially hiking or backpacking in the Smokies and kayaking around the lakes in upstate SC. During quarantine, she has been spending more time on hobbies such as baking, crocheting, and spending time with her two cats.

Kharimat Lora Alatise

2nd year Ph.D. Student

Call Me Doctor Graduate Fellow

"Liposomal delivery of combination therapy to treat drug resistant ovarian cancer"

Email: kalatis@g.clemson.edu

Lora is from E. Hartford, Connecticut and received her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY. Her work in the Nanobiotechnology lab is centered around delivering combination therapies to silence genes in drug resistant ovarian cancer. Aside from her research interests, she is passionate about Diversity and Inclusion in STEM and STEM outreach. In her free time she loves to binge watch shows on Netflix/Hulu, listen to music and podcasts, and travel (pre-COVID). During quarantine she’s been cooking new foods and learning more about personal finance!

Alex Nukovic

Honors Research

B.S. Bioengineering, 2021

Alex is a senior Bioengineering major from Foxborough, MA. She joined the Peptide Hydrogel team in the summer of 2019, working on a peptide delivery system designed to improve treatment for glioblastoma patients. After graduating, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering. Outside of the lab, Alex enjoys hiking and playing the saxophone. Her quarantine hobby is experimenting with cooking new dishes.

Sam Gardner

Honors Research

B.S. Bioengineering, 2021

Sam is a senior Bioengineering major from Colleyville, TX. In the fall of 2019, she joined the Liposome team working on a liposome drug delivery system to treat drug-resistant ovarian cancer. After graduation she plans to pursue a M.D. degree. Outside of the lab you can find Sam playing soccer with friends or hanging out by the lake. During quarantine, Sam has been gardening and expanding her houseplant collection.

Serena Gilmore

Honors Research

B.S. Bioengineering, 2022

Serena is a junior bioengineering major from Anderson, SC. She joined the lab in the fall of 2019 as a part of the peptide nanocarrier team working on developing a targeting peptide nanocarrier to deliver siRNA to ovarian cancer cells. Her plans are to pursue an M.D. degree after graduation. When not in the lab, you can find her watching movies, hanging with friends, and taking road trips. While in quarantine, Serena has developed her cooking and baking skills.

Anthony Hazelton

Honors Research

B.S. Biochemistry, 2021

Anthony is a senior biochemistry major from Charleston, SC. He joined the vacuolization team in the spring of 2020, studying the effects of a novel chemotherapeutic, vacquinol-1, on glioblastoma multiforme. After graduating, Anthony plans to pursue a Ph.D. in biochemistry. Outside of the lab, he enjoys napping and trying new foods. During quarantine, Anthony has spent countless hours playing video games and adventuring around the Clemson area.

Dr. Angela Alexander-Bryant

Assistant Professor

Director of Diversity and Inclusion

Timmy Samec

Ph.D. Candidate

Hollings Cancer Center Graduate Fellow

Megan Pitz

Ph.D. Student

NSF Graduate Research Fellow

Kharimat Lora Alatise

Ph.D. Student

Call Me Doctor Fellow

Alex Nukovic

Honors Research Undergraduate Student

Samantha Gardner

Honors Research Undergraduate Student

Serena Gilmore

Honors Research Undergraduate Student

Sarah Wilde

Honors Research Undergraduate Student

Aaron Williams

Honors Research Undergraduate Student

Sarah Wilde

Honors Research

B.S. Bioengineering, 2022

Sarah is a junior Bioengineering major from St. Augustine, Florida. After graduation, she plans to pursue a M.D. degree. Outside of the lab, Sarah enjoys hiking, reading and volunteering. Her quarantine hobby is walking her dog, Bear and catching up on all her Netflix series.

Aaron Williams

Honors Research

B.S. Bioengineering, 2023

Aaron is a sophomore Bioengineering major from Morrisville, NC. He joined the Liposome team in the Fall of 2020, where his research is focused on treating drug-resistant ovarian cancer via liposome drug delivery systems. He plans on attending medical school after graduating from Clemson University. In his free time, you can find him playing basketball with friends, volunteering, and listening to music. During quarantine he’s began investing and learning how to wakeboard.