MPL People

Dr. Ramella-Roman, PI

Jessica C. Ramella-Roman received an Electrical Engineering degree (Laurea) from the University of Pavia, Italy in 1993 and worked for five years in the semiconductor industry. She returned to academia in 1999 to pursue a Ph.D. degree in bio-optics with Dr. Steve Jacques and she received a Master's and Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from Oregon Health Science University in Portland, Oregon in 2004. She was a Post Doctoral Fellow at the Applied Physics Laboratory of the Johns Hopkins University from 2004 to 2005. She was then an Associate Professor at The Catholic University of America from 2005 to 2010 and an Associate Professor from 2010 to 2013. She is a Senior Research Scientist at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington DC, and an Adjunct Professor at the School of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University.

Since 2013, she has served as an Associate Professor at Florida International University, in the Biomedical Engineering Department and an Associate Professor on the Research Scientist Track in the Department of Cellular Biology and in the Department of Ophthalmology.

Her research focuses on the development of imaging modalities based on spectroscopy and polarization including multimodal applications of nonlinear microscopy.

Andres Rodriguez - Paths-Up Fellow

Andres Rodriguez, was born in Colombia and grew up in Miami, FL, where he earned a Degree as Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering at Florida International University. During his time as an undergraduate, he joined a research lab to study the mechanical properties of tissue scaffolds; He helped organize professional events and workshops as an E-board member of an engineering honor society (AEMB); and he team-worked on the “C-Scope: a portable, polarized, cost-effective colposcope” as a placing senior design project. This project introduced Andres to the world of optics, which has led him to join MPL full-time. Recently accepted to FIU’s graduate school as a PATHs-Up fellow, Andres aims to combat the clinical needs of under-served patients by researching and creating novel technologies.

Tananant Boonya-ananta - Paths-up Fellow

Tananant (Mel) Boonya-ananta received his Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California in 2017. His Master’s work involved wind turbine gearbox analysis with modeling and simulation using Finite Element Analysis and Multi-Body Dynamics. He is currently an NSF PATHS-UP Fellow and a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering working with Dr. Jessica Ramella-Roman. Mel is currently involved in the development of wearable technologies and devices using optical technology for the obese to aid in the monitoring and care of chronic diseases.

Ajmal - Paths-up Fellow

TBD.

Michael - Paths-up Fellow

TBD.

Alexa -

TBD.

Alumni