Postdoctoral Research Associates
Will Weeks, Ph.D.
2022 Ph.D. in Chemistry, Vanderbilt University
2017 B.S. in Chemistry, Mathematics Minor, Delta State University
I am thrilled to join the MBE lab at the University of Mississippi! In 2022, I earned my doctorate degree in chemistry at Vanderbilt University under the direction of Dr. Lauren Buchanan. My expertise lies in ultrafast spectroscopy and microscopy of biomaterials, mainly peptides and proteins. I hope to apply my knowledge to probe motor protein ensembles and the corresponding force generation mechanisms. I grew up in Cleveland, MS so I am happy to be back in Mississippi with the opportunity to conduct such high level research at a prestigious organization.
Graduate Students
Omayma Al Azzam
Ph.D. Candidate – Engineering Science, Emphasis: Chemical Engineering
M.S. Chemical Engineering, University of Mississippi
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Jordan University of Science and Technology
Project: Myosin ensemble synergy in higher actin architectures
Undergraduate Students
Khadeejah Franklin
Senior – B.A. Psychology, Minor in Chemistry, Biological Sciences, and Communication Sciences and Disorders
Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College
Post-graduation aspirations: Attend medical school to become a surgeon
Project: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Student Parents in STEM Disciplines
Leigh Hardin
Junior – B.S. General Engineering, Pre-med emphasis
Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College
Post-graduation aspirations: Attend medical school
Project: Biophysical study of von Willebrand Factor
Emily Kerivan
Senior – B.S. Biomedical Engineering
UM SURGG and Ole Miss Nanoengineering REU participant
Post-graduation aspirations: Work in biomedical engineering industry or attend graduate school
Project: Assembly kinetics and viscoelastic properties of actomyosin nanocells
Abigail Moeller
Sophomore – B.S. Biomedical Engineering, Emphasis: Biodevices
Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College
Post-graduation aspirations: Work in biomedical engineering industry or attend graduate school
Project: Emergent biomechanics of the cytoskeleton
Lydia Robbins
Senior – B.S. Biomedical Engineering, Emphasis: Pre-med
Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College
Post-graduation aspirations: Medical school or work in biomedical engineering industry
Project: Actin-microtubule cytoskeletal crosstalk
Alexa Saval
Senior – B.E. General Engineering, Emphasis: Pre-med
Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College
Post-graduation aspirations: Attend medical school
Project: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Student Parents in STEM Disciplines
Lyle Tobin
Sophomore – B.S. Chemistry
Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College
Post-graduation aspirations: Pursue graduate school or MD/PhD
Project: Actin-microtubule cytoskeletal crosstalk
Janie Watts
Senior – B.S. Chemical Engineering
Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College
Post-graduation aspirations: Work in chemical engineering industry
Project: Myosin ensemble synergy in actin assemblies
Lab Alumni
Graduate Students
Cameron Lee Trussell, Class of 2022
Undergraduates
Henry Seiler, Class of 2022 – Graduate student, University of Mississippi
Mallory Moffett, Class of 2022 – Graduate student, Northwestern University
Ashwin Sivalingam, Class of 2022 – MBA student, Northeastern University
Addison Caspari-Linhardt, Class of 2021 – Medtronic
Baylee Howard, Class of 2021 – Law School, University of Mississippi
Ashton Murrah, Class of 2021 – Dental School, University of Mississippi Medical Center
Jake Smith, Class of 2021 – Quality Engineer, Tegra Medical
Juliana Davis, Class of 2020 – Reliability and Maintainability Engineer, Boeing
Justin Reynolds, Class of 2020 – Manufacturing Process Engineer, PFG Precision Optics
Rex Barron, Class of 2020 – Veterinary Technician
High School Students
Nathan Lee – Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, ARISE Participant (Summer 2019)
Anish Bandari – Oxford High School, ARISE Participant (Summer 2021)
Mihir Basil – Boston, MA, ARISE Participant (Summer 2022)
Group Pictures
2022 Nanoengineering REU Poster Session
Rising senior Emily Kerivan and rising sophomore Lyle Tobin participated in the Nanoengineering REU during summer 2022.
2021 Nanoengineering REU Poster Session
Rising junior Janie Watts and high school senior Anish Bandari participated in the Nanoengineering REU and ARISE programs during summer 2021.
2021 Honors College Graduation
Seniors Addison, Baylee, and Ashton each successfully defended their theses after spending two years in the lab (during the COVID-19 pandemic at that!). Congratulations!
2020 Mississippi Academy of Sciences Meeting – Biloxi, MS
Graduating seniors Justin Reynolds, Juliana Davis, and Rex Barron presented in the Physics and Engineering division poster session at MAS. Their poster received Honorable Mention in their category — congratulations!
Summer Undergraduate Research Experience in Nanobiotechnology 2019
American Chemical Society National Meeting, Orlando, FL – 2019
Southern Biomedical Engineering Conference, Hattiesburg, MS – 2019
2019 Student Chapter of the Biomedical Engineering Society at SBEC 2019
