Research labs at Syracuse University .

James H. Henderson Research Group

BiomaterialsTissue regenerationMechanobiology

James H. Henderson · Professor

James Henderson studies how material environments influence cell behavior, with musculoskeletal repair and regeneration as important goals. His research examines mechanical, biochemical, and topological signals that regulate cell differentiation and function. Programmable materials allow researchers to change features such as surface patterns or mechanical properties during cell culture and observe the response. The work combines biomaterials, cell experiments, and quantitative analysis to understand how engineered surroundings can guide living cells. These questions connect fundamental tissue biology with possible cell-based approaches to repairing damaged musculoskeletal tissues.

JRIndependently curated · Unclaimed

Jennifer Ross Research Group

Cellular self-organizationMicrotubulesFluorescence microscopy

Jennifer Ross · Professor

How do cells organize their interiors without a central manager? Jennifer Ross investigates cellular self-organization and materials inspired by living systems. Her biophysics research uses fluorescence microscopy, including total internal reflection fluorescence techniques, to track molecules and examine microtubule organization. Experiments connect the behavior of proteins and microscopic structures with the physical processes that create larger patterns. The work includes building and adapting optical instruments, bringing experimental physics into cell biology and the design of materials that can organize or respond like biological systems.

MLIndependently curated · Unclaimed

M. Lisa Manning Research Group

Tissue mechanicsSoft matterCollective behavior

M. Lisa Manning · William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Physics

Lisa Manning uses theory and simulations to investigate collective behavior in living tissues and disordered materials. Her research asks how cells and their surroundings generate mechanical forces that shape developing organs, and how those forces work alongside biochemical signals. Collaborative experiments connect mathematical predictions with observed tissue movements. Other interests include mechanical metamaterials and the structure, deformation, and flow of glassy materials. The work brings soft matter physics into questions of development and disease, investigating how large-scale patterns emerge from interactions among many individual components.

RSIndependently curated · Unclaimed

Radhakrishna Sureshkumar Research Group

Complex fluidsRheologySoft matter

Radhakrishna Sureshkumar · Distinguished Professor

Radhakrishna Sureshkumar investigates how complex fluids acquire their structure and how that structure changes their motion and rheology. His research connects soft matter with the nanoscale engineering of functional materials and interfaces. Work on polymeric solutions examines flow behavior relevant to applications such as more efficient oil extraction. More broadly, the program bridges chemical engineering, mathematical and numerical analysis, and material physics. It offers a way to study how microscopic organization produces observable flow properties and how those relationships can guide the design of useful materials.

SNIndependently curated · Unclaimed

Shikha Nangia Research Group

Blood-brain barrierMolecular simulationDrug delivery

Shikha Nangia · Professor

Shikha Nangia’s group models biological barriers at molecular scales to understand why some drugs cannot reach their targets. A central project examines the architecture of the blood-brain barrier and possible pathways for transporting therapeutic molecules into the brain. Multiscale computational work also covers membrane proteins, lipid and bacterial membranes, disordered proteins, drug delivery, and responsive polymers. The program connects engineering, chemistry, biophysics, and computation with experimental collaborations. Its simulations explore mechanisms and design possibilities relevant to disease research without treating modeled delivery strategies as established therapies.