The team

Postdoctoral Research Associate developing nanoneedles for spatiotemporal omics, sampling living tissue repeatedly to follow how its molecular profile changes over time, as part of the lab’s Biohub-funded project. Previously, I developed a nanoneedle-mediated CRISPR/Cas delivery system for gene editing in corneal cells to treat inherited endothelial disorders. I joined the Chiappini Lab in 2019 as a PhD student, where my work focused on developing an optoporation system with nanoparticles for selective delivery into 3D tissue cultures.

I joined the Chiappini lab as a Ph.D. student in August 2022. I graduated with a Bachelor of Dentistry Surgery from Binzhou Medical University, followed by a Master’s degree in Dentistry from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, where I began clinical practice in the Department of Prosthodontics at Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital and initiated research focused on dental stem cell therapy for tooth and alveolar bone regeneration. Inspired by the innovative work of the Chiappini group, my current doctoral project focuses on the genetic engineering of human primary regulatory T cells (Tregs) into CAR-Tregs using nanoneedle-based delivery platform. I also aim to explore the underlying mechanisms of transfection via biointerface-mediated delivery and provide perspectives on its translational applications in immune cell therapy.

I grew up in Hangzhou, China, and received both my BEng and MEng degrees in Biomedical Engineering from Northeastern University (2017) and Zhejiang University (2020), respectively. During this time, I was also a guest student at the Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, SIAT (2015–2017), where I conducted research on bioimpedance analysis. Later, I was a visiting student in the School of Life Sciences at Westlake University (2020–2021), focusing on mapping intracellular ions using genetically encoded biosensors. In February 2021, I joined the Chiappini Lab to pursue a PhD under the supervision of Dr. Ciro Chiappini at King’s College London and Dr. Michael Thomas at University College London. My current research centers on the design and application of nanoneedles for spatiotemporal omics.

I completed my BEng at Soochow University, during which I also spent a year at The University of Manchester, working on textile-based materials for sensor applications. I then completed my MSc (with distinction) in Advanced Materials Science and Engineering at Imperial College London, focusing on plasmonics and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for photoelectrochemical cells. Drawn by a growing fascination with the interface of materials and biology, I worked as a research assistant at Guangzhou Medical University, studying bio-nano interactions. In 2021, I joined the Chiappini Lab as a PhD student, where I am currently working on nanoneedle-mediated engineering of extracellular vesicles, with the goal of unlocking their therapeutic potential.

I joined the Chiappini Lab at the Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology in 2022, where I completed my Master’s project on 3D-printed PCL/lithiated porous silicon nanowire scaffolds for periodontal tissue regeneration. I’m now pursuing a PhD in collaboration with the University of Surrey, developing a nanoneedle-stent platform for targeted nucleic acid delivery to human coronary artery smooth muscle cells to regulate gene expression and prevent restenosis.

I graduated from the University of Glasgow with a BSc (Hons) in Molecular and Cellular Biology (with Biotechnology) in 2021. My dissertation project focused on how haematologic cancers resist treatment with chimeric antigen receptor T-cells via low antigen density and the potential strategies that could be implemented to overcome this. I then pursued an MRes in Biomedical Engineering with Cell and Tissue Engineering from the University of Strathclyde and graduated in 2022. I joined the Chiappini group as a Ph.D. student in October 2022 to study the cell-nanoneedle biointerface using high-content imaging and interpretable machine learning techniques to predict delivery and transfection efficiency.

After earning my BSc in Medical Laboratory Sciences in Croatia, I gained experience in several clinical laboratories before transitioning to research. I completed an MSc in Immunology and Inflammation at the University of Copenhagen, where I studied Multiple Myeloma Bone Disease. In 2022, I joined the research group of Dr. Ciro Chiappini at King’s College London to pursue my interest in light- and nanoparticle-mediated cargo delivery. My research focuses on using this approach to modulate macrophage polarization in a 3D in vitro pancreatic cancer model, in collaboration with Dr. Giulia Adriani at Singapore Immunology Network, A*STAR Singapore.

I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering, where I focused on the development of novel biomaterials for periodontal tissue regeneration. I later earned a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering, with research centered on multifunctional bioprosthetic heart valves and tissue engineering heart valves. Additionally, I completed a second Master’s in Biotech and Pharmaceutical Management, during which I gained multiple internship experiences in biopharma and healthcare consulting, as well as in securities firms. I joined Chiappini’s group in 2024, and my current research focuses on the use of nanoneedle technology to deliver CRISPR systems for ocular disease treatment.

Lisa holds a BSc in Biomedical Sciences from Queen Mary University of London and an MSc in Immunology from Imperial College London. Her Master’s thesis explored the role of rare KRT10 variants in invasive bacterial disease. She is a PhD student at King’s in the Department of Women and Children’s Health, funded through the MRC DTP iCASE programme. She is a member of the Chiappini and Shangaris Group. Her research focuses on developing a prenatal gene therapy for sickle cell disease using engineered lipid nanoparticles. This work is conducted in collaboration with the industry partner ISDI.

I joined the Chiappini lab as a PhD student in August 2022 working on improving the diagnosis and treatment of epidermolysis bullosa, a rare skin disease. My research combines Raman spectroscopy for label-free sampling and nanoneedles for intracellular gene therapy delivery. Previously, I completed my MSci in Molecular Genetics at King’s College London, where I undertook multiple research projects. These included studying the regenerative potential of glial cells in the zebrafish retina during a year abroad at the University of Melbourne, a bioinformatics analysis of cancer driver mutation conservation, and using base editing to correct point mutations linked to epidermolysis bullosa. This final project led to my collaboration with the Chiappini lab, where we applied the base editing approach using nanoneedle delivery in patient-derived cells.

I completed my Master’s degree in Regenerative Dentistry at King’s College London, where my research focused on tissue regeneration and biomaterials. During my Master’s studies, I became deeply attracted to nanomaterials and nanotechnology, especially their potential for medical applications. Motivated by this interest, I joined the Chiappini Lab in October 2025 as a PhD student. My research explores nanoneedle-mediated engineering of extracellular vesicles and their application in medicine. Through this work, I aim to explore how nanoengineering and its applications can bridge the gap between material science and biology, contributing to the development of more effective therapies.

Wellydo holds a BSc in Biomedicine from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil) and an MSc in Neuroengineering from the Santos Dumont Institute, where he studied age-related epigenetic changes in neurons of the common marmoset. As an undergraduate he developed polymeric nanoparticles for a model of multiple sclerosis. His interests span nanotechnology, neurodegenerative disease, neuroinflammation and myelination.

I am from China and first joined the Chiappini Lab as a visiting student while studying for an MEng in Molecular Bioengineering at the Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, and I am now a PhD student in the lab. Before my final-year MEng project, I spent two years as a visiting student here, working on projects involving nanomaterials and biointerfaces. My PhD research focuses on developing platforms to study cancer cell migration. I am broadly interested in applying engineering approaches to tackle challenges in drug delivery and disease diagnostics.

I joined the Chiappini Lab as a Ph.D. student in 2026. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Dental Medicine and subsequently pursued a Master’s degree in Orthodontics at Sichuan University. Inspired by the innovative work of the Chiappini group, my current doctoral research focuses on the interface between materials and biology, particularly how nanoneedle geometry influences cellular uptake and associated signalling pathways. Building on these mechanistic insights, I hope to explore the therapeutic potential of nanoneedle-based delivery platforms for disease applications.

Ethan graduated with an MSci (Hons) in Biochemistry from the University of Manchester in summer 2026. His Master’s project focused on modulating the spatiotemporal organisation and synaptic dynamics of the immune checkpoint receptor TIGIT and how this altered TIGIT functionality. Inspired by the Chiappini group’s nanoneedle-mediated delivery systems for generating CAR-Tregs at higher efficiencies, he joined the group in October 2026. He is engineering hypoimmunogenic CAR-Tregs using this delivery system and aims to develop and scale the approach through a GMP-compatible workflow.

I joined the Chiappini lab in March 2025 as a Visiting Research Associate. I completed my Postdoctoral program at Peking University School of Stomatology (PKUSS) in 2023 and have worked there since, serving as both a dentist and Research Associate. My research focuses on biomaterial-guided bone regeneration, particularly constructing the optimal physical and immune microenvironment for bone regeneration using piezoelectric effects and external field regulation. In the Chiappini group, I aim to explore anti-inflammatory and piezoelectric bone regeneration materials by leveraging the hydrogen-producing properties of porous silicon, addressing challenges in periodontitis-related bone regeneration. I have published five first-authored papers and hold four invention patents.

I am from Chongqing, China, and currently a visiting Master’s student at Chiappini Lab for my final-year MEng project. I am in the final year of my undergraduate MEng in Biomedical Engineering at Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London. Previously, I undertook undergraduate research internships (UROP) at Departments of Materials and Department of Computing at Imperial College London, as well as at Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics at University of Oxford. My research primarily focuses on organoid engineering, using morphable engineering designs to interface with organoids, with the aim of directing cell fate through the delivery of large biomolecules.