Meet the Lab!

Omolola (Lola) Eniola-Adefeso is currently a Vennema Endowed Professor and Miller Faculty Scholar in the University of Michigan’s Chemical Engineering department. She serves as Associate Dean for Graduate and Professional Education and has appointments in Biomedical Engineering as well as Macromolecular Science & Engineering. She earned a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 2004 and spent 2 years at Baylor College of Medicine in the department of pediatrics as an NIH postdoctoral fellow.

Emma graduated from the University of Georgia in May 2018 with a B.S. degree in Biochemical Engineering. Emma defended her Ph.D. in the Eniola lab developing particle-based therapeutics for treating acute inflammatory diseases and is currently working as a postdoctoral research fellow in the lab. Much of her work utilizes in vivo mouse models of acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) to characterize neutrophil dynamics in relation to degradable particle systems. In her free time, Emma enjoys hiking with her rescue dog.

Email: [email protected]

Rue is a PhD candidate working on metal-templated composite particle systems composed of corticosteroids. His work centers on particle fabrication process characterization, in vitro analysis of corticosteroid micro- and nanoparticles, and in vivo modeling of particles for treatment of post-traumatic osteoarthritis. He completed in BS in chemical engineering at the University of Oklahoma, where he researched surface modification of scaffolds for tissue engineering. He then continued school at the University of Oklahoma where he completed his master’s in biomedical engineering. His master’s thesis focused on nutrient delivery for bone tissue-engineered constructs. At the University of Michigan, he runs an outreach program for middle school students in the Detroit metropolitan area, where he organizes and runs STEM experiments. In his free time, he likes to run, bike, and bake.

Email: [email protected]

Valentina is a Ph.D. candidate, working on particulate drug delivery systems to treat inflammatory diseases such as acute lung injury. While completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Florida, Valentina researched the role of the nervous systems on asthma and cystic fibrosis. Outside of the lab, Valentina enjoys spending time with other ChemE friends, hosting dinner parties at her place, and eating at restaurants near Ann Arbor.

Email: [email protected]

Logan’s research seeks to better understand the hemodynamics of vascular systems through life-size 3D printed modeling, disease model red blood cells, and other in vitro methods. Outside of the lab, he volunteers with local schools to promote STEM education and does outreach work with other first-generation college students. In his free time, Logan likes to hike, cook, and play board games with friends.

Email: [email protected]

Daniel graduated with a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, San Diego in June 2020. He joined the Eniola lab in fall 2020 as a PhD student. In his free time, Daniel enjoys hiking and playing tennis.

Email: [email protected]

Seun is a PhD student whose current research focuses on bile salt particle characterization for improved particle drug delivery. She is also investigating the role of density on hydrogel particle localization/adhesion in the treatment of inflammatory conditions like arthritis. Seun graduated from the University of Lagos, Nigeria with a BS in Chemical Engineering in 2019. She is an e-board member of the National Organization for Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) at the University of Michigan. She is also an Officer of the Chemical Engineering Graduate Society (ChEGs), where she organizes and runs STEM experiments for middle school students. Seun enjoys cooking and watching movies in her free time.

Email: [email protected]

Shivanie joined the Eniola Lab as a biomedical engineering PhD student in Fall 2023. During her undergraduate studies at Virginia Tech, she studied the pancreatic tumor microenvironment. In her free time, she loves to cook, bake, go on walks, and hammock.

Email: [email protected]

Saja graduated from Wayne State University with her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering in 2020 and is currently a PhD student at the University of Michigan in the Eniola Lab. Saja’s current work involves exploring the role of blood cells in particle drug delivery. She enjoys baking, painting, and pretending she can sew. Saja is also an avid adventurer; most notably she made it to the summit of Mount Fuji.

Email: [email protected]