Waseem Asghar, PhD.

Associate Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Florida Atlantic University

Postdoctoral Fellowships, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard-MIT HST (07/2012 – 04/2014) 

Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University (05/2014 – 08/2014)

PhD (Electrical Engineering), University of Texas at Arlington (Spring 2012)

BS in Electrical Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore Pakistan (Fall 2007)

Contact 777 Glades Road, EE96/Rm 435, Boca Raton, FL 33431

Email: wasghar@fau.edu         Ph: 561-297-3728

Dr. Waseem Asghar is working as an Associate Professor at Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Florida Atlantic University, and Director of Asghar Lab: Micro and Nanotechnology in Medicine; https://faculty.eng.fau.edu/asghar/ (Sep 2014 – Present). Previously, he held a postdoctoral appointment at Harvard Medical School and Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Harvard University (July 2012-April 2014). Later he joined Stanford School of Medicine as Research Fellow before joining FAU. Dr. Asghar’s research interests lie in the areas of point-of-care medical devices, biosensors,  smart-phone based imaging, microfluidics, and wearable devices. He has published over 75 peer reviewed journal papers, over 50 conference proceedings, 4 book chapters, and 4 patent applications. Dr. Asghar has received various international and national awards; “2023 Researcher of the Year Award by FAU”, “2022 Senior Faculty Research Award, College of Engineering and Computer Science“, “2022 Distinguished Engineering Educator Award, the Engineers’ Council”, “2020 NSF CAREER Award”, “2020 New Faculty Researcher Award by ASEE SE”, “2020 Researcher of the Year Award by FAU”, “Outstanding STEM Educator Award, by The Engineers’ Council 2018”, “Humanity in Science Award 2016”, and “Faculty Mentoring Award 2015”. His research work has received excellent media attention and was recognized by many premier magazines including Newsweek, Wired UK, Popular Science, Sciencedaily, and Engadget alongwith many others. Dr. Asghar has been invited by various TV news channels to talk about his research including West Palm Beach TV (WPTV), and WPLG news. He have also been invited to talk about biosensors on a live radio program, “Doctor’s Radio, NY”, and National Public Radio (NPR), Miami. Dr. Asghar is a fellow of the International Academy of Nanotechnology.

Current Graduate Students

Sandhya Sharma

PhD Student

Sandhya Sharma, graduated with Master of science degree in Bioenginering in Fall 2014 from Florida Atlantic University. She holds BS degree in Biotechnology. Currently, working in Asghar-Lab to gain more knowledge and experience in the area of cancer stem cell, drug delivery, and biomedical devices.

Afrouz Ataei

Physics PhD Student

Afrouz joined Asghar Lab in Spring 2017 as a PhD student She holds a BS degree in physics and MS degree in physics and medical physics. Her current research centers on designing microfluidic devices in order to sort human sperm for assisted reproductive technology while studying the behavior of human sperm in  microfluidic channels. She uses a microfluidic platform to mimic what happens naturally in the female genital tract to simulate the natural selection in the microfluidic device with the best outcome. Her areas of interest are sperm sorting, microfluidics, diagnostic bioimaging,and radiation therapy physics.

Sheikh Muhammad Asher Iqbal

Electrical Engineering PhD Student

Asher graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in  2018 from Lahore University of Management Sciences, Pakistan. He joined Asghar-Lab as a Ph.D. student in Fall 2019 and currently working to develop novel biosensors. His areas of interest are wearable sensors, microfluidics, and applications of Artificial Intelligence towards disease prognosis. He is currently a member of Tau Beta Phi, a prestigious honorary Engineering society. Outside of academia, Asher likes to play Cricket and Soccer in his free time.

Natasha Ramnauth

Graduate Student

Natasha Ramnauth joined Asghar Lab in August 2019 to learn about nanotechnology and gain laboratory experience. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and Behavior in summer 2020 and joined the lab as a master’s student in fall 2020. Her current project entails the development of a microfluidic device that can isolate exosomes in point-of-care settings. She likes to attend dance seminars and play video games in her free time.

Current Undergrad Students

Current High School Students

Sydney Yu

High School Student

Alumni

Robert Fennell, PhD. 

Electrical Engineering PhD Student (Graduated in Fall 2021)

Bob joined Asghar Lab in Spring 2016 as a PhD student. His area of interests are photonics, biomedical imaging, and wireless communication.

Md Alamgir Kabir, PhD.

Electrical Engineering PhD Student (Graduated in Fall 2021, Now working in a Biotech Company)

Md Alamgir Kabir has received his PhD in Electrical Engineering recently from Florida Atlantic University (FAU), Boca Raton, FL, USA. Kabir joined Asghar Lab in Fall 2016. He completed his undergrad in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, Rajshahi-Bangladesh in 2013. He received his MS in Electrical Engineering from FAU in 2018. Before joining to FAU he taught at Uttara University, Bangladesh. His PhD dissertation title was “Development of Point-Of-Care Assays for Zika Virus Diagnostic”. After completing his PhD, he joined “In Vitro Diagnostic Solutions” as Scientist.

His personal webpage: https://sites.google.com/view/mdalamgirkabir

Mazhar Sher, PhD.

Graduated with PhD. in Electrical Electrical Engineering, now working as a postdoc at University of Pennsylvaina 

Mazhar joined Asghar Lab in spring 2016. He completed his undergrad in Electrical Engineering from University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar-Pakistan in 2009. Later, he did his Master of Science in Electrical Engineering in 2013. He taught at the same university before joining FAU for his PhD in Electrical Engineering. He is currently working on paper based microfluidic devices. He is interested in applied mathematics and bioengineering. He loves playing cricket and table tennis.

Ben Coleman

Undergraduate Student (Graduated, now a PhD student at Rice University)

Ben Coleman, a 2016 FAU High School alumnus, is currently a senior electrical engineering student at FAU who aspires to become a graduate student. He joined Asghar Lab in Spring 2016 and is working with cell phone image processing algorithms and magnetic nanoparticles. Outside his work, Ben is an avid long-distance runner.

Caner Mutlu

Electrical Engineering Graduate Student (Graduated)

Caner Mutlu, graduated with Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in Summer 2017 from Florida Atlantic University. He joined Asghar-Lab in Spring 2018 and currently working to develop and gain more knowledge in the area of biomedical devices.

Shazia Ilyas, Graduate with MS in Biomedical Engineering

Shazia Ilyas joined Asghar lab in Fall 2018. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Medical Imaging Technology from University of Health Sciences, Lahore-Pakistan. She received a Master of Philosophy in Biochemistry from The University of Lahore, Pakistan and served as a Senior Lecturer for two years. She recently completed her Master of Science in Bioengineering from Florida Atlantic University. Her area of interests are microfluidics, smartphone-based microscopy, and disease detection platforms for point-of-care settings.

Whitney Blanchat, Graduated with MS in Biomedical Engineering

Whitney joined Asghar Lab in Spring 2018 as a Master student. Her area of interests is development of POC molecular testing platforms for various infectious agents including Zika and HIV.

Chad Coarsey, Graduated with MS in Biomedical Engineering, Now working for a biotech company

Chad Coarsey just completed a B.S. in Biological Sciences with a focus in Microbiology at Florida Atlantic University, and is pursuing a M.S. Bioengineering degree.  During the start of his undergraduate career, he faced a hospitalization that led to a serious drug-resistant hospital acquired infection. This near death experience set in motion his interests in understanding microbial virulence, pathogencity, and disease.  Since the Summer of 2013, he has been working in a lab discovering novel antibiotic compounds from isolated soil bacteria.  In this lab, he sought to meet the growing demand of new classes of antibiotics, and has isolated three cultures producing an antibiotic. Chad joins the Ashgar Lab at FAU in order to develop new methods and technologies in disease diagnostics and implementation. Currently, he is reviewing the biotechnological and immunological diagnosis of Ebola Virus in order to develop an efficient technology with remote-area application.  Outside of academia, Chad is an avid beach lover, a seasoned ceramicist and prefers to bicycle around on Boca Raton’s bike trails.  He is from Statesville, North Carolina, and loves cooking southern cuisine.

Kristina Fritz, Graduated with MS in Biomedical Engineering, Now at Medical School

Kristina joined Asghar Lab in Fall 2017 as a Bioengineering Masters student. Her area of interests are microfluidics and advanced reproductive technologies. She got admission into an MD program

Lauren Picado, Graduated with BS in Electrical Engineering, Now in a graduate program at New York University (NYU)

Lauren Picado is a senior student at Florida Atlantic University majoring in electrical engineering. She joined the Asghar Lab in Summer 2016 and is currently working with Mazhar on microfluidic devices. She joined the lab because she is extremely interested in the medical field. Her goals of joining the lab is to be a crucial component in advancing the lab and to strengthen her skills in research. She joined New York University for Graduate Studies.

Eeshani Behara, High School Student

Eeshani Behara joined Asghar Lab in Summer 2017. She is interested in biomedical research and is working on developing improved diagnostics for e-coli detection. 

Abdul Hanan, Graduated with BS in Electrical Engineering

Abdul Hanan, a freshman in FAU College of Engineering and Computer Science, joined Asghar Lab in Fall 2016. He wants to learn about sensors and play a significant role in the development of devices for rapid disease diagnostics. He loves to play cricket and soccer. 

Jorge Jimenez, Graduated with BS in Electrical Engineering

Jorge Jimenez, a senior electrical engineering student at Florida Atlantic University, joined the Asghar Lab in Fall 2016. Captivated by the merging of both engineering and biology led him to seek their combined contribution to humanity’s advancement. Jorge is researching paper based microfluidic devices. Eager to learn as much as possible, the soon to be graduate student is looking to earn a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering.

Molly Rubin, Graduated with MS in Biomedical Engineering

Molly Rubin started her MS in Bioengineering in Spring 2016. She completed her B.S. in Biological Sciences with a minor in Ceramic Arts at Florida Atlantic University.  She previously attended Savannah College of Art and Design where she studied Jewelry Fabrication and Design.  She is currently applying her knowledge of computer-aided design learned at SCAD to fabrication of microfluidic chips.  She recently joined the Asghar Lab and is currently doing research in sperm chemotaxis and its application to Assisted Reproductive Technology.

Kari Rappa, Graduated with MS in Biomedical Engineering

Kari Rappa started her Master of Science Degree in Bioengineering at Florida Atlantic University in the Fall of 2014 in the Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. She graduated with her B.S. in Biology at the University of Florida, Gainesville, FL in the Spring of 2013 where she participated in research in bacterial genomics and sequencing. Her current research interests include tissue engineering, drug delivery systems, and point of care devices. She intends on completing a master’s thesis in one of these areas at FAU.

Samantha Bonder, Graduated with BS in Biology, now at University of Florida

Sammi Bodner is a recent graduate of FAU High School and will be finishing up her Bachelor of Science in Biology within the next year. She joined Asghar Lab in May 2015 and is currently working with Chad to create a more efficient method of detecting viruses.  Sammi is also secretary of the Biomedical Engineering Society and member of AMSA. She plans on continuing her education by going to medical school after she graduates, and eventually becoming a doctor. Sammi’s family is originally from Ukraine and Uzbekistan, and she speaks fluent Russian. Outside of school and research, Sammi enjoys being actively involved in Jewish community organizations, spending time with family, and figure skating. She joined University of Florida Gainsville for Graduate Studies.

Matthew Dardet, High School Student at Pine Crest

Matthew Dardet is currently a high school junior attending Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale living in the scenic lands of Florida. He retains an eclectic palette for all disciplines of science and can oftentimes be found reading about nanotechnology, biomedical engineering, neuroscience, mathematics, or physics; in regards to the laboratory, he is particularly fascinated by the adaptability of the lab-on-a-chip platforms within multiple biomedical spheres.  Interested in a multitudinous quantity of academic subtopics, he hopes to engage in a symbiotic relationship with the Asghar Lab wherein many different ideas, techniques, and experiences can be exchanged. Matthew has been a member of the science research program in his school for approximately two years, and he hopes to continue researching a variety of topics while enrolled in university. Apart from his studies, Matthew enjoys cooking, playing the contrabass and electric bass in jazz bands or orchestras, golfing, and writing science fiction novels or historical reports.

Marisa Long

Marisa Long is a post-baccalaureate student here at FAU and is currently finishing up the necessary requirements for her application to medical school. She previously graduated in 2008 with her B.S. in Business and Retailing from Michigan State University. With a strong interest in biomedical research, she joined the Asghar lab (Summer 2015) to assist on projects pertaining to point-of-care devices in disease diagnostics. Currently, she is working on the design for isolation of circulating tumor cells with the use of nanostructured substrates.

Jazmin Gomez, Undergrad in Neuroscience

Jazmin Gomez is currently working on her B.S. in neuroscience at Florida Atlantic University. She is hoping to attend medical school after completing her undergraduate degree and becoming an anesthesiologist. Outside of school, Jazmin enjoys going to the beach and reading. She joined Asghar-Lab in Summer 2015.

Sarah Geevarughese, Undergrad in Neuroscience

Sarah Geevarughese is currently working to complete a B.S. in Neuroscience & Behavior. She is also a student of FAU High School, and will be graduating in 2018. She joined Asghar Lab in October 2015, and is currently assisting in sperm chemotaxis and its application to Assisted Reproductive Technology. Sarah is a member of AMSA and an active member of the community. She hopes to go to medical school and become a surgeon in the future. 

Noah Glachman, Undergrad student at University of Pennsylvania, Summer internee in Asghar-Lab

Noah Glachman is an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science studying Materials Science and Engineering and Physics. He is spending his 2015 summer interning in the Asghar Lab.

Julie Pamela Rojas, Undergrad in Biological Science

Julie Pamela Rojas is currently finishing her B.S. in Biological Sciences with a minor in Arts at Broward Community College. She has trainings in healthcare providing, heart saver first aid, emergency care, and safety institute. She planning to apply into the medical school to be a cardiothoracic surgeon. She joined Asghar Lab in Summer 2015 and currently doing research in sperm chemotaxis.

Reina Valdez, Undergrad in Neuroscience

Reina Valdez is a senior at Florida Atlantic University Pursuing a B.S Neuroscience and Behavior. She Joined Asghar Lab in summer 2015. She is interested in learning, contributing, and gaining experience in the Asghar lab. Reina will be working in sperm chemotaxis by helping to develop more ideas and applying basic scientific knowledge to the projects. She enjoys doing community service and being involved in programs that enhance her career pathways.

Luiz Medeiros, Undergrad in Electrical Engineering

Luiz Medeiros is an engineering student currently double majoring in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at Florida Atlantic University. In addition, he has also studied in France, where he studied Engineering Management and Mechatronics Engineering at EIGSI. He is currently in his last year of studies (graduating in December) for both Majors. Beyond the academic experiences, Luiz also carries significant experience working with startups, small companies and global established companies such as Takata. Luiz enjoys working on challenging, significant problems, that involve creating novel solutions. Finally, on his off time, he finds it enticing to travel, experiment different cultures and environments, explore new languages, Mountain bike (specially downhill), snowboard (specially on fluffy snow between -5C and -15C), soccer, volleyball and experience great meals. He joined Asghar-Lab in Spring 2015.