TEAM

Leslie Chan, PhD – Principal Investigator

Leslie Chan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory School of Medicine. She earned her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Georgia Tech in 2009 and her Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Washington in 2015 with Suzie Pun, where she developed peptide-functionalized polymer materials to treat coagulopathies after traumatic injury. She completed her postdoctoral training at the Massachusetts of Institute of Technology with Sangeeta Bhatia. There, she engineered nanoscale materials to detect and treat of infections. Her lab in the Department of Biomedical Engineering uses molecular and nanoscale engineering to develop biosensing and drug delivery strategies to address gastrointestinal diseases, infections, and autoimmune disorders. She is the recipient of an NCI R37 MERIT Award and a NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award and received recognition for her research through several early career awards including the CMBE Rising Star Award and the Caltech Young Investigator Lecturer Award in Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Vishal Manickam

Vishal graduated with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of California in Davis, not far from where he grew up in the greater Bay Area. At U.C. Davis, he worked in Dr. Jamal S. Lewis’s Lab to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of biomaterials on dendritic cell populations and in Dr. Steven C. George’s Lab to develop a pancreatic tumor-on-chip platform. Vishal has also worked in various biotech companies including GigaGen, where he contributed to the development of therapeutic antibodies for treatment of COVID-19. In the Chan Lab, Vishal leads the effort to establish ingestible probes for breath-based detection of gastrointestinal diseases. Outside of lab, Vishal enjoys hiking, cooking and baking, karaoke, volleyball, and playing board games.

Khoi Le

Khoi earned his BS in Biomedical Engineering from the University of California, San Diego in 2021. He worked as an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Stephanie Fraley’s lab, where he studied the effects of 3D collagen architecture and fluid flow on cancer cell migration and metastasis. For his graduate research, Khoi is currently developing probes for breath-based detection of respiratory disease. His hobbies outside of lab include cooking and food photography, gardening, and card games.

Jaibyung Choi, MS

Jaibyung (JB) is a second-year Ph.D. student in the BioE program under the Department of Biomedical Engineering. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Biotechnology from Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, where he researched applications of microneedle-based drug delivery systems for vaccination and ocular delivery as a graduate research assistant. Now part of the Chan Lab at Georgia Tech, JB is interested in developing biosensing and drug delivery strategies for gastrointestinal disease. Outside the lab, JB enjoys going to the gym, watching soccer, traveling, and is excited to explore Atlanta.

Ethan To, MS

Ethan is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Chan Lab, where he is developing ingestible probes for breath-based detection of gastrointestinal diseases. He earned his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Florida and completed his M.S. in Biomedical Engineering at Boston University. His master’s research focused on magnetic nanoparticles for therapeutic and diagnostic applications. While at BU, he also interned at Foghorn Therapeutics, a clinical-stage oncology company, where he worked on extended-release drug delivery systems. Outside of research, Ethan enjoys reading, keeping aquariums, playing soccer, and exploring new foods.

Amy Kang

Amy is a fourth-year BME undergraduate student minoring in chemistry/biochemistry. She currently works under the mentorship of Vishal in the Chan Lab and is hoping to attend graduate school in the future. Outside of school, she partakes in various clubs, works at the school’s Wellness Center, and likes to be active.