Research Team

Principal Investigator

Andrea K Locke, PhD
Office: ESB 638
Email: andrea.locke@vanderbilt.edu

Dr. Locke is Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry at Vanderbilt University. She received her BS and PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Texas A&M University. Dr. Locke received the Academic Pathways Fellowship award and completed her postdoctoral training at Vanderbilt Biophotonics Center. She is a member of SPIE and the National Society of Black Engineers. Her research interests include optical spectroscopy, biosensors, nanostructures, paperfluidics, and point-of-care diagnostic.

Current Lab Members

Postdoctoral Fellows

Alec Walter, PhD

PhD, Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University

MS, Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University

BS, Electrical Engineering, University of Arkansas

BS, Biology, University of Arkansas

Email: alec.b.walter@vanderbilt.edu

Research: Development and improvement of the analytical techniques used to obtain quantitative metrics from optical measurements; spectroscopic detection of bacterial infections; optical tissue phantom design

Graduate Students

Anna Rourke-Funderburg
Degree: Biomedical Engineering
Email: anna.s.rourke@vanderbilt.edu

Research: Culture-free detection of bacterial pathogens using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Viannely Francisco

Degree: Biomedical Engineering

Email: viannely.a.francisco@vanderbilt.edu

Luke Whitehead

Degree: Biomedical Engineering

Email: luke.whitehead@vanderbilt.edu

Huijin An
Degree: Interdisciplinary Materials Science
Email: huijin.an@vanderbilt.edu

Research: Flexible nanoplasmonic substrates for volatile organic compound sensing

Undergraduate Students

Sophia Juarez (SyBBURE Undergraduate Research Fellow)

Major: Biomedical Engineering

Research: Design of paper-based substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for bacteria detection

Kate Gonclaves

Major: Molecular and Cellular Biology

Lab Alumni

TJ Yokley – Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Research: Point of care diagnosis of tuberculosis using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy; nanoparticle synthesis

Layla Reejhsinghani – Undergraduate Research Assistant

Research: In-line monitoring of yeast growth using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Jeremiah Johnson – Dual Bachelor’s/Master’s Research Assistant

Research: Characterization of cellular secretions using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Sophia Pannullo – SyBBURE Undergraduate Research Fellow

Research: Low-cost paper-fluidic point of care device for the detection of sickle cell anemia

Amelia Taylor – Postbaccalaureate Fellow

Research: Developing a nanoplasmonic paperfluidic membrane for salivary biomarkers detection at the point-of-care