The Young Lab
Principal Investigator
Jamey D. Young, Ph.D.
Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Engineering
Director of Graduate Studies in Chemical Engineering Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Associate Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
Education
B.S. Chemical Engineering, 1999
University of Kentucky
Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, 2005
Purdue University
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2005–08
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Contact Information
j.d.young@vanderbilt.edu
Curriculum Vitae
Research Faculty and Postdoctoral Researchers
Clint Hasenour, Ph.D.
Assistant Research Professor
Education
B.A. Biochemistry, 2007
DePauw University
Ph.D. Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, 2014
Vanderbilt University
Contact Information
clinton.m.hasenour@vanderbilt.edu
Research
Diabetes & Obesity
Mariachiara Conti, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Mariachiara is a Chemical Engineer with a strong interest in research in bioprocess development. She works at the interface of biology and engineering science, aiming to translate new discoveries into industrial-scale production.
Education
B.A. Material Chemistry, 2015
Alma Mater Studiorum – Universita de Bologna
M.S. Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 2019
Alma Mater Studiorum – Universita de Bologna
Ph.D. Engineering, 2024
The University of Edinburgh
Contact Information
mariachiara.conti@vanderbilt.edu
Research
Extracellular Vesicle Biomanufacturing
Research Staff
Sara Weidenbach, M.S
Lab Manager
Sara specializes in method validation and small molecule detection via GC and LC-MS/MS. She earned her two bachelor’s degrees in Chemistry and in Forensic Science at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2019 before completing her Master’s degree in Pharmacology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 2020. She has three years of industry experience within the disciplines of health science toxicology and food science before joining the Young Lab in June 2023. Her current research interests are focused on method development and validation through HPLC and Mass Spectrometry.
Contact Information
sara.weidenbach@vanderbilt.edu
Graduate Students
Baltazar Zuniga
Ph.D. Candidate – Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
Baltazar Zuniga graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in 2019 with honors degrees in Liberal Arts (Plan II) and Biochemistry. He joined the Young Lab in 2020 through the Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Ph.D. Program. His research interests include the effects of source-sink dynamics on cyanobacterial natural product synthesis and the cyanobacterial fatty acid biosynthesis pathway.
Contact Information
baltazar.e.zuniga@vanderbilt.edu
Research
Photosynthesis Research
Rachel Moen
Ph.D. Candidate – Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Rachel Moen is a current chemical and biomolecular engineering PhD candidate in the Young Lab. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering with a concentration in biomaterials from Clemson University, before joining the Young Lab in August 2020. Her research focuses on scaling up the production of extracellular vesicles (EVs) from tissue-specific cell lines derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for therapeutic applications. She is co-advised by Dr. Jamey Young and Dr. Ethan Lippmann.
Contact Information
rachel.k.moen@vanderbilt.edu
Research
Extracellular Vesicle Biomanufacturing
Deveena Banerjee
Ph.D. Candidate – Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
Education
B.S. Mathematics, 2020
Bates College
Contact Information
deveena.r.banerjee@vanderbilt.edu
Research
Diabetes & Obesity
Kevin J. Ruiz-Márquez
Ph.D. Candidate – Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Kevin is a current Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering PhD candidate in the Young Lab. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering with a minor concentration in Pharmaceutical Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez in 2021. His current research interests are focused on the utility of host cell engineering in enhancing the metabolic efficiency of mammalian cell lines used in biomanufacturing processes.
Contact Information
kevin.j.ruiz-marquez@vanderbilt.edu
Research
Cell Culture Engineering
Jaejung Kim
Ph.D. Student – Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Jaejung Kim is a current Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering PhD student in the Young Lab. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from the National University of Singapore and a Master’s degree in Chemical and Biomedical Engineering from Nanyang Technological University. Jaejung gained seven years of industry and academic experience prior to joining the Young Lab in August 2024. His research focuses on developing cell engineering strategies to produce extracellular vesicles (EVs) with favorable properties for therapeutic applications.
Education:
B.E. Biomedical Engineering, 2015
National University of Singapore
M.E. Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, 2019
Nanyang Technological University
Contact Information
Jaejung.kim@vanderbilt.edu
Research
Cell Culture Engineering
Extracellular Vesicle Biomanufacturing
Undergraduate Students
Sabrina Bucaro
Biomedical Engineering
Sabrina is a Class of 2027 undergraduate student double majoring in Biomedical Engineering and Medicine, Health, and Society. She is involved with various organizations on campus, including Tikkun Olam Makers, a collaboration of student developers working to engineer assistive technology for individuals with disabilities.
Contact Information
sabrina.i.bucaro@vanderbilt.edu
Research
Cell Culture Engineering
Nicholas Oberbroeckling
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Nicholas is a Class of 2028 Chemical Engineering student and Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholar.
Contact Information
nicholas.v.oberbroeckling@vanderbilt.edu
Research
Cell Culture Engineering
Group Alumni
Young Lab Group Photos
