Our Team

Principle Investigator

Dr. Shan Zhou

Assistant Professor

Nanoscience & Biomedical Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

Education

Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology

B.S., University of Science and Technology of China

Research Expertise

Nanoparticle synthesis and assembly, 2D materials, plasmonic metamaterials, regioselective surface chemistry control, and advanced in situ characterization techniques including electron microscopy and electrochemical 3D atomic force microscopy. 

Contact info: shan[dot]zhou[at]sdsmt[dot]edu, EEP 228

Postdoc

Dr. Zinnia Mallick

Education

PhD, Nano Science and Technology, Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST)-Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali, India (Dec, 2018- June, 2024)

Hobbies: Reading literature, watching animated movies and exploring global music

Research areas: exploration of nanoscale structural, electrical and surface properties using scanning probe microscopy based techniques

Contact info: mallickzinnia[a]gmail[dot]com



Graduate Students

Junming Yue

(NANO PhD)

Education

M.S., Newcastle University, 2023 - 2024

B.S., Shandong Normal University, 2017 – 2021

Hobbies: watching football games, listening to Rock music and travelling

Research areas: nanoparticle synthesis and assembly, and advanced in situ characterization techniques including electron microscopy and electrochemical 3D atomic force microscopy

Contact info: junming[dot]yue[at]mines[dot]sdsmt[dot]edu



Yan Cui

(BME PhD)

Education

M.S., Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 2017-2020

B.S., Zhejiang University, 2009-2015

Hobbies:  Cooking especially collecting recipes from different countries, Bird Watching

Research areas: bone tissue regeneration and wound healing

Contact info: yan[dot]cui[at]mines[dot]sdsmt[dot]edu



Natnael Sinebo

(BME MS)

Education: B.S., South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 2019 - present

Hobbies: reading the bible, watching soccer and track events, hiking, and traveling

Research areas: study and understand the properties of nanomaterials and their application in diagnosis, drug delivery systems, implants, biosensing, and bioimaging devices

Future career interest: become a successful cardiovascular engineer

Contact info: natnael[dot]sinebo[at]mines[dot]sdsmt[dot]edu



Undergraduate Student(s)

Joshua Marquardt

Education

B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 2023-present

Associate of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Rochester Community and Technical College, completed, 2021-2023

Hobbies:  reading the Bible, reading, and hiking

Research areas: studying nanomaterials and how to manipulate them for medical purposes

Contact info: joshua[dot]marquardt[at]mines[dot]sdsmt[dot]edu



TEM instrumentation specialist

Vanessa Kee

Education: B.S. in Chemical Engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 2020

Hobbies:  travelling and exploring the world of different cultures

Research expertise: cell culture, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy

Contact info: Vanessa[dot]Kee[at]sdsmt[dot]edu , EEP235C




Alumni

Kory Engelstad

Education: B.S., South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 2021 - present

Hobbies: playing violin, hiking and hunting, playing magic the gathering

Research areas: study and understand properties of nanomaterials and their application in tissue engineering and the medical field

Future career interest: become a successful tissue engineer

Contact info: kory[dot]engelstad[at]mines[dot]sdsmt[dot]edu



We are actively looking for undergraduate and graduate students to join our team. We currently have one opening for a postdoc researcher. Contact Dr. Zhou at shan[dot]zhou[at]sdsmt[dot]edu for more details.