Ryan E. Tomlinson, PhD
Principal Investigator

Dr. Ryan Tomlinson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. He is also the co-director of the Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (CBRM) PhD Program. Dr. Tomlinson obtained his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis after completing his B.S.E. in Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University. Before coming Jefferson, Dr. Tomlinson completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Orthopaedic Surgery at Johns Hopkins University. He is originally from Fort Lauderdale, FL. Outside of the lab, he can be found watching St. Louis Cardinals baseball, making sourdough bread, hanging out with his family, drinking coffee, and/or eating donuts. 

Sam Rajpar, PhD
Postdoc Fellow

Sam is a postdoctoral fellow in the lab. She completed her PhD in Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences at Virginia Tech in 2019, studying the phenotypic differences in endogenous tendon stem cells and their contributions to in vitro differentiation. 

Alexandra Ciuciu
PhD Candidate

Sandra is pursuing her PhD in Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University after completing her undergraduate degree in Bioengineering at Temple University, where she was on the Dean's List for eight semesters. 

Hattanas Kumchai, DMD, DScD
PhD Candidate

Hattanas is pursuing his PhD in Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine as part of PhD/Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) training program. He obtained his DMD degree from University of Pennsylvania, Certificate in Prosthodontics and DScD degree from Boston University. He aims to combine his clinical and research experience to improve patient care. 

Eric McLaughlin
Lab Technician

Eric is a research technician in the lab. He graduated from Temple University with a degree in Bioengineering. In his free time he bakes cookies and coaches competitive climbing youths at a local climbing gym in Philadelphia, The Cliffs at Callowhill. 

Nikhil Mehta
Medical Student

Nikhil is a medical student in the lab. He graduated from Penn State with a degree in Biology and Spanish. In his free time, he enjoys hiking and watching sports. 

Shaniqua Martin
MS Student

Shaniqua is a MS student at Thomas Jefferson University. She graduated from Temple University with a degree in Natural Sciences. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis and reading Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Mystery books.