Welcome to our lab’s website! My name is Dr. Colleen Crouch and am the advisor to a great team. I am originally from Tennessee, so UTK feels like home. Check out my faculty page for my bio.
Graduate Students
My name is Allison Jones, and I was born and raised in Brick, New Jersey. I received my BS in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Tampa and I will be a first-year PhD student at UTK starting in Fall ’22 in Biomedical Engineering. My interests include medical imaging, tissue engineering, and prosthetics.My name is Amin Jarrahi. I was born in a small city in the northwest of Iran. I earned my BSc in Mechanical Engineering and MSc in Bioengineering. My BSc thesis was about Bio-MEMS, and my master’s thesis focused on the finite element study of aortic aneurysms and the assessment of the mechanical properties of the aorta wall experiencing aortic aneurysms. Currently, I am a PhD candidate at the University of Tennessee in Biomedical Engineering. My passions encompass AI, data mining, machine learning, medical imaging, as well as multi-omics studies.My name is Kelsey Buonodono, and I grew up in Amesbury, MA. I attended the University of Tampa as an undergraduate, where I earned my BS in Allied Health: Medical Sciences with minors in Physics and Mathematics. In the Fall of ’23 I will be entering UTK as a first year PhD student majoring in Biomedical Engineering. My interests include biomedical imaging, synthetic biology, systems physiology and bioinformatics. My name is Ziven Noorani, and I am originally from Collierville, TN. I earned my BS in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Tennessee in Spring 2023, and in Fall 2023 I will begin pursuing my MS in BME. My interests include cell & tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, biomaterials, and cancer biology. I have been working with Dr. Crouch since Summer 2022
Undergraduate Students
My name is Riley McDonald, and I am from Alcoa, Tennessee. I am currently a senior studying Biomedical Engineering. I have interests in disease prevention, imaging, oncology, and medical device research. I started working with Dr.Crouch in the Summer of 2022.
My name is Alberto (Beto) Fonseca Vargas, and I am originally from Queretaro, Mexico but grew up outside of Nashville in Hendersonville, TN. I am currently a senior student studying Biomedical Engineering and am on course to graduate in the Fall of 2023. I have an interest in regenerative medicine, medical imaging, cell and tissue engineering, prosthetic development and environmental science. I have been working in Dr. Crouch’s lab since Summer 2023.
My name is Toni Perkins. I am from Roanoke, VA. I am currently a senior studying biomedical engineering at UTK. I will be pursuing a Master’s in biomedical engineering at UTK following my graduation in December of 2023. I assisted with the preparation of the lab in August 2021, but began my research in August 2022 due to an internship opportunity. My research interests include medical physics, clinical epidemiology, and biomedical imaging.
My name is Ryan Thompson. I am from Greeneville, TN. I am a senior studying biomedical engineering, finishing up this fall. My research interests are biomedical imaging, disease pathogenesis, and nanotechnology in bio-mechanical systems. I have been working with Dr. Crouch since the summer of 2022.
My name is Amelya Fox, and I’m originally from Plainfield, IL. I am currently a junior studying biomedical engineering at UTK, and I plan to pursue a PhD after I graduate in May 2025. My research interests include biomedical imaging, disease detection and treatment, sex differences, and reproductive health technology. I began work in Dr. Crouch’s lab in the fall of 2022. My name is Kylee Karpowich, and I am from Ilion, New York. I am currently a senior at UTK studying Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology. I started working with Dr. Crouch Summer of 2023. My interests include translational research, medical imaging, and disease mechanisms.
