Rao Lab

   Siyuan Rao

Dr. Siyuan Rao obtained her Ph.D in Materials Physics and Chemistry with Prof. Yan Xiang at Beihang University in 2015. Her graduate research focused on the development of bio-hybrid photoelectric devices and electronics. Dr. Rao began her postdoctoral research in neuroengineering and bioelectronics in Prof. Polina Anikeeva’s laboratory at MIT in 2016. During her postdoc career, Dr. Rao, with her colleagues, invented the chemomagnetic technique. She has been a Simons Postdoctoral Fellow from 2016 to 2018 with the co-supervision of Profs. Polina Anikeeva and Guoping Feng at MIT. She is a recipient of NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00, 2019), BBRF Young Investigator Award (2022), NSF CAREER award (2023), and AFOSR Young Investigator Award (2023).

Dr. Siyuan Rao started the Assistant Professor position and opened Neurobiological Interfaces Laboratory (NBI Lab) in January of 2020. In the Department of Biomedical Engineering, she teaches BME 486-586 Neuroengineering course in Spring semesters and BME 201 Introduction to Biomedical Engineering in Fall semesters. She has been named a Scholarly Teaching Fellow 2024 in recognition of demonstrated commitment to undergraduate education by Evidence-Based Teaching Institute of Binghamton University. 

In her free time, Dr. Rao likes exploring the hiking sites in the Binghamton areas and spending time in her small gardening projects.

   Eunji Hong

Eunji Hong received her B.S. in Nano-Bioengineering at Incheon National University (South Korea) in 2016, and also received M.S. in the same college in 2018. Before joining the NBI lab, she has focused on stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems. Eunji is particularly interested in non-viral gene delivery carriers development for neurobiological diseases and the mechanism of gene delivery in nervous systems. She likes watching Netflix, hiking, and hanging out with friends in her spare time.

   Xinxin Xu

Xinxin received a bachelor's degree in Applied Chemical Engineering from Suzhou University of Science and Technology in 2018, and worked in China for three years after graduation. Received a master's degree in materials science and engineering from Boston University in 2023. He has experience in organic synthesis and materials development. Research interests include organic chemistry, bioassays, optical materials. In his spare time, he enjoys working out, learning traditional Chinese food, watching movies, playing video games, and participating in outdoor sports with his friends.

   Zuer Wu

Zuer Wu is an undergraduate student majoring in biology who is expected to graduate in the spring of 2024. She will start her master's in biomedical engineering in the Rao lab. Zuer has experience researching fruit flies’ learning and memory in taste. Her current research interests lie in neuroscience and developing flexible neural probes. She enjoys working out, socializing with friends, and making crafts in her free time. 

Wenjie Long

Wenjie obtained a Bachelor's degree in Food Science and Engineering from Qingdao Agricultural University in 2021 and a Master's degree in Agricultural Products Processing and Storage Engineering from Bohai University in 2024. Before joining the NBI Lab, she specialized in the extraction and purification of natural bioactive compounds and the development of smart active packaging materials. Her current research focuses on developing soft optical materials for biomedical imaging applications. In her spare time, she enjoys music, photography, and dining out with friends. 

   Chen Lin

Chen Lin is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in biology, with an anticipated graduation date of Spring 2024. Prior to their involvement with the NBI lab, Chen's research primarily centered on biofilm drug tolerance, specifically investigating the role of FleQ in the drug resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. Outside of their academic pursuits, Chen enjoys watching television dramas and playing video games with friends. 

   Ruobai Xiao

Ruobai received his B.E. in Dyeing and Finishing Chemical Engineering at Donghua University(China) in 2020, his first M.S. in Textile Technology at Manchester University (UK) in 2021, and his second M.S. in Fiber Science and Apparel Design at Cornell University. Before joining the NBI lab he has various experiences in functional textile and color management. His research interest is in developing flexible neural probes and designing multifunctional wearable devices. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, working out, photographing, and apparel designing.

   Ian Kim

Ian Kim is in the Biomedical Engineering 4+1 program and is expected to graduate in Spring 2026. His concentration is in biomedical instruments. Ian's current research interests are developing a microporous hydrogel contact lens and diagnosing methods of glaucoma with differential ERG. In his spare time, he likes cooking, playing musical instruments, and running. 

   Christian Capitano

Christian Capitano is an undergraduate Biomedical Engineering and Integrative Neuroscience student expected to graduate in Spring of 2026. He possesses hands-on experience in Python and MatLab programming, image analysis, and microcontroller-based projects. His current research centers on the quantitative analysis of hydrogel architecture for application in neural probes. In his spare time, Christian enjoys hiking, playing the guitar, and learning new languages.