Dr. Abraham Joy

Professor and Chair,  Department of Bioengineering

Dr. Joy comes to Northeastern from the University of Akron where he has been a professor of polymer science since 2020, and was an associate professor from 2016 to 2020, and assistant professor from 2010-2016. From 2021-23, he was a National Science Foundation program director in the Biomaterials (BMAT) program of DMR. Joy’s research interests are in the areas of design and use of biomaterials for wound healing; antimicrobial/antibiofilm strategies; soft-tissue replacement; polymer condensates; and sustained delivery of therapeutics. He is an associate editor for Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology.

Joy obtained his PhD in chemistry from Tulane University, where he researched organic asymmetric photoreactions. Following his doctoral work, he carried out his postdoctoral work at the Georgia Institute of Technology, working on charge migration in synthetic oligonucleotides. Subsequently, he was an NIH Ruth Kirschstein postdoctoral fellow at Rutgers University, where he worked on designing biomaterials for modulating cellular functions. Joy is a recipient of the Burroughs Welcome Award, 3M Non-tenured Faculty Award, and an NSF CAREER Award.

Email: a.joy@northeastern.edu

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Avinash Manjula-Basavanna

Senior Research Scientist, joined lab in 2024

Avinash did his PhD on Bioinspired Molecular and Materials Engineering at Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, India. He then moved to Harvard University, USA, as a Wyss Institute Postdoctoral Fellow to work on Engineered Living Materials (ELMs). He was also a Visiting Scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Virginia Tech, USA.

His research interests are at the interface of Synthetic Biology, Materials Engineering, Biomanufacturing, Protein Engineering, Additive Manufacturing, Sustainability, Nature-Inspired Engineering and Biomaterials.

Email: a.manjula-basavanna@northeastern.edu

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Zixi Chen

Ph.D. Candidate, joined lab in 2021

Bacteria infection in medical devices and the human body significantly causes serious health problems. I’m currently focusing on synthesizing bio-mimic antibiofilm polymers which have potential remarkable performance in controlling, dispersing, and inhibiting biofilm formation.  

Email: chen.zixi@northeastern.edu

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Prathamesh Mane

Ph.D. Candidate, joined lab in 2021

I pursued my undergraduate studies in Fibers and Textiles Processing Technology at the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai and I joined Joy’s lab in 2021. I am passionate about designing biodegradable polymers and materials for hemorrhage control.

Email: mane.prat@northeastern.edu

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Mahdi Zafari

Ph.D. student, joined lab in 2023

During my undergraduate studies and research project at the Pasteur Institute of Iran, and upon commencing my PhD studies at the University of Akron, I became intrigued by the behavior of cells within their microenvironment across various extracellular matrices, particularly regarding how different polymers can immunomodulate immune cells in the human body. At Northeastern University, in our investigations and collaborations, we aim to expand the scope of immunomodulation and our understanding by including more polymers, more cell types, and assessing transitions in immune cell profiles.

Email: zafari.m@northeastern.edu

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Yu Cui

Ph.D. Candidate, joined lab in 2023

My research involves the development of 3D-printed polymer scaffolds in wound healing through the synthesis of cost-effective materials. I aim to create functional, biocompatible, and affordable wound healing matrices that support tissue regeneration, providing an accessible and efficient solution for wound care.

Email: cui.yu2@northeastern.edu

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Justin Cross

Ph.D. student, joined lab in 2024

I joined Joy’s lab from Stevens Institute of Technology where I completed my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Biomedical Engineering. My research focuses on designing antibiofilming polymers for medical devices and antithrombotic materials for vascular occlusions.

Email: cross.ju@northeastern.edu

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Rithika Mailcore

M.S. Biotechnology student, joined lab in 2025

Email: mailcore.r@northeastern.edu

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Janani Saravanan

M.S. Biotechnology student, joined lab in 2025

Email: saravanan.j@northeastern.edu

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