Amina’s research focuses on the development of new computational methods and experimental analyses in order to uncover design principles of human cells during growth and regeneration. The Qutub Lab uses fundamental knowledge gained by understanding cellular communication to transform the treatment of hematological cancers and neurovascular diseases.

Principal Investigator

Amina Ann Qutub

Bio | Resume | CV

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department: Biomedical Engineering

program affiliations:  Brain Health, Regenerative Medicine, UTSA/UT-Health Sciences BME Program

Byron Long’s doctoral research was in logic for programs that use dynamic memory. Byron built on his training in logic to develop innovative state machine models of endothelial cells and a modeling framework for testing biological hypotheses. He combines these approaches with novel image-analysis programs to study how human cells form tissues, and predictive algorithms to interpret how molecular and cell-level changes influence daily behaviors at a systems level. 

Research Scientist & Instructor

Byron Long

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PhD:  Computer Science, Indiana U.

Postdoc: Bioengineering, Rice U.

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Projects: Quantu, cytoNet

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Awards: Computational Cancer Biology Training Fellow 

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George Britton is a PhD student in Rice’s Systems, Synthetic and Physical Biology Program. His project focuses on uncovering the mechanisms underlying human embyronic cell development into neural tissue. George is jointly advised by our collaborator Aryeh Warmflash, a stem cell biologist in Rice’s Biochemistry and Cell Biology Department.

Graduate Student

George Britton

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BS:  Neurobiology, UT-Austin

Masters: Biochemistry, UT-Health Sciences

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Projects: Ectoderm modeling, analysis of neural lineage 

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Haydon Lynch is a Master's student in UTSA's Department of Biomedical Engineering. His project focuses on the design of novel computational models to simulate the growth and function of developing human neural networks. Haydon joined the Qutub Lab in Fall 2018, with research experience in artificial neural network modeling and signal processing. Haydon's Master's thesis is supported by a U.S. Airforce award.

Graduate Student

Haydon Lynch

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BS:  Electrical Engineering, Georgia Southern University

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Projects: Quantu, neural network modeling

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Zacharie Maloney is a PhD student in UTSA's Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Joint UTSA/UTHSC Graduate Group in Biomedical Engineering. Integrating new modeling and experimental methods, Zach's project focuses on characterizing cellular and proteomic processes underlying changes in  daily behaviors indicative of brain health. Joining the Qutub Lab in Fall 2019, Zach brings experience in biomedical engineering, systems biology, software engineering and financial modeling. 

Graduate Student

Zacharie Maloney

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BS:  Biomedical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology

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Projects: Neural network modeling & experiments, Quantu

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Erin Pollet is a PhD student in UTSA's Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Joint UTSA/UTHSC Graduate Group in Biomedical Engineering. Her project focuses on uncovering neural and neurovascular mechanisms underlying changes in  sleep and other daily behaviors using integrated modeling and experimental approaches. Joining the Qutub Lab in Fall 2018, Erin brings 10 years of clinical sleep experience as a registered polysomnographic technologist to her research project.

Graduate Student

Erin Pollet

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BS:  Biomedical Engineering, UTSA

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Projects: Quantu, Correlating Behavior to Cellular Changes in Alzheimer's

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Awards: Brain Health Consortium Seed Grant 2018  

Elif is a PhD candidate in bioengineering at Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University. While visiting in the Qutub lab as part of her thesis work, she is developing a computational model of nanoparticle-encapsulated delivery of bioactive flavanoids (anthocyanins) through the blood-brain barrier and anthocyanin uptake as a potential novel treatment of brain cancer.

Visiting Graduate Student

Elif Ozdemir Kaynak

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BS:  Bioengineering, Ege U.

Masters: Bioengineering, Ege U.

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Ash is a biomedical engineering undergraduate student applying computational and experimental methods to understand the development of neural networks. 

Undergraduate Student

Aishwarya Sathish

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Allie is a biomedical engineering undergraduate student who joined the Qutub Lab in 2019 as lab manager.

Lab Manager

Alexandria Raybon

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Qutub Lab Alumni

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Sean Tritley

Undergraduate Student, University of Texas at San Antonio

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Keith Kern

Undergraduate Student, Trinity University

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Kelsey Phelan, B.S.

Graduate Student, University of Texas at San Antonio

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Arun Mahadevan, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania

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Tien Tang, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow, Texas Children's Hospital

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Sanket Mehta

Undergraduate Student, Rice University

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Natalie Dickman

Undergraduate Student, Rice University

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Andrew Ligeralde, B.S.

Graduate Student, University of California, Berkeley

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Quentin (Hanyang) Li, B.S.

Graduate Student, Carnegie Mellon

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Chenyue Wendy Hu, PhD

Data Scientist, Uber

Founder, DiBS

Andre Schultz, PhD

Bioinformaticist, Stanford University, School of Medicine

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Sanjana Ranganathan, M.B.E., B.S.

Clinical Consultant, GE Healthcare

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Kylie Balotin, B.S.

Graduate Student, Vanderbilt University

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Nicholas (Cole) E. Grandel, B.S.

Graduate Student, Rice University (SSPB)

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Jennifer Dawkins, B.S.

Graduate Student, MIT & Harvard University (HST) 

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David Noren, PhD

Scientist, Phillips Research

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Amada Abrego, M.B.E.

Graduate Student, Rice University (ECE, Neuro)

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Alex Bisberg, B.S.

Graduate Student, University of Utah

Founder, DiBS

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Ka Wai Lin, PhD

Data Scientist, Allstate

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Angela Liao, B.S.

Graduate Student, University of California, San Diego

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Jiwon Jung, B.S.

Graduate Student, University of Texas, Austin

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Nikhil Gupte

Medical Student, UT-Health San Antonio

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David Gabriel Mora-Boellstorff

Graduate Student, UT-Health Sciences, Houston

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David Ryan, M.B.E.

Product Development Engineer, EKOS Corporation

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Becky Zaunbrecher, PhD

Allen Institute for Cell Science

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Rahul Rekhi, M.S.

Financial and Healthcare Advisor, Lazard

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Holley Love, PhD

Engineer, JBL Technologies

Instructional Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston

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Taylor Birk, B.S.

Software Engineer, Hewlett Packard

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Rocio Nava

Head of Biomedical Engineering, San Jorge Hospital

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Shun-Ming Ting, M.B.E.

Research Associate, Baylor

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Heather York Brisendine, B.S.

Engineering Consultant, Alliantgroup Houston

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Tyler Young, B.S.

Medical Student, Baylor College of Medicine

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Grace Ching, B.S.

Medical Student, Texas A&M

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Norman Truong, PhD

Clinical Data Consultant, Ritual

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Ashley Kelsey

NAVWAR Test Manager, United States Air Force

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Joanna Nathan, B.S., M.B.E.

Venture Fellow, Mercury Fund

Founder, Enventure

Duncan Eddy, M.S.

Capella Space Corporation​

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Abir Khan, M.D.

Clinician, Baylor College of Medicine

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Alex Arevalos, PhD

Chief Technology Officer & Co-Founder, Alleviant Medical