Samal Lab

 

Principal Investigator

Juhi Samal is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where her research focuses on neuroimmune interactions, biomaterials, glycoengineering, and regenerative medicine. Her laboratory investigates how glycans, extracellular matrix cues, and immune cells influence tissue repair and neurological disease, with a particular emphasis on developing biomaterial-based strategies to modulate inflammation and improve recovery after injury. Dr. Samal earned her PhD in Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering from the National University of Ireland and completed postdoctoral training in Biomedical Engineering at Duke University. She is passionate about integrating neuroscience, immunology, and engineering to develop innovative therapies while mentoring the next generation of scientists and engineers.

Outside the lab, Juhi is also a LesMills certified kickboxing instructor!

Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr. Venu Yakati is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Samal’s research group, where his research focuses on microglia-targeted lipid nanoparticle (LNP) drug delivery systems to inhibit glycosylation pathways in ischemic brain stroke. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Sciences from the CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) in Hyderabad, India. His research expertise covers biomaterials, drug delivery, and cancer biology. His published work includes developing dual-targeted nanotherapies for glioblastoma, engineering targeted DNA vaccines, and using 3D hydrogel and multicellular spheroid models to see how matrix stiffness and the 3D microenvironment influence cancer cell dormancy and chemoresistance.

Graduate Researchers

Sukirty Khadka is a PhD student in Dr. Juhi Samal’s lab. Her general research interest includes glial biology, stroke pathology, and the role of glycans in cerebrovascular injuries. Her current work focuses on understanding how microglia and glycan-related mechanisms influence the outcomes after stroke, with the long-term goal of identifying new therapeutic targets. Sukirty earned her master’s degree in Neuroscience from the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway, where she studied astrocyte function and their involvement in brain health, aging, and disease. She is particularly passionate about bridging the gap between fundamental neuroscience, biomedical engineering, and the development of therapies for conditions involving glial dysfunction and neuroinflammation. Outside the lab, Sukirty enjoys reading, dancing, baking, and hiking.

Undergraduate Researchers

Chantany’ce Martin is a senior majoring in Immunology and look forward to seeing advancements within the biomedical field!

Dhruti is a Class of 2029 undergraduate student at UAB pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering on the pre-health track. She is interested in biomaterials, tissue engineering, and the intersection of engineering and medicine. As a new research assistant in the Glycans for Regeneration Lab, she is eager to develop her skills in cell culturing, glycan research, and various laboratory techniques. She hopes to expand her research experience and apply her combined background to biomedical research.

Robert is studying for his bachelor’s in biomedical engineering in UAB’s School of Engineering. He has prior knowledge of biology and chemistry, and a solid foundation in cellular and molecular biology. He is looking forward to implementing his interdisciplinary training in the Glycans for Regeneration Lab to seek out new innovative ideas in biomedical research.