The Gelmi Group

Dr Amy Gelmi
Dr Amy GelmiSenior Research Fellow

Dr. Gelmi obtained her PhD in 2012 with the Intelligent Polymer Research Institute at the University of Wollongong. In 2012 Dr. Gelmi began a postdoctoral position at Linköping University, for research involving electroactive scaffold design for cardiac patch applications. Dr. Gelmi then joined the Stevens Group at Imperial College London with a MSCA-IF, where her research focused on understanding the behaviour of stem cells on dynamic biomaterials using highly sensitive real time characterisation tools. In 2018 Dr. Gelmi returned to Australia after receiving a Vice Chancellor’s Research Fellowship at RMIT University in order to continue her research on the temporal characterisation of stem cell behaviour on dynamic biomaterials.

Current Members

James CollinsPhD Candidate

James attained a BEng in Biomedical Engineering from RMIT University and went on to complete his Msc in Biotechnology and NGM College. He joined The Gelmi Group in ___ where he began his PhD candidature in Engineering. In his third and final milestone, James focuses on the fabrication of 3D printed designs for easy stimulation of the stem cells, investigating the effects electrical stimulation has on cell growth and lineage commitment.

Kaiwen Zhang
Kaiwen ZhangPhD Candidate

Kaiwen obtained a BEng in Materials Science and Engineering from the Department of Materials at Xiamen University in 2018. He then went on to complete his MSc in Advanced Materials Science and Engineering in 2019 from the Department of Materials at Imperial College London. Kaiwen then went on to join the Gelmi Group in 2020, where he is currently in his final year of his PhD in Applied Chemistry at RMIT University. His work looks to use Atomic Force Microscopy to characterise stem cells under external stimulation.

Mehrnoosh Moghaddar
Mehrnoosh MoghaddarPhD Candidate

Merhnoosh earned her BSc in Biotechnology from UTS University in 2018 and her Master’s Degree at RMIT University in 2020 under the guidance of Dr. Andrew Guy and Professor Paul Ramsland. In June 2022, she joined The Gelmi Group as a PhD candidate. Her current research involves exploring how electrical stimulation can enhance bone regeneration in stem cells. Her primary focus is on applying internal or external stimulation, to induce bone formation and prepare the cells for incorporation with biomaterials in 3D printing. Her project is in collaboration with the Melbourne Dental School.

ORCID

Chayla Reeves
Chayla ReevesPhD Candidate

Chayla graduated in 2023 from RMIT University with a BSc (Hons) in Biotechnology. She joined The Gelmi Group in July 2022, undertaking a 6 month research placement. She completed her Honours project with The Gelmi Group in 2023, looking to understand the biomechanical response of stem cells in response to different matrix stiffnesses using Quantitative Imaging AFM (QI-AFM). In 2024, Chayla will begin her PhD candidature working with Dr Amy Gelmi to further characterise stem cell mechanobiology. 

Emily Cornfoot
Emily CornfootUROP Intern

Emily is a third-year undergraduate student studying a Bachelor of Biomedical Engineering (Honours) at Monash University. She joined The Gelmi Group in January 2024 for a 12-month internship received through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) where she will gain relevant skills and experience in both the lab and on an academic research level that can be further applied to her studies. She will be working under the guidance of Dr Amy Gelmi to explore stem cell responses to external stimulation through primary/secondary staining, imaging and data analysis.