Principal Investigator
Lucas (Luke) Timmins
Associate Professor
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Multidisciplinary Engineering (courtesy), Department of Translational Medical Sciences (courtesy) | Texas A&M University
Associate Professor, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences (courtesy) | Houston Methodist Academic Institute
Affiliate Faculty Member, Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute | University of Utah
lucas.timmins@tamu.edu
(he/him)
Post-doc, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine, 2010-2016
Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M Univ., 2010
Whitaker International Fellowship, Pathology, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, 2007
B.S., Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M Univ., 2005
Hometown: Port Neches, TX
Hobbies: golfing, backpacking, skiing, smoking meats, brewing beer
Post-docs/Graduate Students
Nafis Arefin, Ph.D.
narefin@tamu.edu
Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee Knoxville, 2025
M.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, 2021
B.S., Aerospace Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), 2018
Hometown: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Project: Geometric UQ in Vascular Biomechanics Modeling
Hobbies: cricket, gaming, road trips, geography
Yannik Balster
jybalster@tamu.edu
(he/him)
Ph.D. candidate, Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University
B.S., Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 2025
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Project: Vascular Fluid-structure Interaction Modeling
Hobbies: backpacking, snowboarding, video games, rock climbing, football, baseball, drumming
Olivia Dillenbeck
odillenb@tamu.edu
Ph.D. candidate, Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University
B.S., Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, 2025
Hometown: Rochester, NY
Project: Patient-specific Modeling in the Setting of Peripheral Artery Disease
Hobbies: golf, soccer, pickleball, hiking/long walks
Christos Georgiadis
christosg2003@tamu.edu
(he/him)
M.Eng. candidate, Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M Univ.
B.S., Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 2025
Hometown: Houston, TX
Project: Evaluating the Predictive Value of Plaque Stiffness for Risk of Acute Coronary Syndrome
Hobbies: classical piano, bouldering, travel, photography
Muhammad Usman
musman1@tamu.edu
(he/him)
Ph.D. candidate, Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M Univ.
M.S., Mechanical Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Pakistan, 2021
B.S., Mechanical Engineering, International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), Pakistan, 2018
Hometown: Faisalabad/Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Project: Promoting Confidence in Patient-specific Models of Coronary Hemodynamics via Uncertainty Quantification
Hobbies: strength training, swimming, cooking, cycling
Undergraduate Students
Peter Castillo
pnc3717@tamu.edu
(he/him)
B.S. candidate, Computer Science, Texas A&M
Hometown: Kingwood, TX
Project: Large-scale data conversion across finite element and visualization software platforms
Hobbies: music, chess, tennis, friends and family
Jacob Murphy
jm306@rice.edu
(he/him)
B.S. candidate, Bioengineering, Rice University
Hometown: Lake Charles, LA
Project: Influence of Shear-rate Dependent Viscosity on Wall Shear Sterss Uncertainty
Hobbies: hiking, running, tennis, and traveling
Alumni
William (Billy) Jeon
Summer 2017 (Summer Undergraduate Research Experience)
B.S., Bioengineering, Rice University, 2018
Erika Kvalem-Soto
2017-2018
B.E., Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 2018
Michael Keyser
2019-2021
B.S., Electrical and Computing Engineering, Applied Mathematics, University of Utah 2023
David Jiang, Ph.D
2016-2025
B.S., Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, 2019
Ph.D, Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, 2025