Welcome to the Chahine Lab!
We are interested in developing new therapies for cartilaginous tissues in the musculoskeletal system. Our focus is on spinal intervertebral discs, where we apply tools of bioengineering and biomechanics to understand degeneration and to develop regenerative strategies. We are also developing diagnostics biomarkers for back pain, the leading cause of disability worldwide.
Research Interests: inflammation in age and disease related intervertebral disc degeneration, mechanotransduction, spine development.
Mark received his PhD degree in Physiology and Pharmacology at the University of Western Ontario (London, Ontario, Canada) under the mentorship of Dr. Cheryle Séguin. Mark was also part of the Collaborative Training Program in Musculoskeletal Health Research at the Bone and Joint Institute. There, Mark adopted tools from different disciplines (bioreactor system, developmental biology, genetic modeling) to understand the mechano-reception, mechano-transmission, and mechano-response of intervertebral disc cells. In his free time, he enjoys watching Netflix and exploring the city for the first time!
Research Interests: cell and tissue engineering, biomaterials, and biomechanics
Gigi received her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from University of California, Davis in 2022. While there, she conducted research In Dr. Kent Leach's Lab that focused on the development of tissue engineering solutions for osteochondral defects, specifically using polymer-based biomaterials. After being exposed to the crossover of orthopedics and biomedical engineering, she decided to attend Columbia and join Nadeen Chahine's lab. In her free time, she enjoys skiing, going for walks in Central Park, finding new fun places to eat, and exploring New York with friends.
Research Interests: tissue engineering, biomaterials, regenerative medicine, and artificial organs
Elyse graduated from the University of Michigan with her B.S.E. in Materials Science and Engineering and her M.S.E. in Biomedical Engineering with a concentration in biomaterials and regenerative medicine. During her time at Michigan, Elyse studied the ovarian cancer microenvironment via tissue engineered spheroids and before returning to graduate school, she worked under the guidance of Dr. Joseph Potkay in the Extracorporeal Life Support Lab developing microfluidic artificial lungs for respiratory support. In her free time, Elyse loves traveling, hiking, exploring new places, experimenting in the kitchen, and spending time with family and friends.
Research Interests: immunology, mechanobiology, and IVD biology
Paola obtained her PhD in Biomedical Science at the University of Bern (Switzerland) under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Benjamin Gantenbein and co-supervision of Prof. Dr. Christine Le Maitre. Paola was a PhD candidate within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) International Training Network Disc4all, a European project aimed to advance integrated computational simulations in translational medicine, with a specific focus on intervertebral disc degeneration. Her research investigated catabolic phenotypes associated with disc degeneration using human and bovine advanced 3D cell culture systems, ex vivo models and network modeling approaches. After joining the Chahine Lab in 2025, Paola received the Swiss National Science Foundation Postdoc.Mobility fellowship to gain expertise on genetically modified animal models and mechanobiology. In her free time, Paola enjoys outdoor activities, traveling, hiking and spending time with family and friends.
Research Interests: tissue engineering, biomechanics, and biomaterials
Maho Koga is a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering co-advised by Dr. Nadeen Chahine (Chahine Lab) and Dr. Helen Lu (Biomaterials and Interface Tissue Engineering Laboratory). Maho is interested in pursuing research in the field of orthopedics, specially looking at tissue-engineered therapies for intervertebral disc degeneration in the spine. She obtained her B.S. in Biological Engineering and M.Eng in Biomedical Engineering from Cornell University, where she previously conducted research under the supervision of Dr. Eve Donnelly for undergraduate research and Dr. Lawrence Bonassar for her Master’s. She worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 2 years after graduation and is excited to begin her PhD at Columbia University.
Research Interests: tissue engineering, biomechanics, polymer science, biomaterials, regenerative medicine
Lara graduated from Columbia University with her M.S. in Biomedical Engineering after receiving her Sc.B. in Biomedical Engineering from Brown University. During her time at Brown, Lara conducted research in the Mathiowitz Lab studying polymers and biomaterials for drug delivery applications. She is currently involved in orthopedic and regenerative medicine research focused on biomaterial scaffold design and regenerative therapies for osteoarthritis.
Research Interests: immunoengineering, biomaterials, and IVD biology
Maddie received her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Georgia Tech in 2022. While there, she conducted research in Dr. Julia Babensee's lab, which focuses on creating immunomodulating biomaterials to attenuate autoimmune responses. After undergrad, she worked as a research specialist for two years at Emory University under Dr. Svenja Illien-Jünger, specifically on a project investigating the effects of chronic alcohol consumption on the IVD. Combining her past research fields, she joined the Chahine Lab with the primary focus of researching the immunomodulation of the IDD microenvironment. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching horror movies, dancing, and taking advantage of all New York offers!
Daniella Davia, B.S. - MSc Student at University of Oxford
Leonardo Campos, B.S. - MD Student at Stony Brook University
Lauren Lisiewski, Ph.D. - Postdoctoral Research Fellow at University of Florida
Beth Ashinsky, M.D., Ph.D. - Orthopedic Surgery Resident Physician at Columbia University
Hagar Kenawy, Ph.D. - Postdoctoral Research Fellow at University of Pennsylvania / Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Nicholas Toosi, M.S. - PhD Student at University of Pittsburgh
Dan Viola, MD, Ph.D. - Clinical Fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering
Xochitl Morales - Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University
Nadia Kiridly - Biomedical Engineering, Binghamton University
Jesse Cotton, B.S.- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons
Erik Emsbo, B.S.- Product Engineer - Ultima Genomics
Aala Nasir, B.S.- Software R&D Test Engineer - Medtronic
Kevin G. Burt, Ph.D.- Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System
Timothy Jacobsen, Ph.D.- Postdoctoral Fellow at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Samantha L. Marshall, PhD- Diplomacy & Science, Technical Advisor, Dual-Use Export Controls, U.S. Department of State
Laurent Michel Guenin, BS- UNiD Lab Engineer, Medicrea, New York
Archana Murali- Biomedical Engineering undergraduate, Columbia University
Hayley Jacobsen, BS- Dual Degree program at Columbia Nursing, New York
Yarsolov (Jacob) Gelfand, MD-Former Neurosurgery Resident Fellow
Quynhhoa T. Nguyen, PhD-Former Post-Doctoral Scientist
Kevin Anton, BS- Biomedical Engineering Master’s program
Bhranti Shah, PhD- Medical Writer, BGB Group, New York.
Aysha Khan, MD- Internal Medicine Resident, Mt Sinai Hospital, Chicago.
Farzana Chowdhury, BS- Process Development Engineer, Boston Scientific, Boston.
Paula Hernandez, PhD- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, UT Southwestern, Dallas.
KT Weber, MD- General Surgery Resident, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY.
Robert Maidhof, PhD- Principal Scientist, Research and Development, Avon, NY.
D. Olivier Alipui, MD- Trauma Attending Surgeon
Neena Rajan, BS- Senior systems engineer, Siemens Healthcare, NY.