Our Story
Founded in 2021 at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), our lab has quickly grown into a vibrant research community dedicated to exploring the exciting field of mechanobiology and biomechanics. Our team of passionate graduate and undergraduate students works together to uncover how mechanical forces shape biological systems. Every day in our lab is an opportunity to learn, grow, and contribute to groundbreaking research that aims to improve our understanding of mechanobiological processes and advance applications in health and medicine.
Meet The Team
Farid Alisafaei
Farid is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), where he joined in 2021. Before NJIT, he was an NIH-T32 postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania and a member of the NSF Center for Engineering Mechanobiology. His lab focuses on developing integrated computational and experimental tools to investigate the role of mechanical signals in physiological processes, such as wound healing, and pathological conditions, including fibrocontractile diseases and cancer progression.
Mohammad Jafari
Mohammad is a PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and joined the lab in 2022. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad and a master’s degree from Shahrood University of Technology. Outside the lab, Mohammad enjoys listening to music, watching movies, and exploring nature through camping.
Aliza Mujahid
Aliza is a senior student at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and an Honors College student, majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Chemistry. She joined the lab in 2022 and has been an active contributor to ongoing research projects ever since.
John (Jack) Pryce IV
John (Jack) Pryce IV is a senior undergraduate student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Since joining the lab in 2023, he has been a key contributor to our skin grafting project, developing image-based processing techniques to quantify graft expansion and strain distribution.
Kimmie Harding
Kimmie Harding is a BS/MS student in Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science at NJIT and a student-athlete. Since joining our lab in 2023, Kimmie has played a central role in advancing our research on how collagen properties influence fibroblast behavior and wound healing. She is currently leading a project that combines mechanobiology and artificial intelligence to inform the design of next-generation biomaterials.
Sisir Datla
Sisir is a first-year undergraduate student majoring in Biology as part of the 7-year BS/MD medical program with Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School. He is also an Honors College student at NJIT and joined the lab in 2024.
Former Lab Members
Chelsea F. Garcia
Chelsea earned her bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from NJIT in 2024. She joined the lab in 2022 and contributed to several research projects focused on skin grafting. Chelsea was awarded the McNair Scholars Summer Fellowship and secured third place at NJIT's Dana Knox Research Showcase. She is currently pursuing graduate studies at Purdue University.
Ermia Melika
Ermia earned his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from NJIT in 2023. He joined the lab in 2022, where he honed his skills in transforming concepts into precise models, both in the lab and at NJIT Makerspace. Ermia is currently a patent examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).