People

Folly Patterson, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr. Patterson focuses on immunomodulatory therapeutics for knee OA. Pro-inflammatory macrophages in the joint perpetuate a cycle of cartilage degradation and further inflammation. Polarizing macrophages in the joint to an anti-inflammatory state can mitigate OA progression. Dr. Patterson focuses on testing these therapeutics, including CD200 microparticles, in cell culture and animal models. Additionally, she is working on isolating and characterizing synovial cells from tissues donated by OA patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. Using these primary cells will improve translatability of potential OA therapeutics to future clinical use.

SK Rajab Ali, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Researcher

under construction

Jessica Aldrich, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Researcher, NIH F31 Fellow

Originally from Topeka, Kansas, Jessica received her BS and MS in Biomedical Engineering at Wichita State University. Jessica has been a member of the Sharma lab and the OrthoBME lab since Fall 2019 and works at the cross-section of drug delivery and therapeutic efficacy for osteoarthritis treatments. Her research focuses on the development of an enzyme-like nanomaterial, manganese dioxide, as a pain-relieving and disease-modifying treatment for OA. Her work spans material characterization, in vitro testing, and in vivo evaluation of the therapy. Outside of the lab, Jessica is an endurance runner and triathlete and is heavily involved in the Trigators Triathlon team. She enjoys hosting dinner parties with her friends and teammates and loves to travel.

Suzanne Lightsey

5^th Year Ph.D. Candidate, NSF Graduate Research Fellow

Originally from Austin, TX, Suzanne received her BS in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Virginia. She started in the Sharma lab in Fall 2020 and her research focuses on leveraging biomaterials for replicating key aspects of the solid tumor extracellular matrix to investigate the mechanisms behind tumor-related immunosuppression of natural killer cells. Outside of the lab, Suzanne enjoys hanging out with her friends (and her dog!), going to concerts, and discovering new restaurants in Gainesville to try! 

Touraj Amrabadi

2^nd Year Ph.D. Student

Touraj is originally from Iran and received his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic). His interest in working at the intersection of chemistry and biology led him to pursue a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering focusing on biotechnology at the same university. Touraj joined the Sharma lab in Fall 2023 and is now a second-year PhD student in Chemical Engineering. His research focuses on developing innovative nanoparticle systems, characterizing them, and studying their in vitro and in vivo applications for osteoarthritis therapy. Outside of the lab, he enjoys reading books, listening to podcasts, walking in nature, and hanging out with friends!

Rylee Newport

2^nd Year Ph.D. Student, NSF Graduate Research Fellow

Coming from Yukon, Ok, Rylee received her BS in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma. She joined the Sharma Lab in Fall 2023 and her research focuses on encapsulating natural killer cells within various biomaterials to investigate different aspects of the solid tumor microenvironment. Outside of lab, Rylee enjoys going to yoga, trips to Sonic with friends, and watching movies!

Zachary Bosworth

1^st Year Ph.D. Student

Zach was born and raised in Portland, OR, and received his BS in Bioengineering from Oregon State University. He started in the Sharma lab in Fall 2024 and his research focuses on targeted drug delivery strategies to treat osteoarthritis-related pain and neuroinflammation. Zach also enjoys reading, skiing, cooking, and trying out the coffee around Gainesville!

Molly Dobrow

1^st Year Ph.D. Student

After receiving her BS in Biology from the University of North Florida, Molly worked as a Medical Technologist in Infectious Disease Diagnostic testing at Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville, FL. She completed her MS in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of North Florida in the Spring of 2024. Her areas of research interest include biomaterial characterization and molecular diagnostic testing methods. Outside of the lab, Molly enjoys going on walks with her husband and their dog, quilting, and traveling to different states.

Tomas Clavijo-Garcia

2^nd Year Master’s Student

Coming from Miami to Gainesville, FL, Tomas attained a BS in Materials Science and Engineering at UF and stayed to pursue an MS in Biomedical Engineering. His research focuses on examining nanoparticle interactions with natural killer cells, with the goal of elevating the cells’ ability to infiltrate solid tumors and effect their cytotoxic function. When he’s not in the lab, you can find him serving tables at a restaurant, DJing friends’ birthday parties, or simply exploring downtown Gainesville.

Gabriella Flinn

1^st Year Master’s Student

Gabby grew up in Florida and has always been a Gators fan, she received her BS in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Florida in 2024. She began research in the Sharma lab as an undergraduate student, with an interest in using biomaterials to study the effects of the solid tumor extracellular matrix on cancer behavior. Gabby enjoys spending time with family and friends, building Legos, and caring for her plants.