People
A growing group working across bioelectronics, materials chemistry, nanobiotechnology and drug delivery, based in the Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine & Health, The University of Manchester.
Dr Akhil Jain
Lecturer in Drug Delivery · Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences · Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health
Dr Akhil Jain is Lecturer in Drug Delivery in the Division of Pharmacy and Optometry at the University of Manchester and an EPSRC Fellow. He received his PhD (2017) in Materials Physics and Nanoscience from UNAM (Mexico) and UCSD (CA, USA), having earlier completed an M.Tech in Biotechnology at the Vellore Institute of Technology, India, and a B.Tech in Biotechnology at Amity University, Uttar Pradesh, India. He remained at UNAM's Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology as a Guest Lecturer from 2017 to 2018 before moving to the UK to take up a postdoctoral position in Bioelectronics at the School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, from 2018 to 2024, working on wireless bioelectronic approaches to cancer therapy. In May 2024 he joined the University of Manchester as Lecturer in Drug Delivery, where he now leads a research programme in bioelectronic medicine, supported by an EPSRC Open Fellowship that established the Electro-Med group and runs from 2026 to 2031.
- Lecturer in Drug Delivery, from 2024 to present, University of Manchester, UK
- Postdoctoral Researcher in Bioelectronics, from 2018 to 2024, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, UK
- Guest Lecturer, from 2017 to 2018, Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, UNAM, Ensenada, Mexico
- PhD, 2017, Materials Physics and Nanoscience, UNAM (Mexico) and UCSD (CA, USA)
- M.Tech, 2012, Biotechnology, Vellore Institute of Technology, India
- B.Tech, 2010, Biotechnology, Amity University, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Quantum enabled nanomaterials
- Electric field sensors, actuators and transducers
- Electrical-cellular interactions
- Bioelectronics for therapeutic delivery
- Nanomedicine and drug delivery
- Lanthanide doped nanomaterials
- Advanced imaging and contrast agents
- Faculty of Science Postdoctoral Research Award, University of Nottingham, for an excellent piece of original work in 2022 and 2023
- University of Nottingham Award, for excellent contributions to research and behaviour, May 2023
- First Prize, Poster and Invited Talk, Asilomar Bioelectronics Symposium, USA, September 2022
- Endocrine Foundation Fellow Award, American Society of Bone and Mineral Research, USA, September 2017
- Travel Award, Material Research Society, Cancún, Mexico, April 2017
- Travel Award, California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, February 2016
- International PhD Fellowship, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT), Mexico, January 2013
- Membership, member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK), the Material Research Society (USA) and the British Society for Nanomedicine
Dr Chithrambary Reghukumar
A full biography for Dr Reghukumar will be added here shortly.
Komal Ranpise
Komal joined the University of Manchester in October 2025 as a PhD researcher in Advanced Biomaterials for Neuroscience, funded by the University's Bicentenary PhD Award. She holds a BSc in Microbiology from Savitribai Phule Pune University and an MSc in Nanotechnology and Regenerative Medicine from University College London. Before her MSc, she gained laboratory experience through internships in animal and stem cell culture in Pune.
Her PhD research, supervised by Prof Aline Miller, Prof Alberto Saiani and Dr Akhil Jain, investigates how external electrical stimulation influences peptide self assembly and the properties and organisation of peptide hydrogels. The research aims to develop aligned peptide nanofibrous hydrogels capable of guiding directional neuronal growth, with potential applications in peripheral nerve regeneration.
Outside research, Komal enjoys reading mythological stories, classic romance and murder mysteries, listening to Indian retro music and ghazals, and dancing to Bollywood music.
Maryam Ebrahimnia
A full biography for Maryam will be added here shortly.
Swastika Mukherjee
A full biography for Swastika will be added here shortly.
Zhouchong (Benjamin) Wang
A full biography for Benjamin will be added here shortly.
Zhewen (Owen) Deng
A full biography for Owen will be added here shortly.