Faculty Research Interests

My research is based on the dynamic fracture and fragmentation of brittle polymers and composites.  I also have an interest in the instrumentation and metrology related to experimental design. 

My long-term research interest and goal is to establish an active, externally-funded research program at Widener University with the motto of "Better health through discovery, de novo design, and effective delivery of novel drugs." Despite tremendous medical advances, we still face many health challenges for which there is no effective cure. The age-associated disorders like cancer and Alzheimer's disease are two of the most notorious examples of such devastating diseases.

Cancer is still the second leading cause of death in the U.S. Similarly, there are currently 5.2 million Alzheimer's disease patients in the U.S., and the numbers are expected to rise significantly owing to the aging population of baby boomers and lack of any effective cure. In this context, the primary aim of my research work is to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying these diseases and use these novel mechanistic understandings to discover and design effective therapeutics against these traditionally-challenging diseases:

Alzheimer's Disease – Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is one of the most significant risk factors for late-onset or sporadic Alzheimer's disease. ApoE has been shown to be critical in clearing the harmful ApoE deposits from the brain and its ability to do that depends upon its lipidation status. Therefore, there is a growing interest in understanding the underlying mechanisms involved in ApoE lipidation and using these mechanistic understandings to discover drugs to enhance ApoE lipidation status.
My laboratory is investigating potential involvement of abnormal glucose metabolism in poor ApoE lipidation.

Cancer – The p53 protein plays a central role in protecting cells against carcinogenesis. It is inhibited in 50% of human tumors, however, by interaction with the oncogenic MDM2 protein. Therefore, blocking the p53-binding pocket on MDM2 protein by small-molecule drugs, leading to activation of the tumor suppressor p53 protein presents a fundamentally novel strategy against several types of cancers. In this regard, my laboratory is involved in discovery and design of novel molecules that can mimic the p53 structural features involved in binding to the MDM2 pocket with the ultimate aim of blocking p53-MDM2 interaction.

Engineering education

• Mobile Robots, Custom-made robots
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Robot-based or VR/AR based Real-time Simulation
• Real-time Ultra-High-Speed Process Monitoring 
• Metal 3D Printing, Laser Scribing, Laser Color Marking
• Human- Machine Interactions, Human Body Real-Time Simulation
• 24/7 Robot Based Manufacturing

Ongoing Projects

• Skywalker - Autonomous Drone with Advanced Flight, Landing, and Charging Capabilities
• CENTAUR - Intelligent Ground Mobile Robot for Construction and Urban Monitoring"
• NeurOracle - AI-Driven Innovations in Biomedicine for Neurological Disease Forecasting
• Thor's Hammer - Enhancing Motion Capture for Improved Throwing Records Compared to Olympic Record Holder 
• CardioForecaster - Intelligent Biomedical Imaging for Future Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment
• RoboSimVRX - Real-Time Industrial Machinery Simulator

Dr. Saha’s primary research interest lies with novel and sustainable materials design with broader applications in gas separation, water purification, precious metal recovery and chemical sensing. Currently, he is involved with carbon-based synthetic nanoporous materials, visible light-activated photocatalysts and plasmonic systems.  

Mobile Computing, Trust of Technology Adoption, Systems Architecture, and Wireless Technology

My research interests are focused on computer architecture and parallel processing.

Dr. Singh’s research interests are focused on understanding central and peripheral nervous system injuries including brain, spinal cord and brachial plexus injuries. She also investigates prevention and treatment options using bioengineering approaches and tools for these injuries. She is currently involved in understanding the biomechanical, functional and structural injury thresholds for neonatal brachial plexus palsy. 

Dr. Song’s research interests include pattern recognition and machine learning from fundamental modeling issues to multidisciplinary applications in robotic vision, artificial intelligence, brain-machine interface, biomedical imaging, multi-sensor fusion, and signal/image processing.

My research interests are in radio-frequency (RF) systems for communications and sensing.  I'm also interested in the physical principles underlying the design of these systems.

My research interests lie in the general areas of geotechnical and infrastructure engineering. My recent work focuses on the instrumentation and monitoring of transportation infrastructure as well as characterization and effective use of new and sustainable materials for geotechnical and transportation projects.

The overall goal of my research is to address pressing issues related to the nation’s aging transportation infrastructure through innovative and practical ideas and technologies.

My research interests include control, nonlinear systems, state estimation, system modeling, electric power systems, and microgrid power systems. I am particularly interested in the control applications in microgrid power systems, including power system modeling, power quality control, fault analysis, power data analysis, and power consumption evaluation and prediction.

My main research interests include bioheat transfer, biofluid mechanics and thermal energy storage systems.

Engineering and Technology Management 

My research interests lie in the fields of analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry, membrane technology, and electrochemistry. In particular, I am interested in (1) developing methods for analysis of pollutants; (2) exploring the fate of the pollutants during natural processes and anthropogenic activities; (3) synthesizing functional membranes for the separation and purification of water; and (4) using catalytic electrochemical reactions as a sustainable technique for degradation of pollutants in the aquatic environment. 

While most of my research has used electro-chemical processes, I am also interested in using other techniques such as nanotechnology and am open to interdepartmental collaborations.  I hope to involve students in the research process.

My research interests include construction and demolition waste flows, circular economy, material intensity profiles for urban buildings, life cycle analysis, material stock and flow analysis, and recycled construction materials. I have related publications in peer-reviewed journals and proceedings.