Sapun Parekh, Ph.D.

Research Interests

I am interested in developing label-free imaging methods for characterization of bio-films and potential use as a tool for investigating the chemical signature of cancerous and normal tissue. We hope to use these methods in conjunction with semiconductor fluorescent probes to correlate macromolecular molecules (proteins, lipids, DNA) with chemical signatures. Our ultimate goal is to use label-free imaging to link clinical pathology with the presence (or absence) specific macromolecular markers.

Background

My Ph.D. research focused on building an atomic force microscope (AFM)-based measurement platform to measure protrusive force and mechanics of growing actin networks that drive cellular movement. We built a differential AFM with two cantilever sensors for improved positional stability and reconstituted actin network growth under one cantilever sensor. The other sensor was used to negate in-plane drift. This allowed us to investigate both the force generating mechanism and mechanical properties of this dynamic polymer system.

Professional and Academic Society Memberships

• Biomedical Engineering Society
• American Society for Cell Biology

Awards and Recognitions

• NIST NRC Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2008
• Achievement Rewards for Collegiate Scholars Fellowship (University of California at San Francisco), 2006
• Engineering Endowed Presidential Scholarship (University of Texas at Austin), 2001
• University-wide Endowed Presidential Scholarship (University of Texas at Austin), 2000