Meet the Team
We are actively recruiting undergraduate students, and postdoctoral scholars for Spring 2025.
Interested in joining the team? Check our openings for details.
Bryan James, PhD
Dr. Bryan D. James is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University. He leads the EcoBioMaterials Design Lab focused on creating functional, sustainable, and benign materials for a safer, cleaner future by innovating at each stage of the engineering design process. He actively collaborates globally with academic colleagues, NGOs, and industrial partners, regularly engages with K-12 students and educators, and advises policymakers. Bryan has been recognized with multiple honors and awards, including being a recipient of a Sustainable Futures Initiative Early Career Postdoctoral-Faculty Bridge Grant, and being named a Rising Star in Engineering in Health, a CAS Future Leader, and an ACS PMSE Future Faculty Scholar.
Bryan was a Postdoctoral Scholar/Investigator at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), working with Mark Hahn, Collin Ward, and Chris Reddy. His postdoctoral research focused on understanding the fate, persistence, and toxicity of plastic in the ocean to inform the rational design of next-generation materials that are safe for people and the planet. Bryan received his B.A.Sc. in materials engineering from the University of Toronto in 2017 and his Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from the University of Florida (UF) in 2021. At UF, as an NIH F31 Predoctoral Fellow under the mentorship of Josephine Allen, Bryan pioneered the use of nucleic acid-collagen complexes for hard and soft tissue engineering and championed investigating sex as a biological variable in biomaterials research, identifying mechanobiological sex differences in vascular cells.
Principal Investigator (CV)
Joelis Velez Diaz
I was born and raised in Cidra, Puerto Rico. Due to Hurricane Maria, I moved to Massachusetts in 2018, and I started my college career in 2020 at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). At WPI, I completed my Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering with a concentration in environmental engineering and a materials science minor. Additionally, knowing the importance of education and promoting STEM, at WPI, I completed the teacher preparation program as an NSF Noyce Scholar, for which I taught high school chemistry for a semester in a high-needs district. I achieved this in four years and graduated in May 2024 with high distinction. At WPI, I gained valuable research expertise through the NSF Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) program. In this program, I conducted cutting-edge research on waste-to-feedstock technologies alongside K-12 teachers in STEM, participated in professional development training to enhance STEM education, and translated my research experience into two high school chemistry lesson plans that I taught in my student teaching. My research aimed to solve global waste issues while promoting a circular economy by converting waste to energy, contributing to a sustainable future. I worked independently in Professor Michael Timko’s lab, focusing on circularizing waste streams into fuels and valuable chemical products, aligning with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for green energy and responsible consumption. I utilized hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), a sustainable and more energy-efficient process than competing technologies for biocrude production.
As a climate migrant, I aim to improve the quality of life for society and protect our environment by working towards sustainability and restoration of our ecosystems while helping students see themselves as agents of change through education. For this reason, I decided to pursue a PhD in Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University. I chose their program because of the department’s values, which are reflected by its dedication to fostering an inclusive and welcoming ChemEunity (chemical engineering community). Northeastern’s global campus model will enable me to collaborate across borders, addressing the pressing need for environmental conservation and climate change mitigation. I am thrilled to be a Northeastern Chair’s Fellow, and working in the EcoBioMaterials Design Lab, conducting novel research to advance knowledge in STEM, ensure inclusion, and amplify the voices of those most affected.
Graduate Student (CV)
Kennedy Gallagher
I’m a third-year chemical engineering student pursuing a minor in global perspectives in engineering. My research interests include studying plastic degradation, particularly in 3D printing filaments, and utilizing flow-through seawater mesocosm experiments to explore environmentally relevant biodegradation processes. Outside of academics, I enjoy reading, running, cooking, and watching TV.
Undergraduate Student (CV)