Science with Purpose for Social Impact

Science with Purpose for Social Impact

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Who We Are

The Vahabikashi Lab is part of the Bioengineering Department at Northeastern University, housed in the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex (ISEC).

Our Research Focus

Our lab operates at the intersection of multiscale mechanobiology and soft bioelectronics. We bring together expertise from engineering, biology, materials science, and medicine to tackle complex problems in human health. Our research pursues three interconnected goals:

  1. We uncover the mechanobiological mechanisms that underlie disease.

  2. We develop advanced bioelectronic interfaces integrated with three-dimensional multicellular biological systems for disease modeling.

  3. We translate our insights into innovative therapeutics, medical devices, and regenerative technologies that address unmet clinical needs.

Our Mission

We are driven by a deep commitment to translational research that bridges fundamental discovery with real-world clinical impact. Our philosophy is "science with purpose for social impact": we transform mechanistic insight into solutions that improve patient outcomes and quality of life. Every project in our lab pairs basic science with a clear translational horizon.

Our Values

We are a team of passionate researchers at the intersection of engineering and biological sciences, united by a commitment to rigorous science. Trainees are central to our mission: we equip the next generation of scientists and engineers with the skills and mindset to build impactful careers. Our culture rests on respect, trust, teamwork, and collaboration, and we treat collective growth as a shared responsibility. We believe science is for everyone, and we foster diversity, equity, and dialogue within our group and the broader scientific community.


Latest News

October 2026: Jana and Keerthi attended BMES 2026 in Orlando, Florida. Keerthi presented a poster, “Tunable Hydrogel-Based Trabecular Meshwork-on-a-Chip for Modeling Aqueous Humor Outflow in Glaucoma”.

October 2026: Aadhira Nair was featured on Northeastern University College of Engineering’s Graduate Ambassadors News Blog, where she shared her journey and the experiences that inspired her to pursue bioengineering.

October 2026: Aadhira Nair and her team won the NextGen Innovation Robotics Surgical Competition at The MedTech Conference 2026 in Boston, sponsored by AdvaMed and Stryker.


Our research is supported by

BrightFocus Foundation logo with a stylized triangle in red, blue, and light blue, and the tagline 'Cure in Mind. Cure in Sight'.
NIH National Eye Institute logo with tagline 'Research Today...Vision Tomorrow'.
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