Nic D. Leipzig, PhD
Robert Iredell Professor · Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering · University of Akron
Dr. Leipzig leads the Leipzig Bioengineering Group at the University of Akron, where his research focuses on developing innovative biomaterial platforms to enable tissue engineering and regenerative therapies. His work spans engineering the stem cell niche, protein engineering for controlled biomolecule presentation, CNS injury repair, and wound healing.
Dr. Leipzig holds the Robert Iredell Professorship in the Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering. His lab has been funded by the Department of Defense Spinal Cord Injury Research Program, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron.
Research Interests
Graduate Students
Undergraduate Researchers
Research Technicians
Alumni
| Name | Degree | Years | Dissertation / Thesis | Current Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Postdoctoral Fellows | ||||
| Asanka Wijekoon, PhD | Postdoctoral Fellow | 2011–2012 | — | Pharmaceutical Scientist, ARL BioPharma Inc. (Oklahoma City, OK) |
| Oluwaseyi Shofolawe-Bakare, PhD | Postdoctoral Fellow | 2024–2025 | — | Research Scientist, Quantum Copper (Houston, TX) |
| Graduate Students | ||||
| Aleesha M. McCormick | PhD, Dec 2014 | 2010–2014 | Development and Implementation of Multi-Cued Guidance Strategies for Axonal Regeneration | Clinical Research Scientist, BioMendics LLC (Rootstown, OH) |
| Hang Li | PhD, May 2015 | 2009–2015 | Neural Stem/Progenitor Cell 3-D Differentiation for Repair of Central Nervous System Injuries | Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Jinan University — Biomedical Engineering (Guangzhou) |
| Sridhar Akula | MS, 2016 | 2015–2016 | Fluorinated Methacrylamide Chitosan Hydrogel Improves Cellular Wound Healing Processes | Technical Lead, HCL Technologies |
| Ashley E. Mohrman Wilkinson | PhD, May 2017 | 2010–2017 | Regenerative Medicine Approaches to Spinal Cord Injury | Research Director, Akron Children's Hospital (Akron, OH) |
| Pritam S. Patil | PhD, Aug 2018 | 2013–2018 | Fluorinated Methacrylamide Chitosan for Oxygen Delivery in Wound Healing and Tissue Engineering | Business Development & Licensing, Mount Sinai Innovation Partners |
| Natalie Fountas-Davis | MS, May 2020 | 2012–2019 | A Novel Chitosan-Based Wound Healing Hydrogel for the Enhancement of Local Oxygen Levels and for the Facilitation of Dermal Tissue Repair | Membership Specialist, Higher Education Protection Network (HEPNet) |
| Trevor R. Ham | PhD, May 2019 | 2013–2019 | Covalent Growth Factor Tethering to Guide Neural Stem Cell Behavior | CSO, Atlantic Fish Company |
| Mahmoud Farrag | PhD, Dec 2019 | 2014–2019 | Tissue Engineering and Pharmacological Approaches for the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injuries | Clinical Research Monitor, Advanced Clinical (Cincinnati, OH) |
| Hannah J. Baumann (co-advised w/ Dr. Shriver) | PhD, Dec 2020 | 2015–2020 | Molecular Investigation into Spinal Cord Injury Regeneration Barriers and Therapeutic Strategies | Scientist, Convelo Therapeutics (Cleveland, OH) |
| Mohammad Hamrang Sekachaee | MS, 2021 | 2018–2021 | — | Scientist, Genezen (Fishers, IN) |
| Nicholas Greene | MS, 2021 (non-thesis) | 2019–2021 | — | Chlorination Production Engineer, Dover Chemical |
| Shahrzad Fathollahipour-Abri | PhD, May 2022 | 2016–2022 | Development of Synergistic Oxygenating Antibacterial Hydrogel Dressings for Reducing Infection in Diabetic Dermal Wounds | Scientist II, Colossal Biosciences |
| Dipak D. Pukale | PhD, May 2022 | 2017–2022 | The Role of Betaine-Focused Fluid Osmoregulation in Syringomyelia Post Spinal Cord Injury | Senior Process Engineer, Manufacturing Sciences and Technology |
| Mona Mansouri | PhD, May 2023 | 2017–2023 | Development of 3D In Vitro Liver Tumor Models Using Engineered Polymeric Microparticles for Drug Screening Applications | Staff Fellow, US Food and Drug Administration (CBER) |
| Dakota Noble | MS, 2023 (non-thesis) | 2021–2023 | — | Biomedical Engineer, Louis Stokes VA Medical Center |
| Andrew McClain | PhD, Dec 2024 | 2015–2024 | Thermoplastic Elastomer Research and Development for Healthcare Applications | Senior Research Engineer I, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics (Akron, OH) |
| Hannah Durr | PhD, Dec 2025 | 2020–2025 | Development of Antibacterial Hydrogels with Regenerative Benefits for Infected Wound Healing | Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Illinois Chicago |
Group Mascot: Roxanne
Every great lab has a mascot — meet Roxanne, the unofficial spirit of the Leipzig Bioengineering Group.
Join Our Team
We are always looking for motivated graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and undergraduate students to join our research team. We value curiosity, rigor, and collaborative problem-solving. If you are interested in tissue engineering, biomaterials, CNS repair, or wound healing research, we encourage you to reach out.
Contact Dr. Leipzig →