Leipzig Bioengineering Group

Biography

In 2017, Rounak graduated with a degree of Engineering, bachelor’s in biotechnology from Bangalore, India. He worked on the production of Biodiesel using waste animal fat, and gave a talk on the state-wide student symposium in Bangalore for this project.

Rounak graduated with master’s in biomedical engineering in August 2020, from North Dakota State University (NDSU) he studied the detection of let-7b microRNA using two novel techniques of Dielectrophoresis and Electrical impedance. After graduating, Rounak worked in a non-profit Research center, Sanford Research in Sioux falls, SD. Rounak worked in a Genetics and genomics and Cancer biology focused laboratory. He moved forward the work of protein biochemistry and small molecule inhibitory study to hopefully find a small molecule therapy for small cell lung cancer by targeting SOX2 gene.

Education

M.S. in Biomedical Engineering, 2019-2020, North Dakota State University, Fargo ND

B.E. in Biotechnology, 2013-2017, Visvesvaraya Technological University, Karnataka, India

Publications/Book Chapters

Awards

Conference Papers

1. R Pokharel, ND Leipzig. Studying Tenascin-C Effects on Enhancing Neuronal Axonal Alignment in 3D-Printed Hydrogel Scaffolds. 2025 Annual SFB Meeting, Hilton Hotel. April 9, 2025, Chicago, IL. Podium. 
2. R Pokharel, E Elif, C Kothapalli, ND Leipzig. Investigating Neuron Axonal Alignment in a 3D-Printed Hybrid Bioink  Hyaluronic Acid-Gelatin Scaffolds. SFB Biomaterials Day Conference, Case Western Reserve University. Sept 19, 2024, Cleveland, OH. Poster 
3. Development of Polyacrylamide-Methacrylated Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogels to model in vitro CNS Injury Responses. Society for Biomaterials, Case Western Reserve University. Cleveland, OH. Poster Presentation