Michael N. Wosczyna

Principal Investigator/Assistant Professor

Musculoskeletal Research Center
Bioengineering Institute
Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Kimmel Center For Stem Cell Biology
Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences
NYU Grossman School of Medicine

Previous Positions and Education: Instructor (2020) and Postdoctoral Fellow (2016), Stanford University School of Medicine (Rando Group); Ph.D. University of Connecticut (2011, Goldhamer Lab).

Edgar Perez Carbajal

Senior Scientist/Laboratory Coordinator

Previous Positions and Education: Research Associate, Stanford School of Medicine/VAPA (2015-21); B.S. in Cell and Developmental Biology, Cal State University Fullerton (2015); CIRM Intern (2014)

Research Interests: I am interested in characterizing how muscle resident mesenchymal stromal cells react in the context of aging, injury, and pathology and in the modulation of these stem cells to preserve their potency and abate the generation of abnormal, detrimental tissues in skeletal muscle.

About Me: When not in the lab, you can usually find me tipping performance artists or bouncing to my own beat.

Sally Bliss

Associate Research Scientist (Adviser)

Previous Positions and Education: Ph.D. Rutgers School of Graduate Studies, New Jersey (2015), M.S. in Biomedical Sciences, Rutgers SGS (2007)

Research Interests: Mesenchymal stem cell communication with, and modulation of, surrounding cells in different microenvironments. Characterizing these MSCs in models of aging and injury.

Hobbies: Spending time with my family outside, hiking and traveling. (Reality: Drinking copious amounts of coffee while chauffeuring my children to various activities, cooking for selective eaters, and doing the never-ending pile of laundry.)

Xingyu Liu

Ph.D. Student

Previous Positions and Education: M.S. in Biotechnology, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, New York (2023), B.S. in Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning, China (2021)

Research Interests: Molecular mechanisms involved in tissue regeneration. The role of stem and progenitor cells in muscle repair.

Hobbies: Watching football games, guitar, reading, playing Hearthstone.

Sahil Mapkar

Ph.D. Student

Previous Positions and Education: New York College of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M. Deferred), B.S. in Exercise Science at Rutgers University (2021)

Research Interests: Compensatory cellular mechanisms that restore tissue functionality such as stem cell differentiation and angiogenesis, Pathological processes behind chronic pain after amputation in neuropathic patients.

Hobbies: Rowing crew, ecological restoration, video editing, playing guitar, urban exploration.

Brandon Feller

Graduate Student

Previous Positions and Education: NYU Graduate School of Arts and Science (pursuing M.S. Biology, Thesis Advisor: Dr. Wosczyna), B.S. in Psychology/Neuroscience, Penn State University (2024)

Research Interests: Cellular and molecular mechanisms in tissue regeneration and its relation to muscle injury and treatment.

Hobbies: Swimming, running, reading, surfing, jiu-jitsu, video editing.

Jack Banyasz

Graduate Student

Previous Positions and Education: NYU Tandon School of Engineering (pursuing an M.S. Biotechnology), B.S. in Biology at Brandeis University (2025)

Research Interests: The mechanisms by which stem and progenitor cells contribute to tissue repair, regeneration, and aging.

Hobbies: Running, hiking, skiing, ancient history, formula 1.

Ibrahim Qadri

Medical Student

Previous Positions and Education: Research Assistant at Mount Sinai Hospital (2025), B.S in Biomedical Science (2026)

Research Interests: I’m interested in musculoskeletal regeneration, stem cell biology, and tissue repair. I’m particularly intrigued by how muscle stem cells and other regenerative cell populations contribute to healing and functional recovery following injury.

Hobbies: In my free time, I love to build Legos, play any unique instrument I can find, or catch up on the latest F1 news. You can find me at the next Giants game!

Matthew Ly

Research Associate

Previous Positions and Education: M.S. in Biotechnology, Northeastern University College of Science (2026); B.S. Neurobiology, City University of New York

Research Interests: Molecular and cellular mechanism of stem cell regeneration in muscle and aging. Hoping to contribute to muscle-related events for space exploration and therapies for vision loss.

Hobbies: Running (2027 NYC Marathon), weightlifting, mahjong (I teach at several clubs here in NYC), pool, chess, travelling, conservation, food, drinking a good cup of coffee, reading sci-fis, fantasy. or memoirs, and rewatching Lord of the Rings. Too many hobbies, not enough time.

Benjamin Gilman

Computational Intern

Previous Positions and Education: B.A. in Computer Science and Data Science, NYU College of Arts and Science (2023)

Research Interests: Cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in tissue regeneration and aging.

Hobbies: Playing basketball, tennis, and video games, bike riding, and music.

Bardan Bhatta

Research Associate

Previous Positions and Education: NYU College of Arts and Sciences (majoring in global public health and biology)

Research Interests: The application of musculoskeletal stem cells in tissue regeneration and sports medicine treatment.

Hobbies: Playing the drums, running, reading, and exploring new places in the city.

Ming Yu

Undergraduate Researcher

Previous Positions and Education: NYU College of Arts and Sciences (majoring in biochemistry)

Research Interests: The role of MSCs in age related pathology, immune modulation, and metabolism.

Hobbies: Reading manga, finding new music, powerlifting, and going to cute cafes.

Lam Tran

Undergraduate Researcher

Previous Positions and Education: NYU College of Arts and Sciences (majoring in biology)

Research Interests: How FAPs regulate skeletal muscle injury and regeneration.

Hobbies: Playing soccer, weightlifting, watching sports events, trying new boba spots around the city.

Kallie Mehta

Undergraduate Researcher

Previous Positions and Education: NYU College of Arts and Sciences (majoring in biology)

Research Interests: Regenerative medicine and stem cell interactions in muscle tissue.

Hobbies: Playing guitar, oil painting, going to matcha cafes, and going on hikes.

Reynold Liu

Undergraduate Researcher

Previous Positions and Education: NYU College of Arts and Sciences (majoring in biology)

Research Interests: Therapeutic usages of FAP signalling molecules for age-related muscle degeneration.

Hobbies: Weightlifting, cooking food, playing the drums, and walking through the city.

Tim Kou

Undergraduate Researcher

Previous Positions and Education: NYU College of Arts and Sciences (majoring in biochemistry)

Research Interests: I am interested in the mechanisms around muscle maintenance and regeneration in aging contexts.

Hobbies: Basketball, weightlifting, hiking, watching shows, and walking my dog Rocky.