Research Team


Prof. Nicholas R. Sandoval, PhD
Postdoctoral Research
University of Delaware; Newark, DE; Mentor: Prof. ET Papoutsakis
Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering; December 2011
University of Colorado; Boulder, CO; Advisor: Prof. RT Gill
Master of Science in Chemical Engineering; December 2008
University of Colorado; Boulder, CO
Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering; May 2006
University of Colorado; Boulder, CO; summa cum laude
A new member of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Tulane University, Nicholas R. Sandoval, is establishing a research program that centers on genome engineering non-model microbes for biofuel and biochemical production. Dr. Sandoval earned his PhD in 2011 at the University of Colorado Boulder in the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department where he investigated combinatorial recombination techniques in E. coli. After spending a year as a lecturer at Colorado Mesa University, he went on to do postdoctoral work at the University of Delaware.

Claire McGraw
B.S: Chemical Engineering, Arizona State University 2012
Ph.D.: Chemical Engineering, Tulane, 2018
Current Status: Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Research: Studying glycosylation patterns of monoclonal antibodies as a marker for genomic instability in Chinese hamster ovary cells.
Interests: I love to garden, crochet and hang out with my dogs!

Nancy Kim
B.A.: Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental – Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder
Current Status: 4th year, Bioinnovation PhD program
Research: Engineering a butanol responsive transcription factor-based biosensor for high-throughput screens to identify a high producing 1-butanol strain in Clostridium acetobutylicum
Interests: Learning to speak Dominican Creole from Rochelle. 'Sa ka fet?' ('What’s up?')

Rochelle (Carla) Joseph
B.S: Chemistry, Grambling State University
Current Status: 3rd year, Chemical Engineering PhD
Research: I am interested in developing tools for high-throughput genetic and metabolic engineering in multiple Clostridium species
Interests: Jill of all trades; Expert of Plantains (Fried plantains, Baked Plantains… I really love plantains)

Danqia Peng
B.S: Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University
Current Status: 2nd year, Chemical Engineering PhD
Research: Developing tools for rapid Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell line engineering using variety of CRISPR systems to produce stable antibody in a long-term culture
Interests: Swimming, watching films, and cooking
Catherine Barkach
Current Status: Masters Student in Chemical Engineering Engineering
Research: CRISPR editing in Clostridium
Interests: TBD
Michael Morton (former)
Current Status: Graduated B.S.E. 2018
Research: energy production, both fossil fuels and renewable sources
Interests: He currently serves as a senator on Tulane's Undergraduate Student Government and is president of the School of Science and Engineering Student Government. He is from Laplace, Louisiana, where he attended St. Charles Catholic High School.
Nick Watts (former)
Current Status: Graduated Chemical Engineer, B.S.E. 2018
Research: Strain engineering for biofuels production
Interests: Avid College Sailor, served as the Team Captain for two years. Currently serving as Vice President for the Tulane University Student Chapter of AICHE. From Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts.