The Celli Lab

Md Asaduzzaman Rasel (Asad) joined the Cancer Biophysics and Photomedicine Laboratory (CBPM) in Spring 2023. He earned both his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Physics from Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh, and later completed an M.S. in Applied Physics at UMass Boston. His research has centered on the development of portable optical technologies for real-time monitoring of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in skin, leading to a patent application and contributions to the field of photodynamic medicine. Asad is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Biophysics, where he investigates strategies to enhance the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and advance non-invasive approaches for cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Himantha D. Saldonge is a graduate student in Applied Physics at the University of Massachusetts Boston, where he began his graduate studies in 2024. In 2025, he joined Prof. Jonathan Celli's group. He earned a B.Sc. Honors degree in Applied Sciences (Physics and Computer Science) from Rajarata University of Sri Lanka. After completing his undergraduate studies, he worked as a graduate research assistant until 2024. His current research focuses on investigating the time-dependent viscoelastic properties of collagen extracellular matrix during TR146 tumor cell invasion. Currently he is pursuing a Ph.D. in Applied Physics, with a research emphasis on cancer biophysics and the development of photodynamic therapy (PDT)-based approaches to improve cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Thilini W. K. A. Walimuni Dewage joined the Cancer Biophysics and Photomedicine Laboratory (CBPM) in Spring 2025. She earned her B.Sc. Honors degree in Applied Sciences (Biology and Physics) from Rajarata University of Sri Lanka. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Biophysics at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Her current research focuses on improving the therapeutic efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and enhancing chemodrug sensitivity through the introduction of microRNA (miRNA) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Her work integrates cancer biophysics, 3D tumor modeling, and therapeutic response analysis to better understand and improve treatment strategies for pancreatic cancer.