The Celli Lab

Shakir Khan earned his Ph.D. (Doctorate of Biotechnology) from the Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit at Aligarh Muslim University, India, where his doctoral research focused on nanoparticle-enhanced photodynamic therapy (PDT) against multidrug-resistant microbial biofilms using surface plasmon resonance. His research sits at the intersection of biophysics and photomedicine, with a particular emphasis on developing and translating early oral cancer PDT technologies into clinical healthcare settings. At UMass Boston he works on the engineering and preclinical components of several federally funded projects, investigating design changes that make oral cancer PDT devices more user-friendly, cost-effective, and commercially viable for point-of-care treatment. Prior to joining the lab, he was a postdoctoral scholar at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine (MGH, Harvard Medical School) and served as Project Manager on the MGH–UMB NCI-funded clinical trial deploying low-cost, smartphone-based ALA-PDT technology for early oral cancer.

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.

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.

Dr. Hui Liu received her Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Cornell University and joined the lab in March of 2015. During her time in the lab she worked on the development of low-cost, battery-powered devices for photodynamic therapy treatment of oral cancer in global health settings. She also holds an MBA with a concentration in entrepreneurship. Since leaving the lab she has held senior optical and laser engineering roles in industry, including at VulcanForms and Syneron Candela, and she is currently CEO and Co-founder of Photodynamic Solutions, working to bridge advanced photodynamic therapy research with unmet clinical needs in cancers and infectious diseases.

Dr. Michael Anderson joined the lab in November 2015 after completing his PhD in Physics at the University of Rhode Island. He worked on imaging-based platforms for analysis of rigidity-dependent growth and therapeutic response in 3D pancreatic tumor models.

Vida Karimnia earned her Ph.D. in Biophysics from the Physics Department at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Her doctoral research in the lab focused on photodynamic therapy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, assessing the effect of tumor-stroma interactions on response to PDT and chemotherapy in heterocellular 3D coculture models, and showing that photodestruction of stromal fibroblasts can enhance tumor response to PDT and improve therapeutic nanoparticle delivery. After completing her Ph.D. she worked as a Scientist at Akoya Biosciences, and she is currently an Omics Cores Project Manager and Cores Scientific Program Manager at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Gwen Cramer conducted her doctoral dissertation research in the lab, developing physiologically relevant 3D tumor models to investigate therapeutic resistance and tumor-stroma interactions in pancreatic cancer. Her work centered on how extracellular matrix composition and rigidity regulate tumor growth, invasive behavior, and response to photodynamic therapy. After leaving the lab she was a Postdoctoral Researcher and later Research Associate at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, where she worked on translational immuno-oncology combining radiation therapy, photodynamic therapy, and immunotherapy in solid tumors. She is currently a Staff Scientist at The Wistar Institute, conducting preclinical immuno-oncology studies of immune-modulating therapeutics.

Ljubica Petrovic's research in the lab focused on plasmonic nanoparticles and image-based quantification of nanoparticle uptake in 3D tumor models to inform combined photodynamic, photothermal, and radiosensitization strategies. Her expertise spans 3D cell culture, photodynamic and photothermal therapy, gold nanorod applications, and quantitative fluorescence imaging. She later worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Massachusetts Boston on photomedicine and anti-microRNA combination therapies in 3D models of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and she is currently a Postdoctoral Scholar at Tufts University.

Dustin Jones earned his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Boston, with expertise spanning rheology and cancer biology. His research in the lab focused on in situ measurement of extracellular matrix rheology and mechanical remodeling in 3D tumor models using particle-tracking microrheology. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Physics, Biology, and Mathematics from Hartwick College. He is currently a Laboratory Instructor at Colgate University.

Yiran Liu earned her Ph.D. in Integrative Biosciences (Biophysics) from the University of Massachusetts Boston. Her research in the lab focused on photodynamic therapy, biomedical optics, and light-based therapies, including the efficacy of ALA-PDT in drug-resistant pancreatic cancer cells. She subsequently worked in R&D and operations at Photodynamic Solutions, and she is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Christian Liboy is a Ph.D. student at the Stritch School of Medicine pursuing a degree in Biochemistry, Molecular, and Cancer Biology, where he focuses on the development of novel cancer therapeutics through chemical biology and pharmacological approaches. He earned his bachelor's degree in Chemistry from Boston College, developing a strong foundation in mechanistic thinking, quantitative experimentation, and theory-driven problem solving. During his time at Boston College, he joined the Celli Lab at the University of Massachusetts Boston, gaining hands-on experience in biophysics, photochemical kinetics, and the development of novel therapeutic strategies for oral cancer — work that strengthened his interest in translational biomedical research and its potential to bridge fundamental science with clinical impact. His long-term goal is to advance drug molecules toward clinical application by elucidating the behavior of their biological targets and addressing complex diseases through a multidisciplinary, mechanism-driven approach.