Our Team

Our People

The OBM Laboratory is a collaborative community of researchers, students, and partners working together to advance orthopedic engineering.

Graduate Researchers

Shiva Basir, Ph.D. is an education scholar whose research focuses on the perception of engineering, biomedical, majors among undergraduate and high school students. Perception plays a key role in workforce development, and she examines how factors such as exposure, messaging, and program naming influence students' interest in STEM,  healthcare and manufacturing careers. Her work supports the OBM Lab's mission of expanding the future orthopedic and biomedical engineering workforce.

Maliha Sunjida is doing her PhD in chemistry, she is an affiliate member of the OBM lab. Her research focuses on the design and synthesis of sustainable, bio-based thermoplastic elastomers for biomedical and engineering applications. She develops well-defined ABA triblock copolymers using controlled polymerization techniques and investigates how polymer architecture influences mechanical, thermal, degradable, and elastomeric properties. Her work integrates polymer synthesis with advanced materials characterization, including NMR, GPC, DSC, and TGA. She is using Dynamic Mechanical Analysis for material characterization.

Undergraduate Researchers

Noah Atkinson is a Missouri native and a Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL), who joined the OBM Lab in 2026. His research focuses on using 3D bioprinting to develop tissue-engineered meniscus constructs by culturing stem cells and fabricating bioprinted tissues for regenerative medicine research. Through this work, Noah hopes to contribute to the development of new treatment options for patients with meniscus injuries.

Outside the lab, Noah enjoys weightlifting, running, working on engineering design projects, and developing web applications. A fun fact about Noah is that he is also an Army ROTC cadet, where he develops leadership skills alongside his engineering education.

Daniel Gritsenko is a St. Louis native who joined the University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL) in the Spring 2026 semester as a Mechanical Engineering student. His research in the OMB Lab focuses on the development of 3D-printed femur models designed for surgical drilling simulation and training. Additionally, he works closely with the lab's bioprinter, developing technical expertise and assisting with ongoing bioprinting research. Through his work, Daniel aims to create high-fidelity synthetic models that improve surgical training and patient outcomes.

Outside the lab, Daniel is a passionate musician who plays and practices the piano aggressively. A fun fact about Daniel is that he is pursuing a minor in piano performance alongside his engineering degree, balancing the precision of mechanics with the intensity of classical music.

Nathan Wittler grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and is pursuing a biomedical engineering degree at Saint Louis University. His research is on tissue engineering. He is working to understand the anisotropic viscoelastic properties of human meniscus.  Outside of the lab, he is interested in exploring the outdoors and preserving the environment. A fun fact about Nathan is that he collects vinyl records and Cds. 

High School Scholars

Harlan Sigler grew up in St. Louis, and joined the UMSL OBM lab in Spring of 2026. His research focuses on 3D printing customized insoles for diabetic patients at risk of diabetic foot, using internal cells that can be modified for ideal mechanical properties. The goal is to reduce pressure on the feet to both prevent ulcer development and for treatment of diabetic foot ulcers, and reducing occurrence of serious infection and even amputation.

Outside of research, Harlan enjoys creating props and replicas, as well as studying up on trivia for knowledge games. He is always trying to make a pun work, even if it isn’t that great.

Aanya Jain is a high school student at Lafayette High School who joined the University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL) in Summer 2026 as a high school research intern. Her research in the OBM Lab focuses on developing and evaluating hydrogel formulations, which form the basis of many bioinks used in bioprinting. Through this work, Aanya aims to advance tissue engineering by creating hydrogels that can be combined with stem cells to produce bioinks for 3D-printed meniscus tissue constructs.

Outside the lab, Aanya enjoys playing tennis and reading science fiction novels. A fun fact about Aanya is that she has co-piloted a Cessna aircraft, an experience that further inspired her passion for engineering and aerospace.

Arnav Anilkumar is a student at Parkway Central High School and is currently serving as a summer 2026 intern at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). His research in the OBM Lab focuses on enhancing drone efficiency through innovative structural designs and the selection of optimal motors and propellers.

Outside of the lab, Arnav enjoys playing tennis both recreationally and for his school team. A fun fact about Arnav is that he enjoys building with LEGO sets.