Principal Investigator

Joey is originally from Suffield, Connecticut, and earned his Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering from Clemson University in 2022. He joined the lab in Spring 2020 and is now a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate, where his research centers on developing a novel tandem peptide to improve CRISPR-Cas9 delivery and therapeutic efficacy for glioblastoma brain cancer. 

Beyond his research, Joey enjoys staying active and engaged with his community. He has taught a Zumba-inspired fitness class for over seven years, served as president of Clemson’s Bioengineering Organization, and spent the past three years as a teaching assistant for a sophomore Biomaterials lab. When he’s not in the lab or classroom, Joey can usually be found indoor rock climbing, tackling trivia questions, or playing video games. 

Anna is originally from Holly Springs, North Carolina and earned her B.S. in Biochemistry and B.A. in Chemistry from East Carolina University. Additionally, she earned her M.S. in Biomedical Science from Wake Forest University. Anna is a second-year Ph.D. student advancing a patent-pending cleavable tandem peptide platform to enhance selective siRNA delivery in the biologically complex ovarian tumor microenvironment. 

In addition to her research, Anna supports undergraduate education as a Tissue Engineering teaching assistant and leads community engagement initiatives as Service Chair of the Clemson Bioengineering Organization. In her free time, Anna enjoys spending time hiking and spending time outdoors with her dog and two horses. 

 Tristan is from Clover, South Carolina and earned a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry in 2021 from Clemson University. He joined the lab in the Fall of 2024 is currently focused on developing a multifunctional peptide to deliver bioactive siRNA’s for treatment of HER2+ breast cancer. 

Outside of his research or lab work, Tristan is a professional singer at a church in Greenville, South Carolina and enjoys performing classical music and music theater. In his free time, Tristan enjoys listening to audiobooks, podcasts, and playing with his two cats, Tiger and Tango. 

Jordan is originally from Evans, Georgia and earned his B.S. in Biology from Coastal Carolina University, followed by an M.S. in Biochemistry and Genetics from Clemson University. He is currently a first-year Ph.D. student with research interests in drug delivery and design, with a focus on therapeutic strategies for glioblastoma. Outside of his research, Jordan is interested in the business side of science, particularly biotech consulting and mergers and acquisitions. In his free time, he enjoys practicing jiu jitsu, cooking, playing golf, spending time with his dogs, and watching movies. 

Jada is from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and earned her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Clemson University, along with a minor in Biochemistry and a minor in Materials Science and Engineering. Jada is currently a first year M.S. student, working on research focused on developing a novel tandem peptide to facilitate delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 therapeutics to effectively treat glioblastoma. 

Outside of the lab, Jada is very passionate about music. She has been involved in band since the 6th grade, participating in Clemson University’s Tiger Band and Pep Band throughout all her years of college. In Spring of 2024, she had the honor of joining Kappa Kappa Psi, the National Honorary Band Fraternity. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, singing, spending time with family and friends, and watching scary movies and tv shows.