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Sled Laboratory Team
The Sled Lab team value the multidisciplinary nature of science. We are a diverse group of biomedical, mechanical, and electrical engineers who cultivate productive collaborations with scientists in disciplines such as as physical therapy and epidemiology to strengthen our research.

Valentina Graci, PhD
Assistant Research Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Drexel University
Dr. Graci aims to identify the mechanisms underlying injury to inform strategies and interventions to reduce injury and improve safety. She leverages her eclectic scientific background, spanning from experimental psychology to exercise science and biomechanics. Her research focuses on biomechanical risk factors for age-related falls, and injury mechanisms due to motor vehicle accidents.
COLLABORATORS
STUDENTS
Bhagawath Raj Thangavel, MSE
PhD Student
[email protected]
Maitland Auna Witmer, MSE
PhD Student
[email protected]
2024
Janet Le, Research Undergraduate Experience Student, Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia.
Kavan Rajapaksha, Undergraduate Co-op, College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, Drexel University
2023-2024
Harsh Ramesh, Graduate Co-op, College of Computing and Informatics, Data Science, Drexel University
2023
Hassanatu Kamara, Undergraduate Student/Research Assistant, Students Tackling Advanced Research (STAR) Scholars Program, School of Biomedical Engineering, Drexel University
Riley Nicholson, Research Undergraduate Experience Student, Mechanical Engineering, Penn State University
Madeleine McCreary, Research Undergraduate Experience Student, Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida
2022-2023
Anne Nguyen, Co-op Undergraduate student, School of Biomedical Engineering, Drexel University
Christopher Facchiano, Co-op Undergraduate student, College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, Drexel University
2022
Travis Chestine, CHOP Research Internship for Scholars and Emerging Scientists (CHOP-RISES) II Summer Intern
Paula Kramer, Research Undergraduate Experience Student, Kinesiology, Temple University, Center for Injury Prevention and Research at CHOP
2022-2023
Adam Retana, Co-op Undergraduate student/Research Assistant, Department of Physics, Drexel University
2022- 2024
Ken Berkery, Master Student, School of Biomedical Engineering, Drexel University
Thesis: "Characterizing Aware and Unaware Vehicle Occupant Responses during Sled-Simulated Evasive Swerving: The Effect of Age and Maneuver Duration"
2022- Present
Andrew Duong, Undergraduate student/Research Assistant, Students Tackling Advanced Research (STAR) Scholars Program, School of Biomedical Engineering, Drexel University
2021
Angelica Torres, Research Undergraduate Experience Student, Biomedical Engineering, Rice University
Best Presentation Award, Center for Injury Prevention and Research at CHOP
Meredith Bloss, Research Undergraduate Experience Student, Mechanical Engineering, Harvey Mudd College
Anish Rana, Research Summer Intern, University of Rochester School of Medicine
2021-2023
John Burns, Master Student/Research Assistant, Biomedical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania.
Thesis: "The analysis of booster-seated children’ motion and the effect of various reclined seatback conditions during low-acceleration far-side lateral-oblique impacts"
2019-2022
Clayton Falciani, Co-op Undergraduate student/Research Assistant, Department of Computer Science, Drexel University
Cooperative Education Award 2023, Drexel University
2018-2021
Rahul Akkem, Undergraduate Student/Research Assistant, School of Biomedical Engineering, Drexel University.
Co-op intern in 2019
Cooperative Education Award 2021, Drexel University
2018-2020
Madeline Griffith, Master Student/Research Assistant, Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania.
Outstanding Research Student Award 2020.
Thesis: "Understanding the effect of an Acoustic-Startling Pre-stimulus, sex, age, and secondary task on driver kinematics during take-over in a low acceleration sled simulating a pre-crash scenario in autonomous vehicle".
2019-2023
Zhuo Wang, PhD student, College of Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Drexel University
2019
Alberta Nkrumah, Master Student, defended Master Thesis, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Drexel University.
Mikayla Schneider, Research Summer Intern, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame
Meta Austin, Research Undergraduate Experience Student. Mechanical Engineering, Brown University
Best Presentation Award, Center for Injury Prevention and Research at CHOP
Amanda Astrologo, Research Undergraduate Experience Student, Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut.
2018-2020
Shreyas Sarfare, Master Student/Research Assistant, Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania.
2018-2019
Jalaj Maheshwari, Research Assistant, Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania.
40 under 40 Awardee at CHOP 2022
Outstanding Research Staff at CHOP 2023
2018
Hanh Do Phung, Undergraduate student, Students Tackling Advanced Research (STAR) Scholars Program, School of Biomedical Engineering, Drexel University
2017-2019
Ethan Douglas, Master student/Research Assistant, Biomedical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania.
Outstanding Research Student Award 2019.
Christine Holt, PhD student, School of Biomedical Engineering, Drexel University
2017
Ridi Sahani, Research Undergraduate Experience Student, Biomedical Engineering, Bucknell University
Best Presentation Award, Center for Injury Prevention and Research at CHOP