Meet our team

Principal Investigator
Ana Paula fugolin, DDS, Ms, PHD

Assistant Professor 
Department of Oral Rehabilitation and Biosciences
OHSU School of Dentistry

​Dr. Fugolin is a dentist-scientist whose research for the past 14 years has focused on polymers development and characterization. She earned her DDS from Piracicaba Dental School - UNICAMP, obtained her MS and PhD in Dental Materials also from UNICAMP with an internship period at Oregon Health & Science University, where she returned to take a postdoctoral training in Biomaterials & Biomechanics. During this period, she  worked on the development and characterization of degradation resistant compounds, polymerization stress-reducing and toughness-optimizing additives, and polymers with antimicrobial properties.
Her research lab is focused on the design, synthesis and characterization of self-healing biomaterials and stimuli-responsive nanoplatforms for on-demand delivery of therapeutic agents to promote soft and hard dental tissues preservation.
​Dr. Fugolin is a recipient of a K99/R00 NIDCR Dual Degree Dentist Scientist Pathway to Independence Award (DE028876), a Collins Medical Trust Award, and a R01 NIH Stephen I. Katz Award (DE032302). Her laboratory has already attracted almost $5 million in research funding.

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​Research Assistant
Bao HUYNH, Bsc

Bao is a recent graduate from the University of Portland and graduated with a BS in Chemistry, with research experience in natural products and synthesis of symmetric 2,6-bis(diphenylphosphino)phenols. In his spare time, Bao loves to cook and bake sourdough bread. He enjoys listening to and performing as a choir member

Postdoctoral Fellow
Sivashankari Rajasekaran, BSC, MS, PHd

Dr. Rajasekaran is from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Her thesis was on "Studies on Chitosan-Graphene Oxide Based Hybrid Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Applications". She has extensive experience in synthesis and characterization of both natural (chitosan, pectin, guar gum) and synthetic polymers (polycaprolactone and polypyrrole) -based tissue engineering scaffolds, metal nanoparticles, and carbon nanomaterials such as graphene oxide. Her interest is to explore the polymeric biomaterials and nanoparticles resulting in the fabrication of multifunctional systems for drug delivery and tissue engineering applications. ​
​Dr. Rajasekaran is a recipient of the prestigious Collins Medical Trust Award.

Postdoctoral Fellow
Tapas Ghosh, BSC, MS, PhD

Dr. Tapas completed his Ph.D. from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore, India. His Ph.D. thesis is entitled “Self-assembled Guanosine and Peptide Based Hydrogels: Relevant Applications”. He is well experienced in developing low molecular weight hydrogels (LMWHs). Dr. Ghosh has an extensive research experience in solution phase peptide synthesis, peptide-based hydrogel formation, nucleopeptide synthesis, dynamic covalent bond directed G-quadruplex hydrogels formation, characterization of hydrogels, hydrogel-based drug delivery and antimicrobial applications. Currently, his research interest is to develop functional biomaterials-based hydrogel systems for dental healthcare applications. Other than his research life, he also loves travelling, cooking and listening music. 

Visiting phD Student
Joao Marcos N. Batista, DDS, Ms, phD student

Dr. Batista is a dentist graduated from the Federal University of Goias - UFG and a Master's degree in Dental Materials from Piracicaba Dental School - UNICAMP. His expertise lies in the development and enhancement of resin-based restorative dental materials, an area of research crucial to improving dental treatments and patient care. Currently, Dr. Batista is taking his PhD in Dental Materials at Piracicaba Dental School - UNICAMP with an international internship at Oregon Health and Science University - OHSU. Outside of his professional pursuits, Joao enjoys playing the acoustic guitar and  values spending quality time with his family and friends.

Summer Trainee 2023
Amari Ford, BSc CANDIDATE

Amari is a chemistry undergrad at the Alabama Agricultural & Mechanical University. She has research experience in pharmaceutical analysis of natural elements. In her spare time, she loves listening to music and going out with her friends. Contrary to most, her favorite food is sweet potatoes.

fugolin Lab

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