Team

Dr. Paul Lee is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at Kennesaw State University. He also holds an adjunct faculty position in the Wallace H. Coulter  Biomedical Engineering (BME) department at Emory University and Georgia Tech,  wherein he finished his postdoctoral training in 2021. He earned his Ph.D. degree in BME from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 2015. Before coming to the US,  he worked as a research engineer in Korea Electrotechnology Research Institutes after he received his B.S. degree in ECE in 2004, and his M.S. degree in BME in 2006  from Seoul National University, South Korea.   Dr. Lee's research is focused on the next generation biomedical photonics technologies for clinical diagnostics and health monitoring. When he's free, he enjoys playing basketball, golf and board games. 

Dr. Ajay Kumar received his Ph.D. in 2024 from the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), with research conducted at its academic center, the CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India, under the supervision of Dr. Rajesh Kanawade. He earned his B.Sc. degree from Panjab University, Chandigarh, in 2015 and his M.Sc. degree in Applied Physics degree from Punjabi University, Patiala, India, in 2017. Currently, he is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Kennesaw State University, USA. His research focuses on the development of compact and affordable wearable optical sensor for monitoring microvascular oxygen metabolism in tissues. His research interests include biomedical optics, speckle contrast optical spectroscopy, fiber optics, and optical instrumentation, particularly the development of cutting-edge optical technologies for biomedical and healthcare applications. 

Linh Luong is a non-traditional student who joined Kennesaw State University to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering after seven years of working in healthcare. She graduated with honors and earned her degree in Fall 2021. Her passion is to pursue higher education in STEM, to contribute more to society, and especially to make people’s lives safer and easier. Linh is currently a Ph.D. student in Interdisciplinary Engineering. Her research is focused on studying the age-related differences in skeletal muscle perfusion and metabolism using speckle contrast optical spectroscopy. Linh enjoys being outdoors with her family when she has free time.

Zahra Rostampour Fathi earned her Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in physics from University of Tabriz, Iran. She pursued her Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree in mechanical engineering at Ozyegin University in Istanbul, Turkey where she focused on understanding and analysing the light-matter interaction and Plasmonic with the application in nano-antennas. Zahra is currently a Ph.D. student in the Interdisciplinary Engineering at KSU. Her research is focused on non-invasive diffuse optics to assess cerebral health in children with sickle cell disease. 

Anurag Paul Ovi received his B.Sc. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh, in 2023. He is currently a Ph.D. student in Interdisciplinary Engineering (Biomedical and Health Systems concentration) at Kennesaw State University, where he works as a Graduate Research Assistant in the Translational Biomedical Optics group (Lee Lab). His research focuses on light–tissue interactions and portable optical systems, particularly developing a portable Speckle Contrast Optical Spectroscopy (SCOS) system for monitoring cerebral blood flow with the children in sickle cell disease. He is interested in building affordable, noninvasive diagnostic tools for improved patient care in low-resource settings. Outside the lab, he enjoys traveling, music, and good conversations. 

Tazin Fatema received her B.Sc. in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering from Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology (RUET), Bangladesh, in 2022. She is currently a Ph.D. student in the Interdisciplinary Engineering program at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Kennesaw State University, where she works as a Graduate Research Assistant in the Translational Biomedical Optics group (Lee Lab). Her research focuses on short-wave infrared (SWIR)-based Speckle Contrast Optical Spectroscopy (SCOS) for monitoring cerebral blood flow in children with sickle cell disease. She is interested in developing noninvasive optical technologies for clinical diagnostics and health monitoring. She enjoys cooking, socializing, being outdoors and traveling.

Michael Ellis is a sophomore undergraduate in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at KSU. He previously interned as an Electrical Integrator at Marietta Non-Destructive Testing. He is interested in the development and testing of wearable, wireless sensors for cerebral health tracking. Michael plays rugby for KSU club sports and enjoys reading and playing video games in his free time.

Aster Cheung is an undergraduate computer engineering student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at KSU. She is interested in developing sensor-based devices to improve healthcare access and provide accurate health assessments for individuals with limited mobility, and in testing these devices using customized phantoms for biomedical applications. She joined Dr. Lee’s lab through the First-Year Scholars Program (FYSP) and began researching and creating phantoms for biomedical device testing during the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP), which she continues today. Alongside her research, Aster serves as an Honors Peer Mentor for KSU Honors College and mentors students through an education nonprofit.

Sam Kellam is an undergraduate student studying computer engineering in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at KSU. He is interested in developing brain computer interfaces to improve the quality of life of people with debilitating neurological conditions. Currently, he is researching the potential of a non-invasive functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) device connected to augmented reality (AR) glasses to help improve focus over long periods of time. In his free time, he enjoys playing piano and spending time with friends.

Kulsum Saber is an undergraduate student in Electrical Engineering in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at Kennesaw State University. She has a strong interest in medical device development and is gaining hands-on experience in this area through Dr. Lee’s lab. She is actively involved in several campus organizations, and in her free time enjoys reading, watching movies and anime, going to the gym, and playing the piano.