PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
DANIELLE J. MAI
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
Stanford University
CV | Google Scholar | Biography
The Team | graduate Students
ALANA P. GUDINAS
Ph.D. Candidate | Physics | Spring 2021 – present
B.S. Physics, University of New Hampshire, 2020
Hometown: Atkinson, New Hampshire
agudinas {at} stanford {dot} edu
VIC M. HEMPSTEAD
Ph.D. Student | Chemical Engineering | Spring 2025 – present
B.S. Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, New York University, 2024
B.A. International Relations with Honors, Boston University, 2020
Hometown: Rumson, New Jersey
vmhemp {at} stanford {dot} edu
MICHELLE C. QUAN
Ph.D. Candidate | Chemical Engineering | Winter 2024 – present
B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 2023
B.S. Materials Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota, 2023
Hometown: Rosemount, Minnesota
mcquan {at} stanford {dot} edu
ELEANOR L. QUIRK
Ph.D. Candidate | Chemical Engineering | Winter 2023 – present
B.S. Chemical Engineering, UC San Diego, 2022
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
LUCY X. WANG
Ph.D. Candidate | Materials Science and Engineering | Winter 2021 – present
B.S. Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, 2019
Hometown: Plainsboro, New Jersey
lucyxwang {at} stanford {dot} edu
BRENDAN M. WIRTZ
Ph.D. Candidate | Chemical Engineering | Spring 2022 – present
B.S. Chemical Engineering, UC Berkeley, 2021
Hometown: Huntington Beach, California
bmwirtz {at} stanford {dot} edu
The Team | Undergraduate Students
JENNIFER ATTA
Undergraduate Researcher | Chemical Engineering | Fall 2025 – present
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, expected 2028
Hometown: Diamond Bar, California
JESSE D. GRAYSON
Undergraduate Researcher | Chemical Engineering | Spring 2024 – present
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, expected 2026
Hometown: Valley, Washington
JOAQUIN IGLESIAS
Undergraduate Researcher | Chemical Engineering | Summer 2025 – present
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, expected 2028
Hometown: Orange, California
CARA SAMBETH
Undergraduate Researcher | Chemical Engineering | Spring 2025 – present
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, expected 2026
Hometown: Munich, Germany
Lab Alumni | REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL BY START DATE
POSTDOCTORAL
DR. CARLOS D. DÍAZ-MARÍN | Stanford Energy Postdoctoral Fellow | July 2025 - September 2025
Next role: Assistant Professor of Energy Sciences & Engineering, Stanford Doerr School of SustainabilityDR. MIKE C. BURROUGHS | Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellow | October 2021 - June 2025
Next role: Scientist II, Thintronics (Alameda, CA)DR. TA-CHUNG LIU | Visiting LEAP Postdoctoral Scholar | April 2021 – February 2022
Next role: Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
DOCTORAL & MASTER’S
DR. MARINA P. CHANG | Ph.D. Materials Science & Engineering | Winter 2020 - Spring 2025
GATHA SHAMBHARKAR | M.S. Materials Science & Engineering | January 2022 – June 2023
Next role: Manufacturing Engineer, Slingshot BiosciencesNATASHA JAGNANDAN | M.S. Chemical Engineering | March 2021 – June 2023
BACHELOR’S
XINHUI LI | UGVR (Peking University, Chemical Biology) | Summer 2025
AMANDA ROSARIO | SURF (University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez, Chemical Engineering) | Summer 2025
TIANYI HU | UGVR (Tsinghua University, Mechanical Engineering) | Summer 2024
Next role: PhD student in Robotics, University of MichiganPAOLA URBINA-RAMOS | SURF (University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez, Chemical Engineering) | Summer 2024
Next role: PhD student in Chemical Engineering, Princeton UniversityCAMILY PEREIRA DOS SANTOS | ChemE REU | April - August 2024
YUJIA BIAN | UGVR (Peking University, Integrated Science) | Summer 2023
Next role: PhD student in Chemical Engineering, Stanford UniversityAVA CONYER | SURF (Howard University, Chemical Engineering) | Summer 2023
Next role: MS student in Chemical Engineering and NYU Dean’s Scholar, New York UniversityALLY YUN | ChemE REU, BioX, Undergraduate Researcher | June 2022 – June 2025
KENNY M. HERNANDEZ | ChemE REU, B.S. Chemical Engineering | September 2022 – June 2024
KE JIN | UGVR (Tsinghua University, Chemical Engineering) | Summer 2022
Next role: PhD student in Chemical Engineering, University of MinnesotaPETER MUSENGE | SURF (St. Augustine’s University, Biology & Engineering Mathematics) | Summer 2022
Next role: Data scientist, AmgenLISA NIEMAN | ChemE REU, B.S. Chemical Engineering | June 2022 – June 2025
Next role: PhD student in Chemical Engineering, Northwestern UniversityISABELLA TAVAREZ | ChemE REU, B.S. Civil & Environmental Engineering | June 2022 – March 2023
Next role: PhD student in Environmental Engineering, University of MiamiANKUSH DHAWAN | ChemE REU | Summer 2021
Next role: MS student in Electrical Engineering, Stanford UniversityCHRISTOPHER LATHAM | ChemE REU | Summer 2021
Next role: Process Engineer, Applied MaterialsANDREA FLORES | SURF (University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez, Industrial Biotechnology) | Summer 2020
Next role: PhD student in Bioengineering, Stanford UniversityWINNIE HUANG | ChemE REU, BioX, B.S. Chemical Engineering | June 2020 – June 2023
Next role: PhD student in Chemical Engineering, Princeton University
Join us!
The Mai Lab is always seeking creative, dedicated, and enthusiastic biopolymer engineers and scientists! Prospective researchers should have a strong interest in polymer science, biomolecular engineering, and soft matter physics. For most inquiries, Prof. Mai (she/her) can be reached at djmai {at} stanford {dot} edu.
Prospective graduate students should apply directly to the Department of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University.
Current Stanford graduate and undergraduate students should contact Prof. Mai by e-mail with a résumé (1 page) and brief statement of interest (<500 words). Undergraduate students are encouraged to apply to the Chemical Engineering Research Experience for Undergraduates (apply during Winter quarter). Need help with a résumé? Explore resources at Stanford BEAM.
Non-Stanford undergraduate and high school students should seek centralized programs to conduct research on campus and indicate their interest in the Mai Lab. Currently, the lab hosts students through the Stanford Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) and Undergraduate Visiting Research Program.
Postdoctoral candidates should contact Prof. Mai by e-mail with a cover letter on institutional letterhead, 1-page summary of research experience and interests, CV, and up to three publication p/reprints. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
AS A TEAM – IN & OUT OF THE LAB
