Dr. Heather Dunn

Principal Investigator
Master of Science, University of California Davis

Doctor of Philosophy, Clemson University

Post-Doctorate Studies, Dana Farber Cancer Institute

Dr. Heather Dunn has worked at Clemson University since 2006. She has received multiple teaching and advising awards of excellence and was the Clemson Bradley Award recipient in 2014. She has authored several photo atlas textbooks and filed four different patent inventions. She has completed professional development in the fields of inclusion and equity, conflict resolution, and mindfulness training. She also directs a summer study abroad program that focuses on global professional development which provides a solid foundation for individuals seeking careers requiring global engagement.

Matt Harrington

Graduate Research Assistant

Matt is currently a graduate student in the Bioengineering program at Clemson. He received his Bachelor of Science in Genetics from Clemson in 2023 and currently works as a graduate assistant for the Department of Bioengineering and the Rutland Institute for Ethics on campus. His research utilizes CRISPR/Cas9 to investigate the cellular mechanisms in triple-negative breast cancer.

Sulagna Mukherjee

Graduate Research Assistant

Sulagna is a Ph.D. student in the Bioengineering program. She has completed her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Zoology in India, after which she has worked as a research assistant at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, India. Sulagna joined the Dunn lab in the Summer of 2024, where she is studying metastasis and tumor progression of triple-negative breast cancer, using zebrafish as a model organism.

Hope Mitchell

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Hope is currently working in the lab experimenting with cell cultures using Zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a disease model. The goal is to obtain more information about cancer metastasis. Hope has been a part of the team since August 2024.

Marshall Geier

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Marshall is a senior Biomedical Engineering major at Clemson University, focused on creating tunable stiffness hydrogels to mimic the native extracellular matrix of breast tissue. After graduation, he plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career in the regenerative medicine and tissue engineering industry. Marshall has been a part of the team since August 2024.

Mia Boyle

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Mia is a bioengineering major with a concentration in biomaterials at Clemson University. She is currently learning about the different projects in the lab to prepare for developing her own next semester. Mia has been a part of the team since August 2025.

Henry

Paw-fessor

Henry's work specializes in team support and assisting in data collection by sitting patiently next to anyone offering belly rubs.