Christian began his doctoral studies in 2019.
He is a Blavatnik Presidential Fellow and a NIH F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award Recipient. His current research entails understanding and controlling the cellular forces that coordinate epithelial tissue morphogenesis and utilizes nanomaterials and microfabrication to assist his studies.
Christian Cupo has a diverse background which promotes his research interest at the interface of engineering and biology. He entered Columbia University as a Blavatnik Presidential Fellow in the mechanical engineering Ph.D. program, where he is working in the labs of Professors James Hone and Karen Kasza studying organ fabrication, optogenetics and microfabrication. Prior to joining Columbia, he graduated summa cum laude with dual Bachelor and Master of Engineering degrees in mechanical engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology in the spring of 2018. During this time, his primary research focused on nanomaterial fabrication and characterization in the Dr. Eui-Hyeok Yang Laboratory. Upon graduation, he transitioned to a cancer nanomedicine laboratory at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) under the mentorship of Dr. Daniel Heller, developing carbon nanotube nanosensors for non-invasively detecting endolysosomal diseases and cancer. Christian extends his passion for engineering using three of his personal 3d printers to create intricate models related to his research to aid in outreach STEM initiatives as well as mentoring many high school students in the E.N.G. Engineering the Next Generation Program and undergraduate and master students.