Lab Members

Dr. Ray is the Vice Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM). He completed his training in neurosurgery at WUSM. He then completed a peripheral nerve surgery fellowship at WUSM followed by an orthopedic/neurosurgery spine fellowship at the University of Utah. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and has active funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/Neurological Disorders & Stroke (NINDS), Department of Defense (DoD), and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). His clinical interests are in spinal cord injury, spinal oncology, minimally invasive spine surgery, and nerve transfers. His research is focused on peripheral neuroprosthetics, resorbable electronics, and axonal regeneration following spinal cord and peripheral nerve injuries.

For his full clinical bio, please see: https://neurosurgery.wustl.edu/people/wilson-zachary-ray-md/

After more than a decade as a clinical surgeon, Dr. Yan pursued a PhD in molecular and cellular biology. His research at WUSM focuses on developing new strategies that promote peripheral nerve regeneration, functional recovery, and bone healing after injury.

Yameng is a second year doctoral candidate in The Institute of Materials Science and Engineering. Her research focuses on therapeutic electrical stimulation for peripheral nerve regeneration with both permanent and bioresorbable nerve stimulators. She is also involved in  collaborating projects including intracranial pressure monitoring, pH sensing and flap/compartment syndrome sensing. In her spare time, she enjoys origami, cooking and visiting museums.

Jingyuan received his M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis and his B.S. in Bioengineering from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. His graduate and current research focus is on testing the performance of macro-sieve electrodes in vivo.

Justin is a fourth-year medical student at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. His research involves the application of machine learning approaches to DTI/DBSI metrics and clinical data to prognosticate outcome in patients with spinal cord injury. Justin hopes to combine his clinical and research interests to pursue a career in academic medicine.

In his spare time, Justin enjoys getting Chinese food with his friends.

Prior to medical school at WashU, Braeden received his M.S. in bioengineering from UC Berkeley/UCSF and his B.S. in electrical engineering from Notre Dame. His graduate research focused on mm-scale ultrasonic biomedical implants, and he is currently researching peripheral nerve injury biomarkers. In his free time, Braeden enjoys biking, skiing, and exploring St. Louis.

Sabrina is a senior majoring in Psychological and Brain Sciences and minoring in Speech and Hearing Sciences on the Pre-Medical track. She is currently assisting in a transient nerve electronics project with applications in nerve blocks and nerve regeneration. Her interests outside of lab include working as a Level-One Medical Aide for dementia patients

Nader is a junior undergraduate student at WashU majoring in Neuroscience and Healthcare Management on the Pre-Medical track. He is involved in research on electrical stimulation for peripheral nerve regeneration using bioresorbable nerve stimulators.

Outside of the lab Nader works as a medical scribe in an emergency department, is an avid tennis player, and loves to explore the culinary scene in St. Louis.