Cornell University · Jiang Laboratory
I’m Aayam Dhakal, an MS Chemical Engineering researcher at Cornell working at the interface of polymer science and biomaterials. I design zwitterionic hydrogel systems for extracellular vesicle preservation and stem-cell microenvironments.
01 · Research
I study how chemistry, network architecture, transport, and mechanics can be tuned to preserve biological function and create controlled cellular microenvironments.
Extracellular vesicle preservation
I engineer porous zwitterionic matrices and study how pore architecture and transport influence EV loading, recovery, structural integrity, and biological functionality during storage and release.
Stem-cell microenvironments
I am developing PNIPAAm–poly(carboxybetaine)–PNIPAAm triblock copolymer hydrogels as ultralow-fouling 3D matrices, tuning polymer composition, physical crosslinking, stiffness, and viscoelasticity to support primitive HSPC phenotypes.
Drag the temperature slider to follow polymer association and formation of a physically crosslinked 3D gel.
Computational chemical engineering
Before moving into biomaterials, I worked across process systems and applied machine learning. Select a project to explore the technical workflow.
02 · Research trajectory
My research path has moved from process modeling and environmental data toward polymeric biomaterials, while keeping the same engineering emphasis on structure, transport, and measurable function.
Feedforward neural-network modeling of benzene–toluene distillation and machine learning for aqueous-solubility prediction of drug-like compounds.
Particulate-matter sampling, black-carbon related analysis, satellite observations, and data-driven air-quality estimation.
Graduate research in the Jiang Laboratory focused on zwitterionic interfaces, polymer synthesis, and soft-material design.
Engineering porous and thermoresponsive networks for preservation, transport, and control of cellular microenvironments.
03 · Publications
Mahara, P., Paudel, Y., Chaudhary, P., Gaihre, S., Dhakal, A., & Pandey, B.
04 · Engineering practice
Industry roles in quality systems, production engineering, and plant operations shaped how I approach experimental rigor, process variability, and engineering decisions.
Sahas Multipurpose Pvt. Ltd. · Kathmandu, Nepal
Developed and implemented water-quality protocols for local distribution and international export, supported PRP, OPRP, and HACCP compliance, and coordinated QA audits with production and distribution teams.
First Choice Food Pvt. Ltd. · Rupandehi, Nepal
Worked on fryer operation and CIP scheduling, using process data and temperature and downtime analysis to improve production consistency and yield.
Varun Beverage Limited · Kathmandu, Nepal
Analyzed production data, supported in-line quality reporting, performed packaging and product quality tests, and gained exposure to cooling, syrup preparation, and beverage manufacturing operations.
05 · Methods & capabilities
ATRP
RAFT
Photopolymerization
Hydrogel fabrication
Lyophilization
NMR
Rheology
GPC
SEM
DLS / NTA
LC–MS
2D cell culture
3D cell culture
EV handling
Biomaterial interfaces
Python
scikit-learn
TensorFlow / PyTorch
MATLAB
Aspen Plus
06 · Contact
I’m interested in connecting with researchers working in polymeric biomaterials, hydrogel engineering, extracellular vesicles, stem-cell microenvironments, and related areas.