Alaleh Vaghef-Koodehi (she/her)

Biographical Statement

Alaleh Vaghef-Koodehi is originally from the northern part of Iran, near the Caspian Sea. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran. In March 2021, Alaleh moved to the United States to pursue her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, completing her doctorate in May 2025. Her research focused on designing and developing microfluidic lab-on-chip devices for the separation and characterization of micron-sized particles, including pathogenic microorganisms. Alaleh’s interdisciplinary work integrates microfabrication, electrokinetic techniques, such as electrophoresis and dielectrophoresis, and computational modeling to enable precise cell manipulation and advance biomedical diagnostics.

Beyond her research, Alaleh is passionate about cooking and baking, particularly crafting homemade bread, pastries, and birthday cakes, which she loves sharing with friends and colleagues to gather their feedback. In her free time, she also enjoys reading, watching movies, crocheting, and knitting; creative hobbies that bring balance to her scientific endeavors.

Publications

1. A. Vaghef-Koodehi, V.H. Perez-Gonzalez, B.H. Lapizco-Encinas. "Predicting the Retention Time of Microparticles in Electrokinetic Migration," The Analyst, (2025), 150 3626-3635. [PDF]
2. A. Vaghef-Koodehi, B.H. Lapizco-Encinas. "Tuning the Migration Order in Electrokinetic Separations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Cells," Analytical Chemistry, (2025) 97(19) 10433-10441 2025. [PDF]
3. A. Vaghef-Koodehi, B.H. Lapizco-Encinas. "Dielectrophoresis in Carcinoma Diagnosis: Recent Developments and Applications," Electrophoresis, (2025) - ASAP. [PDF]
4. V. Kasarabada, N.N. Nasir Ahamed, A. Vaghef-Koodehi, G. Martinez-Martinez, B. H. Lapizco-Encinas. "Separating the Living from the Dead: An Electrophoretic Approach," Analytical Chemistry, (2024) 96(39) 15711-15719. [PDF]
5. A. Vaghef-Koodehi, P. Cyr, B.H. Lapizco-Encinas. "Improving Device Design in Insulator-Based Electrokinetic Tertiary Separations," Journal of Chromatography A, (2024) 1722 464853. [PDF]
6. A. Vaghef-Koodehi, B.H. Lapizco-Encinas. "Switching Separation Migration Order by Switching Electrokinetic Regime in Electrokinetic Microsystems," Biosensors, (2024) 14(3), 119.[PDF]
7. V. Kasarabada, O.D. Ernst, A. Vaghef-Koodehi, B.H. Lapizco-Encinas. "Effect of Cell Shape on Nonlinear Electrophoresis Migration," Journal of Chromatography A, (2024) 1717 464685. [PDF]
8. O.D. Ernst, A. Vaghef-Koodehi, C. Dillis, A. Lomeli-Martin, B.H. Lapizco-Encinas. "Dependence of Nonlinear Electrophoresis on Particle Size and Electrical Charge," Analytical Chemistry, (2023) 95(16) 6595–6602. [PDF]
9. A. Vaghef-Koodehi, O.D. Ernst, B.H. Lapizco-Encinas. "Separation of Cells and Microparticles in Insulator-Based Electrokinetic Systems," Analytical Chemistry, (2023) 95(2) 1409-1418.[PDF]
10. A. Vaghef-Koodehi, C. Dillis, B.H. Lapizco-Encinas. "High-Resolution Charge-Based Electrokinetic Separation of Almost Identical Microparticles," Analytical Chemistry, (2022) 94(17) 6451-6456.[PDF]
11. A. Vaghef-Koodehi, B.H. Lapizco-Encinas. "Microscale Electrokinetic‐Based Analysis of Intact Cells and Viruses," Electrophoresis, (2022) 43(1-2) 263-287. [PDF]

Best Student Paper Award.

12. A. Vaghef-Koodehi, A. Dadvand-Koohi. "Optimization of Thermal Stability of High-Density Polyethylene Composite Using Antioxidant, Carbon Black and Nanoclay Addition by a Central Composite Design Method: X-ray Diffraction and Rheological Characterization," Journal of Macromolecular Science, Part B, (2018) 57(10) 660-678.[PDF]

Honors and Awards