Open Innovation Lab Members

Anjali Sharma is a high school student at the Roeper school in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Anjali has an interest in the role of technology in improving the human condition. She has been running the LIME Lab non profit in Detroit since 2015. LIME Lab provides technology training to kids in the Detroit area. At Open Innovation Labs, she is manages all the programs. She has been known to be a perfectionist when it comes to ethics and having a human touch. She keeps everyone honest at Open Innovation Labs.

Dr. Ajit Sharma received his Ph.D. degree in Technology and Operations from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. He also holds a bachelor of technology in manufacturing engineering from the National Institute of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, and a masters in industrial management from the National Institute of Industrial Engineering. Before entering academia, he worked in industry for 12 years, primarily in the robotics industry. He has worked for firms, such as FANUC Robotics America, Xerox, and General Motors. He has also done startups in the areas of robotics and technology consulting.

He started his academic career at Carnegie Mellon University as a professor of business technologies, teaching courses in business technology consulting and information systems, for which he received the Dean’s Teaching Award. He is currently an Assistant Professor of technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship at Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA. His research interests are in the applications of AI and robotics for amplifying the potential of individuals and organisations.

Dr. Sharma is passionate about the societal implications of technology. Since 2015, he has helped found and run LIME Lab L3C, a low profit organisation that offers pro-bono robotics and technology training to K12 kids in Detroit.

His full conflicts of interest are available here.

Aditi is a third year computer science student at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She has a deep interest in food security and environmental sustainability. At Open Innovation Labs, she is working on projects focused on the use of AI and robotics to reduce food waste and grow it more sustainably. Outside of lab, Aditi likes the outdoors and observing nature and wild life at close quarters.

Anindhya graduated from SRM University with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. During undergrad, he worked in the areas of human computer interfaces. At Open Innovation Labs, he leads the projects on brain computer interfaces. He is passionate about the use of BCI to develop assistive technologies for differently abled individuals. Outside of lab, Anindya likes to play soccer, and spend time with like minded individuals interested in making a difference in the world.

Angel graduated from San Francisco State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry. During undergrad, she worked in Dr. Misty Kuhn’s lab to conduct crystallization trials of uncharacterized Gcn5-related N-acetyltransferases (GNATs) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

In the Fraser lab, Angel works with Eric on an oligomeric enzyme, Glutamine Synthetase (GS), to characterize the relationship between oligomeric state and activity as a function of allosteric effectors.

Outside of lab, Angel likes to play video games, go to concerts, and spend time with her partner’s cat Tako.

Donovan graduated from CUNY John Jay College with a degree in Cell and Molecular Biology. As an undergraduate, he worked under Dr. Nathan Lents to help develop a computational model that determined an individual’s time of death based on changes in the cadaver’s skin microbiome.

In collaboration with Dr. Willow Coyote-Maestas, he is studying the structure-function relationship of the ESX-3 secretion system in M. smegmatis.

Outside of lab, Donovan enjoys watching movies, gaming, reading, and listening to music. He promises he isn’t ignoring you, he’s just wearing headphones and they’re hidden by his hair.

Donovan is supported by a Kirschstein NRSA (F31) fellowship from NIH/NIGMS.