Lab Members
Michael Herriges, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Section of Pulmonary, Allergy, Sleep & Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine
Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM)
Boston University
Contact: herriges@bu.edu
Michael obtained his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania. During this time he worked in the lab of Dr. Ed Morrisey studying the role of lncRNAs in pulmonary development and homeostasis. After completing his thesis, Michael did a postdoctoral fellowship in Dr. Darrell Kotton’s Lab at Boston University. During this fellowship he developed a system for the differentiation and engraftment of ESC-derived lung epithelial progenitors. Having established his own lab, Michael now aims to improve cell engraftment techniques and use these methods to study cell-cell interactions and potential cell therapies for pulmonary disease.
Outside of the lab Michael enjoys spending time with his family, playing board games and TTRPGs, and cooking.
Olivia Dinwoodie, PhD
Post-doctoral Fellow
Contact: omdinwoo@bu.edu
Olivia is a post-doctoral fellow in the Herriges Lab at the Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM) at Boston University. She received her PhD from King’s College London, working in the Lab of Prof Abigail Tucker studying Wnt-responsive stem/progenitor cells in the tympanic membrane.
Following her doctoral studies, Olivia transitioned into pulmonary research, joining Dr. Xingbin Ai’s group at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital.
Her current research in the Herriges Lab focuses on cell transplantation into the alveolar region of the lung, with a particular emphasis on applying this approach to models of pulmonary fibrosis.
Outside of the lab Olivia enjoys hiking, cycling, and digging through thrift shops.
Md. Shafiqul Islam, MS
PhD Student
Contact: shafiq@bu.edu
Shafiq is a graduate student in the Herriges Lab at the Center for Regenerative Medicine, Boston University (BU). He completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Prior to starting his PhD, he worked as a research associate in the Siggers Lab at BU, developing a novel protein-binding microarray technique for high-throughput profiling of DNA–TF–cofactor complexes.
Shafiq joined the Cell and Molecular Biology PhD program in Fall 2025 and transitioned to the Herriges Lab in 2026 to begin his doctoral research. His current work focuses on optimizing human lung epithelial cell transplantation into mouse alveolar region to better understand lung development and regeneration, with the long-term goal of advancing new cell-based therapies for pulmonary diseases.
When he’s not in the lab, Shafiq enjoys cycling, hiking, watching movies, taking walks along the Charles River, and cooking his favorite Bangladeshi dishes. He also loves spending time with his family and playing football.
Karin Plaza, MD
Post-doctoral Fellow
Contact: kplaza@bu.edu
Karin is a Pediatric Pulmonology Fellow at Boston Children’s Hospital and a member of the Herriges Lab. She received her M.D. from Universidad Espíritu Santo in Ecuador, where she cultivated her passion for caring for children with complex respiratory conditions.
Following medical school,Karincompleted her pediatric residency at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York City. She has also gained research experience at McMaster University and Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she developed her interest in combining clinical care with translational science.
In the Herriges Lab, Karinis studying cell transplant therapy in models of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, with the goal of developing novel regenerative treatments for children with chronic lung disease.
Alumni:
Payel Basak, MBBS
Former position: Research Fellow and Lab Manager (2023-2026)
Currently: Graduate Student at University of Pittsburgh