MTM Administrative Team
J. Christopher Fritton, Ph.D.

Director In this role, he oversees the development and growth of the program while leading the administration of a curriculum that trains students in the core competencies required to bring new medical technology to market. In addition, he oversees and teaches five courses of the program, including Cost Analysis (I6200), Translational Challenges (I6400), and the year-long Biodesign Capstone sequence (I6500, I6600, and I6700) that anchors the MTM curriculum. In two of his previous roles, Dr. Fritton developed orthopedic technology at Stony Brook University and as a senior R&D engineer at Hospital for Special Surgery. He completed his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at Cornell University and then spent 15 years in research and orthopedic instruction at Mount Sinai and Rutgers before joining the faculty at CCNY in 2019. In addition to teaching, Dr. Fritton maintains an active research program in skeletal biomechanics and mentors undergraduate, graduate, and medical students in research and biodesign.
Contact: jfritton@ccny.cuny.edu
Muaad Alody

Assistant Director Muaad Alody was born and raised in Yemen. He came to the United States to pursue the best and highest possible education. Muaad Alody is a lifelong City College, receiving his Bachelor of Arts in political science and international relations and his Masters of Public Administration (MPA) from CCNY. Muaad served in Student Government and held a series of Administrative offices at City College. While enrolled at CCNY for both his BA and MPA, he served his peers as the Executive Vice President of the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) and the Graduate Student Council (GSC) Chairperson. During his tenure in student government, he was heavily engaged in the decision-making process for CCNY by serving on various college committees, such as the Student Services Corporation (SSC) and the Auxiliary Enterprise Corporation (AEC). At City College, Mr. Alody worked in the Office of Student Life & Leadership Development as an orientation leader, a college assistant, and an office manager. He then joined the Student Engagement Initiatives at CCNY as the Administrative Coordinator, where he managed all administrative aspects of 5 different programs. Most recently, Muaad worked as the Administrative Coordinator of the Nanoscience Initiative in the Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) at the CUNY Graduate Center.
Contact: malody@ccny.cuny.edu
Phuc An Dinh

Manufacturing Engineer An recently completed a master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University and is currently awaiting graduation. Previously, An earned an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering from CCNY. As a Design Engineering Intern at Pfizer, An contributed to redesigning syringe subcomponents to align with Pfizer’s environmental initiatives and developed test fixtures for design verification. Additionally, An has conducted research in four different labs across CCNY, Columbia University, and MSKCC, gaining diverse experience in engineering and scientific innovation.
Contact: pdinh1@ccny.cuny.edu
Abdur Rafi

Website Development Intern Abdur Rafi is a Student in The City College College of New York and is currently studying Computer Science. Abdur is a driven individual with a passion for continuous learning and problem-solving. Known for his attention to detail and commitment to excellence, he thrives on tackling challenges with creativity and determination. Whether collaborating on innovative projects or exploring new ideas, Abdur is dedicated to making meaningful contributions in everything he does.
Contact: arafi003@citymail.cuny.edu
Mawadda Kayed

Social Media Intern
Mawadda Kayed is currently a senior at the City College of New York (CCNY), majoring in Psychology with a minor in Chemistry. In addition to her studies, she is actively involved in two student organizations. She serves as the Secretary for the Yemeni Diaspora Club, where she helps manage communications and keep things organized, and as a Marketing Designer for Muslims Giving Back, where she creates visual content to promote their initiatives and engage the community.
She has gained significant experience in social media management, email communication, and designing/creating posts through these roles. Additionally, as an intern at MTM, she focuses on writing emails, crafting posts for Instagram and LinkedIn, and reaching out to various departments and students to build connections and promote engagement.
Contact: mkayed@ccny.cuny.edu
MTM Supporting Faculty
Abhishek Datta, PhD

Scientist/Chief Technology Officer, Soterix Medical; Adjunct Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Dr. Datta is part of the MTM program’s Steering Committee. He has been directing and teaching the course on Intellectual Property, Medical Device and Drug Regulation, and Quality Management Systems from the program’s inception.
Contact: adatta@ccny.cuny.edu
Cira Cardaci, MS

Contact: cira.Cardaci@cuny.edu
Michael Belangue

Michael attended the MTM program from 2019-2020, and since then has served as an MTM Fellow and Adjunct Lecturer supporting the Biodesign capstone course for the past four years. Michael studied Chemical Engineering with an emphasis in Biotechnology at the University of Oklahoma. He is currently the Program Director at Biodesign Challenge, an international program and showcase of student projects at the intersection of art, design, and biotechnology. His previous work experience includes product management for a health tech startup and ophthalmological wet lab research with a contract research organization. His ambitions have expanded to supporting advocacy and community-building for a more sustainable future.
Contact: mbalangue@ccny.cuny.edu
Mitchell B. Shaffler, PhD

Mitchell B. Shaffler is currently a professor and the Chair of The Department of Biomedical Engineering at CCNY. His research interests lies in osteology. With a B.S. from Stony Brook University, PhD from West Virginia University, and Post-doc from University of Utah, Dr. Shaffler is well versed in his field of study. Dr. Shaffler has won numerous awards for his research.
Contact: mschaffler@ccny.cuny.edu
Dr. Michael S Chuang

Dr. Mike Chuang is an emergency physician currently at SBH healthcare. He is a proud CCNY graduate of the Sophie Davis Program, class 2007, followed by both medical school and residency in emergency medicine at the Renaissance School of Medicine (formerly SUNY-Stony Brook SOM). He returned briefly to training for a fellowship in emergency resuscitation and critical at Hartford Hospital between 2019-2020. He has practiced in the full spectrum of emergency medicine including academic and clinical administration and has an additional interest in healthcare informatics. He brings the “community” to the “bench to community”, and aims to help the trainees bridge the gap between the two.
Contact: mchuang@ccny.cuny.edu
Dr. Renée Hartig

Dr. Renée Hartig is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Dept. of Biomedical Engineering at City College, CUNY and tenure-track investigator with New York State’s Office of Mental Health. Her lab is based at the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research in Orangeburg, New York. Dr. Hartig’s research program involves the study of olfaction and interoception in emotion regulation and cognition. Her team investigates sensory information processing and adaptive learning in mammals through measurements of brain activity by magnetic resonance imaging and electrophysiology. In 2020 she was awarded a fellowship from the Focus Program Translational Neurosciences at the University of Mainz, Germany. In 2019, she completed a doctorate (summa cum laude) in body-brain signal processing at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics and the University of Tübingen in Germany. She holds a master degree in neural and behavioral sciences from Tübingen University and a bachelor degree in biology from SUNY Stony Brook. Dr. Hartig is an avid science communicator, having co-founded a non-profit organization in Germany, Pro-Test Deutschland, for the communication and public dissemination of fact-based information pertaining to scientific research with animal models. She is also a member of the US-based Speaking of Research Committee and mentors STEM students through the New York Academy of Sciences and UK-based non-profit TReND in Africa.
Contact: rhartig@ccny.cuny.edu