Bhalaji Y. Kantepalle

Bhalaji Y. Kantepalle

Chemical Engineer | Materials Science Researcher

Virginia Commonwealth University

About me

I am a Chemical Engineer with a background spanning both academic research and industrial operations. My work focuses on the intersection of Materials Science and Quality Compliance, bridging the gap between R&D innovation and regulated manufacturing.

Currently, as a Graduate Researcher at the VCU Soft Functional Materials Lab under Dr. Christina Tang, I specialize in the mechanics of soft interfaces. My research involves:

  • Mechanics-consistent adhesion testing for soft materials/E-textiles.
  • Preventing “false positive” adhesion metrics in stretchable systems
  • Synchronizing mechanical strain with optical response in mechanochromic textiles

Previously, I served as a Technical Project Manager in the pharmaceutical industry at at Kreative Organics. In this role, I led technical compliance initiatives for the engineering and quality teams by:

  • Coordinating FDA Readiness protocols and SAP ERP validation (CGMP).
  • Executing 0Q/PQ testing to verify system data integrity and GMP compliance.
  • Standardizing supply chain data workflows to enhance operational reporting.

I am interested in roles that allow me to apply rigorous engineering principles whether characterizing new materials or optimizing production workflows to build reliable, compliant products.

Download my CV
Interests
  • Fracture Mechanics & Adhesion
  • Wearable & Medical Device Materials
  • FDA Compliance & Quality Systems
  • Optical Metrology (Computer Vision)
  • Data-Driven Process Engineering
Education
  • M.S. Chemical & Life Science Engineering, Expected 2026

    Virginia Commonwealth University

  • B.Tech. Chemical Engineering, 2022

    Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

Latest Updates

  • Dec 2025: [FUNDED] Drafted successful $30,000 Commonwealth Cyber Initiative grant for thermochromic textile research.
  • Dec 2025: Attended Anton Paar XRD Workshop (XRDynamic 500) on total scattering and PDF analysis.
  • Sep 2025: Selected participant for the 1st National Neutron Scattering School at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). [Know more]
  • Aug 2025: Presented Adhesives for Personalized Wearable Devices at ACS Fall 2025 (Washington, D.C.).
  • June 2025: Attended Anton Paar Rheo-Polarized Imaging Workshop with Photron high-speed camera integration.

Experience

 
 
 
 
 
Graduate Research Assistant
September 2024 – Present Richmond, VA

Advisor: Dr. Christina Tang, Associate Professor

  • Grant Success: Drafted successful $30,000 grant proposal (Commonwealth Cyber Initiative) for thermochromic socks.

  • Metrology: Engineered an Integrated Optical Metrology System (Python/OpenCV) increasing throughput by >300%.

    [Read Project Details]

  • Award: Received Fall 2025 Graduate Assistantship (Full Tuition Waiver & stipend).

 
 
 
 
 
Technical Project Manager
May 2023 – May 2024 Hyderabad, India

Mentor: Mr. Ravi Seelamsetty (MD & CEO).

  • Promoted from Intern to Manager in 6 months for demonstrating high adaptability.

  • Spearheaded CAPA/Root Cause Analysis initiatives ensuring FDA audit readiness.

  • Executed SAP System Requalification with 5-hour precision cutover.

    [Read Project Details]

 
 
 
 
 
Technical Project Intern
October 2022 – April 2023 Hyderabad, India

Recruited and groomed by Deep Thought Edutech.

Mentor: Mr. Tarun Ayitham (Founder & CEO).

  • Engineered Supply Chain Optimization Workflow reducing research time by 70%.

  • Designed and Containerized Standardized Chemical Data Protocol (Python/Docker) with 90% accuracy improvement.

    [Read Project Details]

  • Created Stage-Gate Project Management Framework which was subsequently adopted company-wide to streamline R&D timelines.

Technical Skills

Experimental Mechanics

Rheology • T-Peel • NMR • Microscopy

Computational & Data

Python • OpenCV • NumPy • Pandas • SciPy

Quality & Regulatory

FDA • cGMP • CAPA • SOP

Contact

I’m always open to oppurtunities in soft materials, adhesion mechanics, wearable interfaces, and materials analytics.