Christopher J. Stabile, Ph.D.

CTO and Co-Founder of TunaBotics @ TunaBotics

About

I’m the Co-Founder and CTO of TunaBotics, where we’re developing systems with tunable (TUNA-ble) adhesion for the design of soft robotics (ro-BOTICS) grippers that can manipulate small, delicate, and curved parts that conventional grippers struggle or fail to handle. My background is in the mechanics of contact, adhesion, and friction, and soft robotics design, built through a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, where I developed gecko-inspired adhesives and soft grippers with tunable adhesion and stiffness. Today, my focus is on translating that research into scalable products for advanced electronics, semiconductor packaging, and precision manufacturing, advancing object handling for next-generation manufacturing.

Country

United States

City

Syracuse

Industry

Mechanical Or Industrial Engineering

Skill

Mechanics Modeling, Mechanical Design, Microfabrication, Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Research, Mechanical Testing, Python (Programming Language), Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Abaqus, COMSOL, Ansys, Matlab, Mathematica, Computer-Aided Design (CAD), SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Autodesk Fusion 360, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator

Experience

CTO and Co-Founder of TunaBotics

TunaBotics

2025-8 - Present · 1 yr 2 mos

Syracuse, New York, United States

Postdoctoral Researcher

University of Pennsylvania

2025-1 - 2025-3 · 3 mos

Philadelphia, PA

I was a postdoctoral researcher in the Turner Research Group in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics and was responsible for conducting academic research, including modeling, experimentation, data analysis, and the communication and publication of findings. Additionally, I provided research assistance, technical guidance, and equipment training to support and mentor lab members.

Undergraduate Researcher

Rutgers University

2017-5 - 2017-8 · 4 mos

New Brunswick, NJ

I worked as an undergraduate researcher as part of the Rutgers Research in Science and Engineering (RiSE) Summer Research Program within the Advanced Materials via Immiscible Polymer Processing (AMIPP) Advanced Polymer Center. For my research, I conducted a comparative analysis of carbon fiber reinforced polymers and graphene reinforced polymer matrix composites in terms of the energy inputs, emissions, and costs associated with their production.

Undergraduate Researcher

The College of New Jersey

2017-2 - 2017-5 · 4 mos

I created scaled 3D-printed models of saccate pollen grains using a parameterized computer-aided design model to enable an investigation of the aerodynamics of fossil pollen grains. The work was published as a chapter in a book titled Transformative Paleobotany (see Publications).

Undergraduate Researcher

The College of New Jersey

2016-10 - 2017-5 · 8 mos

Ewing, NJ

I received the New Jersey Space Grant Consortium (NJSGC) Academic Year Fellowship to conduct research focused on modeling the diffusion of macromolecules encapsulated in electrospun fibers for use in tissue engineering, drug delivery, and microfluidic applications. I presented the research at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE) 2017 and the work was published in the conference proceedings (see Publications).

Education

University of Pennsylvania

Mechanical Engineering

2018-8 - 2024-12 · 6 yrs 5 mos

As a member of the Turner Research Group in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, I conducted research focused on the mechanics of adhesion and friction, using a combination of analytical modeling, finite element analysis, and experimentation to design systems with tunable adhesion and friction for robotic grasping. In conclusion of my work, I successfully defended my dissertation research, titled "Contacts with Dynamically Tunable Adhesion and Friction via Active Materials with Thermally Modulated Stiffness."