2024-25 MWC Scholars

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DaVonne J. Henry

Hesse Endowment Scholar

First Year Scholar, Physics
To improve from the current state-of-the-art high-density magnetic data storage, novel solutions are needed to reduce the data storage device size while maintaining data integrity. Single-molecule magnets have the potential to greatly improve data storage density. This research involves electrical measurements and computational models to investigate the fundamental questions related to how these molecules can decrease storage device size.

Alexander A. Lekan

Forster Family Foundation Scholar

First Year Scholar, Tumor Biology
Identifying treatment strategies to increase immune cell accumulation in pancreatic cancer in order to improve patient responses to immunotherapy. Specifically, utilizing high throughput spatial imaging technologies to identify the impact of increasing immune cell-tumor cell interactions on promoting anti-tumor effects in pancreatic cancer.

Rachael E. Maynard

JCM Foundation Scholar

First Year Scholar, Tumor Biology
Current therapies are not very successful at reducing pancreatic cancer tumor burden. In my past research, I engineered natural killer (NK) cells that better invade and kill pancreatic cancers, enhancing their usefulness in treating solid tumors. Current research examines the impact of these NK cells on other human immune cells within tumors in a humanized mouse model.

Prachi D. Shah

MWC Chapter Scholar

First Year Scholar, Biology
Memory and forgetting are highly regulated biological processes fundamental for animal survival in an ever-changing environment. This project aims to understand the neurobiological basis of retrograde amnesia induced by different insults. This research requires the development of a number of cutting-edge, custom-made tools to explore the molecular, cellular and circuit mechanisms involved in the degradation of memory.

Jonathan D. Riess

Toni & Hans Schierling Undergraduate Scholar

First Year Scholar, Physics and Mathematics
Current superconductors used in quantum computers and particle accelerators must be supercooled to maintain their property resulting in large cooling energy requirements. This research in holographic superconductivity will attempt to understand the nuclear physics which sets the temperature at which a material becomes superconducting and what features of a material one would need to fine tune to create a room temperature superconductor.

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Emily C. Cheung

MWC Chapter Scholar

First Year Scholar, Biomedical Engineering
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has a higher prevalence in women. This project will develop a novel therapy that provides targeted activation of specific neuron populations in the brain to mitigate progression of the disease. High-speed optical mapping techniques and electrophysiological properties will determine the treatment efficacy on failing hearts.

Hallie M. Fausey

Michelle & Julian Francis Scholar

Second Year Scholar, Physics
Studying gamma-ray bursts allows us to examine the history of the universe and learn about the environments of the first galaxies and stars. This research involves studying gamma-ray bursts, with observational data from some of the largest telescopes on earth while collaborating with scientists around the world. In addition, this research will support evaluating and optimizing the capabilities of new instrumentation to further their studies in the future.

Sanjori Mukherjee

McNichols Family Foundation Scholar

First Year Scholar, Biomedical Engineering
The clinical presentation of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) varies widely across individuals and the neurobiological mechanisms underlying this heterogeneity are largely unknown. Our research goal is to develop image analysis and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain to improve the understanding of AD pathology. The underlying features of images are examined further to understand whether they represent risk factors of AD or the disease itself.

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Akshaya V. Annapragada

Danaher Foundation Scholar

First Year Scholar, Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine
There is a great need for accessible and sensitive screening approaches for carcinomas worldwide. This research focuses on novel artificial intelligence approaches to enable new whole genome analyses and enhanced understanding of cancer-related genetic changes. These approaches are enabling the development of non-invasive, affordable, accessible blood tests for early detection of cancers across a range of high-impact clinical settings.

Rebecca J. Baxter

Sparrell Family Undergraduate Scholar

First Year Scholar, Biomedical Engineering
This research involves the development and evaluation of a novel device designed to improve percutaneous drainage procedures in patient care. This innovated device prevents clogging of drainage catheters used to remove unwanted fluids like abscesses, thus decreasing drainage times and reducing the rate of repeat procedures for catheters used in these procedures.

Zachary J. Gold

Danaher Foundation Undergraduate Scholar

First Year Scholar, Biomedical Engineering
This research involves development of novel technologies for those with neurological disorders, including a controls-theory based biomarker for characterizing treatment-resistant schizophrenic patients based on EEG data, and the development of a rectal catheter accessory device for those with neurogenic bowel disorder.

Alexander Lu

Mulford Endowment Scholar

First Year Scholar, Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine
Surgeons use a variety of imaging systems to guide diagnostics and interventions; patient movement during imaging is often unavoidable and can substantially distort the images. This current research combines machine learning with physics-driven methods to improve the quality of intra-operative imaging technologies with the intent of improving diagnostics and subsequent treatment.

Sabahat Rahman

Danaher Foundation Undergraduate Scholar

First Year Scholar, Biomedical Engineering
Two cancer research projects will focus on personalized care and treatments. The first project will develop a device that measures individual patient melanoma stiffness in situ; with the intent of diagnosing melanomas earlier. The second project will use computational tools to model patient-specific reactions to various immunotherapies such as neo-antigen vaccines. These specialized treatments could prevent the deleterious side effects associate with nonspecific therapies.

Sydney R. Shannon

Virginia Lukasik Memorial Scholar

First Year Scholar, Biomedical Engineering
Gene therapies are transforming treatment approaches for many human diseases; but current approaches can be very costly and not available for all patients. This research focuses on engineering novel biomaterials that incorporate natural immune signals to activate the body’s immune cells to treat cancer. The platform has the potential to mediate anti-tumor effects as a more accessible and durable “off-the-shelf” therapeutic and available to more patients.

Ariel V. Slepyan

Willard and Marilynn Sweetser Scholar

First Year Scholar, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Research is focused on developing ‘CS-Skin’, a next-generation touch sensor mimicking the acuity of human skin. CS-Skin boasts a large area, numerous sensors, and fast response times, replicating human touch. This innovative technology, tested successfully in robotic hands, enhances dexterity and object recognition. CS-Skin has the potential to revolutionize prosthetics, robotics, and everyday surfaces by granting them human-like touch capabilities.

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Patrick R. Banner

MWC 55th Anniversary Scholar

First Year Scholar, Physics
This research spans atomic, optical, and detector physics. The primary research uses strongly interacting atoms to make light and matter interact in ways that can be used for both studies of fundamental few-body physics problems that cannot be solved analytically, as well as emerging quantum technologies--especially quantum networks. The results have application in specialized detector design as well as quantum computer design.

Eman Mirdanmadi

MWC Chapter Scholar

First Year Scholar, Bioengineering
Three dimensional bioprinting technology has gained increased attention in the regenerative medicine and tissue engineering communities over the past decade with their attempts to create functional living tissues and organs. This research specializes in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and drug delivery and is centered on developing 3D printed bone with gels capable of treating health conditions, particularly related to the eye and brain.

Emily H. Powsner

MWC Chapter Scholar

First Year Scholar, Bioengineering
Rapid healing of chronic wounds continues to be a challenge. This research works towards improving the therapeutic potency and production of extracellular vesicles (EVs) that can be used as lower-risk alternatives to regenerative cell therapies. Novel approaches will be used to manipulate cell morphology and incorporate dynamic cell culture. This work will help improve the biomanufacturing potential and contribute to the goal of clinical translation of EV therapies; chronic wound healing being one area of application.

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Emma M. Glass

Evelyn Soucek Memorial Scholar

First Year Scholar, Biomedical Engineering
The aim of this research is to develop innovative ways of treating bacterial infection without the use of conventional antibiotics. Specifically, computational metabolic models of bacteria in conjunction with big-data and machine learning techniques will be used to uncover unique functional signatures in groups of pathogens. These unique functions can guide predictions of new antimicrobials, which will be validated with wet-lab experiments.

Tyler G. Horoho

Mars Foundation Scholar

First Year Scholar, Physics
The research goal involves testing next-generation particle detector instrumentation, and using machine learning techniques, along with data from particle accelerators, to probe open questions in cosmology and particle physics such as the nature of dark matter and the matter- antimatter asymmetry of the early universe.

Najwa Labban

Danaher Foundation Scholar

First Year Scholar, Biomedical Engineering
Most breast cancers are treated with surgery, radiation, and hormone therapy, but not all women respond equally to these therapies. This research uses breast cancer cells from patients to engineer tumor “organoids” that more accurately mimic the disease process within the body for testing new and approved therapies and for understanding the origins of therapeutic resistance.