The 25th UW Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS) took place May 20 and featured hundreds of UW students from all academic disciplines who presented their research topics. Thirty-one of the presenters are bioengineering students.
Presenting at the URS is an opportunity for students to share knowledge they have gained through their research experiences to audiences comprised of faculty, students and the community. Congratulations BioE students!
Anisa Ashraf, Senior, Bioen: Nanoscience and Molecular Engineering
Presentation title: Assessing an Engineered Nanoparticle Apparatus for Tumor Delivery through an In Vitro Model of the Blood-Brain Barrier
Honors: Mary Gates Scholar
Mentors
- Suzie Pun, Bioengineering
- Melissa Ling, Molecular Engineering and Science
Cherry Leung, Senior, Bioen: Nanoscience and Molecular Engineering
Presentation Title: Designing and Integrating a Blue Fluorescent Protein-Tagged Alpha-actinin Plasmid for Analyzing Sarcomere Dynamics in Relation to Tension Sensors in Cardiomyocytes
Honors: Mary Gates Scholar
Mentors
- Jennifer Davis, Bioengineering
- Abigail Nagle, Bioengineering
Delaney Sage Wilde, Senior, Bioen: Nanoscience & Molecular Engineering
Presentation Title: Nanopore-Addressable Proteins for Multiplexable Gene Expression Reporting Systems
Mentors
- Jeff Nivala, Computer Science & Engineering, Molecular Engineering and Science
- Aerilynn Nguyen, Computer Science & Engineering
Jamison Charles (Jamey) Siebart, Senior, Bioen: Nanoscience & Molecular Engineering
Presentation Title: Optogenetic Microwell Array Screening System (Opto-MASS) for the Development of a Ligand-Specific Mu-Opioid Receptor Sensor.
Honors: Levinson Emerging Scholar, Mary Gates Scholar, UW Honors Program
Mentors
- Andre Berndt, Bioengineering
- Michael Rappleye, Bioengineering
Jake Flynn, Senior, Bioengineering: Data Science
Presentation Title: Effect of Platelet Storage Temperature on Platelet Aggregation and Contractile Force Production
Honors: Mary Gates Scholar
Mentors
- Nathan Sniadecki, Mechanical Engineering
- Ava Obenaus, Mechanical Engineering
Isiac J Orr, Senior, Bioengineering: Data Science
Presentation Title: Investigating the Amyloidogenesis of Amyloid Beta Mutations to Characterize their Role in Inherited Alzheimer’s Disease
Mentor
- Valerie Daggett, Bioengineering
Eeesha Murali, Senior, Bioengineering
Presentation Title: Microtubules Maintain Passive Tension and Myofibril Formation in Developing Cardiomyocytes
Honors: Mary Gates Scholar
Mentors
- Michael Regier, Bioengineering
- Ketaki Mhatre, Bioengineering
Flora Abrams, Senior, Bioengineering
Presentation Title: Effect of SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a on Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Cardiomyocytes
Mentors
- Charles Murry, Bioengineering, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
- Silvia Marchiano, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
Joanne Kimiko Liu, Senior, Bioengineering
Presentation Title: Renal Outcomes in Post-Liver Transplanted Patients Treated with Tenofovir Alafenamide Compared with Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate and Entecavir
Honors: Undergraduate Research Conference Travel Awardee
Mentor
- Mindie Nguyen, Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine
Wing Yun Au, Senior, Bioengineering
Presentation Title: Practical Surgical Planning Toolbox for Convection-Enhanced Delivery in Non-Human Primate Brains
Honors: Mary Gates Scholar
Mentors
- Azadeh Yazdan-Shahmorad, Bioengineering
- Devon Griggs, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Agatha Carina Mae, Senior, Bioengineering
Presentation Title: CryoGrid-PIXUL-Matrix System to Interrogate Intratumor Epigenetic Heterogeneity of MGMT Gene in Glioblastoma
Mentor
- Karol Bomsztyk, Medicine
Timmy Vu Pham, Senior, Bioengineering
Presentation Title: Identifying Neural Biomarkers of Pain
Mentors
- Rajesh Rao, Computer Science & Engineering
- Samantha Sun, Bioengineering
Jonah David Kern, Senior, Bioengineering
Presentation Title: Enzymatic Logic-Degradable Crosslinkers for On-Demand Control of Cell-Mediated Strain and Curvature in Hydrogels
Honors: Mary Gates Scholar, NASA Space Grant Scholar
Mentors
- Cole DeForest, Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering
- Ross Bretherton, Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering
Callie J Lind, Junior, Bioengineering
Presentation Title: Associations Between Baseline DCE-MRI Metrics and Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Response in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Mentors
- Savannah Partridge, Radiology
- Anum Kazerouni, Radiology
Anika Ghelani, Junior, Bioengineering
Presentation Title: Investigating the Role of Melusin in Mechanical Stress Overload Using Human Engineered Heart Tissues (EHTs)
Mentors
- Nathan Sniadecki, Mechanical Engineering
- Ruby Padgett, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine
Carter Jeffrey Rowell, Senior, Bioengineering
Presentation Title: Amyloid Peptide Aggregation and a Unique Detection Method for Toxic Species
Mentor
- Valerie Daggett, Bioengineering
Eric Gery, Senior, Nanoscience and Molecular Engineering
Presentation Title: Testing the Mechanisms of Stress Granule Assembly in Human Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes
Honors: Levinson Emerging Scholar
Mentors
- Charles Murry, Bioengineering, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
- Aidan Fenix, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
Alan Reuben Levinson, Senior, Bioengineering
Presentation Title: Engineered Heart Tissue Image Processing Suite
Honors: Mary Gates Scholar
Mentors
- Nathan Sniadecki, Mechanical Engineering
- Samantha Bremner, Bioengineering
Rachel Shi, Senior, Bioen: Nanoscience & Molecular Engineering
Presentation Title: Developing a Polymeric Membrane for Selective Nanofiltration of Toxins in Dialysis
Honors: Levinson Emerging Scholar, UW Honors Program
Mentors
- Buddy Ratner, Bioengineering
- Runbang Tang, Molecular Engineering and Science
Joey Liang, Senior, Bioengineering
Presentation Title: Selection of DNA Aptamers for SARS-CoV-2 Delta Detection
Honors: Mary Gates Scholar
Mentor
- Suzie Pun, Bioengineering
Evan Yuen Fei Yip, Senior, Bioengineering: Data Science
Presentation Title: A Machine Learning Approach in Predicting the Behaviors of Cancer Signaling Pathways
Honors: Mary Gates Scholar
Mentors
- Herbert Sauro, Bioengineering
- Lucian Smith, Bioengineering
Karen Sugimoto Gaffney, Senior, Bioengineering: Data Science
Presentation Title: Three-Dimensional (3D) Engineered Bone Tissue to Investigate the Effects of Dynamic and Static Loading on Bone Development In Vitro
Honors: Mary Gates Scholar
Mentors
- David Mack, Rehabilitation Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine
- Samantha Bremner, Bioengineering
Tony Fu, Senior, Bioengineering
Presentation Title: Border Ownership in Convolutional Neural Networks
Honors: Mary Gates Scholar
Mentors
- Wyeth Bair, Biological Structure
- Amy Orsborn, Bioengineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Zoe Lu Chau, Senior, Bioengineering
Presentation Title: Utilizing Novel Trigger-Based Ecological Momentary Assessments to Investigate Movement-Evoked Pain in Older Adults with Knee Osteoarthritis
Honors: Innovations in Pain Research Scholar, Washington Research Foundation Fellow
Mentor
- Kushang Patel, Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine
Mariam Benazouz, Senior, Bioengineering
Presentation Title: How to Measure School Functioning in Youth with Chronic Pain During a Pandemic: A Topical Review of Evidence-Based Assessment Tools
Honors: McNair Scholar, Innovations in Pain Research Scholar, UW Honors Program
Mentor
- Emily Law, Anesthesiology, University of Washington School of Medicine
Abe Wu, Senior, Bioengineering
Presentation Title: Discovery of CD28 Aptamers for T-Cell Activation and Immune Modulation
Honors: Mary Gates Scholar
Mentors
- Suzie Pun, Bioengineering
- Nataly Kacherovsky, Bioengineering
Joanne Boysen, Senior, Bioengineering
Presentation Title: Modeling Structure and Mechanical Changes for Nemaline Myopathy-Inducing Mutation H40Y in ACTA1 Simulated in the Presence of Designed Therapeutic Small Molecule
Honors: Mary Gates Scholar
Mentors
- David Mack, Rehabilitation Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine
- Matthew Childers, Bioengineering
Kat Motovilov, Senior, Bioengineering
Presentation Title: A Role for Neuropeptide S in the Modulation of Reward
Honors: Mary Gates Scholar, Innovations in Pain Research Scholar
Mentors
- Michael Bruchas, Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine
- Kasey Girven, Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine
Olivia Rose Walsh, Senior, Bioengineering
Presentation Title: Automated Segmentation of Fibroglandular Tissue for Breast Density Assessment on MRI
Mentors
- Savannah Partridge, Bioengineering, Radiology
- Anum Kazerouni, Radiology
Elena Grace Seaholm, Senior, Bioengineering
Presentation Title: Ventral Hippocampal Monoamines in the Modulation of Aversive and Appetitive Behaviors
Mentor
- Michael Bruchas, Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine
Fang Hua (Flora) Hu, Junior, Bioengineering, Philosophy
Presentation Title: Directed Differentiation of Mammary Organoids from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Honors: Mary Gates Scholar
Mentor
- Julie Mathieu, Comparative Medicine