Congratulations to PhD student Kwasi Amofa, named to the 2021 class of Gilliam Fellows by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Fellowships are awarded to pairs of graduate students and their advisors, who are conducting outstanding research in life science fields and committed to building a more inclusive scientific ecosystem. The program includes a year of training for the advisor on effective and culturally aware mentoring, support and community for the student, and significant research funding. Professor Sanjay Kumar is Amofa’s research advisor.
BioE News
Gopal named to Fellows for Ending Bioweapons
PhD student Anjali Gopal has been named to the Council on Strategic Risks (CSR) 2021-22 class of the Fellowship for Ending Bioweapons Programs. Gopal is a member of Professor Amy Herr’s lab, is actively interested in emerging technology policy, and aims to leverage her scientific training for pandemic preparedness and bioweapons prevention initiatives.
Biodesign 2021 wraps up a successful summer
The 2021 Biodesign Immersion Experience, an intensive summer of training in needs finding and the engineering design process, has wrapped up their work with final project presentations after six weeks of team project work. The Blue Team and Gold Team both tackled challenges to healthcare in low resource settings, partnering with individuals and institutions across the world. The BIE is funded by an NIH R25 grant. Read all about the experience at their summer blog.
Lareau named Rose Hills Innovator
The Rose Hills Innovator Program supports distinguished early-career faculty at UC Berkeley interested in developing highly innovative research programs in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. The program provides seed support for projects with an exceptionally high scientific promise that may generate significant follow-on funding. Congratulations to Professor Liana Lareau, named a 2021 Rose Hills Innovator.
Undergrad Bryan Wong takes third in Berkeley Ventures, Berkeley Values Pitch Competition,
Bioengineering undergraduate Bryan Wong and his team took third place in the “Berkeley Ventures, Berkeley Values” pitch competition, a recent contest by the Berkeley Startup Cluster focused on ideas to support diversity, equity, and inclusion. Wong pitched Belli Meats, aiming to boost the popularity of faux meats in other cultures with their plant-based pork belly, a product that mimics the real thing with defined layers and distinct meat and fat sections.
A peek inside a flying bat’s brain uncovers clues to mammalian navigation
New research from Michael Yartsev’s lab shows that the ability to focus on the location where we will be in the near future may be a key characteristic of the mammalian brain’s built-in navigation system. Lab members wirelessly tracked the brain activity of Egyptian fruit bats as they flew throughout a custom flight room. The study, which opens many questions about how we process our movement in time and space, appeared online Thursday, July 8, in the journal Science.
Streets wins 2021 Shu Chien Early Career Award
Congratulations to Prof Aaron Streets, winner of the second annual Shu Chien Early Career lecturer competition at the UC Systemwide Bioengineering symposium.
Alumna Tammy Hsu named to Tech Review 35
Tammy Hsu, founder of synthetic biology startup Huue, has been named to the MIT Technology Review 35 Under 35 list for 2021 for developing an environmentally friendly process to create indigo dye using microbes. Tammy is a 2019 PhD graduate from Professor John Dueber’s lab.
Cala Health named one of 52 Women-Led Startups Driving The Future Of HealthTech And FemTech
Congratulations to BioE PhD alumna Kate Rosenbluth, founder of Cala Health, named to Forbes’ list of “52 Women-Led Startups Driving The Future Of HealthTech And FemTech”. Cala Health creates non-invasive wearable neuromodulation therapies for patients living with chronic diseases.