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Our Next Event:
12/2/26 – Clifford Brangwynne
“Fluid Machinery: The Nucleolus, Ribosomes, and Aging”
2026-27 Distinguished Lecture in Bioengineering
4:00 – 5:00 PM
Dr. Clifford Brangwynne, Princeton University
We are grateful to the Wagner Foundation for a gift of $1,041,500 to support cutting-edge health research by six faculty members: Derfogail Delcassian, Dan Fletcher, Leah Guthrie, Liana Lareau, Aaron Streets and Lydia Sohn.
BioE PhD student Maya Overton won the CHEMINAS Young Researcher Poster Award at this year’s MicroTAS (Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences – Micro-Total Analysis Systems ) 2026 conference in Granada, Spain. Her winning poster from Amy Herr’s lab described “Single-cell Mass Spectrometry Proteomics Paired With Imaging-Based Morphology.”
Recent research by Teresa Head-Gordon and collaborators has shown that when bulk polymers become microplastics they are in fact not inert, but rather, the tiny pieces of plastic chemically modify the water around them to generate highly reactive species that may cause damage to living systems.
Researchers in Michael Yartsev’s lab, led by postdocs Adam Lowet and Krishna Kasuba, built a digital twin of the bat hippocampus – an AI model trained on large-scale neural activity during natural flight. The model generated new, testable hypotheses about hippocampal organization that were confirmed by real-world data.
Departmental Events
In addition to our established annual events, the department offers frequent enrichment and training events for students, some in partnership with other campus units.
Grad school application workshops, alumni chats, startup founder panels, poster sessions and more occur throughout the school year.
Check out the campus events calendar for even more opportunities.
Spotlight: Bioengineering In Depth
Student Profile: Esha Ananth
Esha Ananth was selected for the 2026 Bioengineering Chair’s Award, which honors one graduating senior for their outstanding achievements in an area of personal passion, in addition to maintaining the highest academic performance. She graduated in May 2026 from the Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology (MET) Program, giving her dual degrees in Bioengineering and Business.
Student Profile: Chimkasinma Mbakwe
Congratulations to Chimkasinma Mbakwe, May 2026 graduate and recipient of the 2026 Bioengineering Service Award! This award recognizes one graduating senior for exceptional achievements and dedication to serving the community, in addition to maintaining high academic performance. An international student from Nigeria, Chimkasinma loves people, loves giving back, and found that bioengineering is where all of her passions intersect.
Student Profile: Alonso Torres
Soon-to-be Doctor Alonso Torres, Jr. knows the value of community. His life has taken him from the Central Valley, through military service and parenthood, now to a PhD in bioengineering.