Congratulations to Associate Professor Moriel Vandsburger, the first holder of our new Timothy and Karen Guertin Chair in Bioengineering. Timothy Guertin (B.S. alum, EECS) is the former Chief Executive Officer of Varian Medical Systems, a member of the Board of Directors at Teradyne Inc., and Chair of the Global Access to Cancer Care foundation, which works to expand the availability of modern cancer care in developing countries. The Guertins are passionate supporters of biomedical research and global access to quality healthcare, and have endowed this faculty chair to provide additional support to an early career professor pursuing promising research.
alumni
FDA authorizes first rapid at-home covid-19 test, made by Lucira
On Tuesday the first rapid, at-home COVID-19 test was authorized by the Food and Drug Administration. The test, made by BioE-founded company Lucira, uses their loop mediated amplification reaction process, a molecular nucleic acid amplification technology, in a battery-powered standalone unit. Rather than detecting antibodies, their test is designed to detect whether an individual is shedding the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The company was developing this technology for an at-home influenza test before rapidly pivoting to address COVID-19. Lucira is led by Debkishore Mitra (PhD 2013), who founded the company with John Waldeisen (PhD 2012).
Eko wins Best Hospital Diagnostics at UCSF Digital Health Awards
BioE spinout company Eko won the Best Hospital Diagnostics category at the 2020 UCSF Digital Health Awards digital stethoscope and ECG.
Gauss-Cellex rapid at-home Covid-19 antigen test
Gauss Surgical – a company launched by MTM alumnus Siddarth Satish – has partnered with Cellex to develop the first-ever rapid, at-home COVID-19 antigen test and mobile app.
When Fashion is Fungal
BioE company Bolt Threads and alumnus David Breslauer are in the news again, featured in the Washington Post for their sustainably-grown mycelium-based leather materials.
Vlassakis receives Burroughs Wellcome Fund award
Congratulations to recent BioE PhD Julea Vlassakis, now a postdoctoral scholar in Amy Herr’s lab, one of eight US scholars receiving a 2020 Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award at the Scientific Interface. Scholars receive $500,000 over five years to bridge advanced postdoctoral training and the first three years of faculty service. “I am incredibly honored […]
Congratulations new BioE NSF Graduate Fellows
Congratulations to incoming and current PhD students, and BS alumni, who have been awarded new NSF Graduate Research Fellowships!
Congratulations to current PhD students Joann Gu, Melod Mehdipour, and Hannah Schmitz; incoming doctoral students Ilina Bhaya-Grossman, Jessica Herrera, Nicholas Higgins, Claire Hilburger, Kevin Joslin, and Lucas Waldburger; and BS alumni Francesca Zhoufan Li, Amy Lyden (also an incoming PhD), Tomer Rotstein, Connor Tour and Brenda Yang.
7 Questions for Correlia Biosystems Co-Founder Akwasi Apori
Learn about the startup journey from BioE PhD alum Akwasi Apori!
Alum Schneider shares her COVID-19 story
Alumna Elizabeth Schneider, PhD 2011, shares her experience catching, and surviving, COVID-19.