Bioengineering is the application of engineering principles, practices, and technologies to the fields of medicine and biology especially in solving problems and improving care (as in the design of medical devices and diagnostic equipment or the creation of biomaterials and pharmaceuticals)

Education and Industry Training

As a first-generation undergraduate and graduate student, I had my eyes set on higher education as a form of upward social and financial mobility.

At Arizona State University, I earned my BSE in Biomedical Engineering in 2016. I conducted undergraduate research through the FURI program, NSF-REU, and interned at C.R. Bard Biopsy Systems in quality engineering. I continued my engineering training at the University of Pittsburgh's Bioengineering PhD program. As an NSF-AGEP scholar and NIH-T32 trainee, I earned my PhD in Bioengineering in 2021.

I am currently an engineer for a global medical device company. My role is within product development and materials science.

Research in Drug Delivery

My research combined principles of biomaterials and pharmaceutical sciences to develop drug delivery systems for eye diseases. I focused on investigating therapies for the rare eye disease, cystinosis. I engineered biodegradable microspheres and thermoresponsive hydrogels to extend the release of cysteamine. To test the efficacy of our eyedrop, I evaluated our candidate eyedrop formulation in pre-clinical animals models . Our ultimate goal was to clinically translate our controlled release cysteamine eyedrop to cystinosis patients.

Engineering Education

I enhanced my drug delivery resarch by engaging in scholarly teaching through Pitt's Center for Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning. My teaching philosophy is centered on building inclusive teaching environments by including social sciences in engineering classrooms. I co-instructed an upper division bioengineering and chemical engineering course called Controlled Drug Delivery. My qualitative research evaluated student interest on public health topics (i.e., health disparities and social determinants of health) as it relates to pharmaceutical industries. A thematical analysis of qualitative data was conducted to determine common themes student's perceived as important to translate novel drug delivery systems to society.

Science Policy

As a bioengineer, I advocate for removing barriers to engage communities with science. Science policy serves as an opportunity for scientists and engineers to allocate resources for the public's best interest. I dipped my toes into science policy by entering a writing competition to produce a science policy memo on intersectional science. Our team of bioengineers and sociologists discussed the need to evaluate the definition of race and ethnicity for federal statistics in the U.S.. You can learn more about our team and policy memo in an interview by the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans In STEM (SACNAS).