Two first-year students from Clarkson University’s Bioengineering Research Education to Accelerate Innovation in STEM (BOREALIS) Scholars program, Rose Leader and Ciara Nuesi, recently presented their research at the recent Northeast Bioengineering Conference (NEBEC). The conference, hosted by the Stevens Institute of Technology, provides a platform for budding engineers and researchers to showcase their innovative work in the field of bioengineering.
Leader, a mechanical engineering major, minoring in biomedical engineering, gave a poster presentation titled “Investigating the Effects of Stiffness and Viscoelasticity on Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell (hMSC) Immunomodulation,’ which delves into chronic, non-healing wounds. Her research focuses on variations in immunomodulatory potential as a result of differences in hMSC interactions with different PAAm (polyacrylamide) gels, and was completed in the Almeida Biomaterials Lab for Stem Cell Engineering run by Clarkson Assistant Professor Dr. Bethany Almeida.
Nuesi’s abstract, titled “Synthesis of Iron Nanoparticles (NP) Through Chemical Reduction,” explores the synthesis of iron NPs and the effect of varying parameters on the characteristics of NPs. Nuesi’s investigation centers around the optimization of nanotechnology and its processes. Nuesi is studying civil engineering at Clarkson, with a minor in biomedical engineering. This work was completed under the mentorship of Clarkson University Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science Melissa King.
Also at the conference, Bethany Almeida, Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and mentor in the BOREALIS Scholars Program, was named a Faculty Innovator for her work titled “Advanced Biomaterials Mimicking the Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Microenvironment to Control Cell Behavior,” which was focused on the design of an engineered hydrogel with enhanced mechanical properties toward improving stem cell cartilage regeneration.
The BOREALIS Scholars program at Clarkson University is renowned for nurturing exceptional talent and diversity in science and engineering, and is supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (1-R25-EB033080-01A1). Leader and Nuesi’s participation at NEBEC underscores the program’s commitment to fostering a culture of research excellence among its participants. The program is currently recruiting incoming first-year students to participate.
For more information about the BOREALIS Scholars program, please visit clarkson.edu/borealis.
