Ph.D., Duke University, Biomedical Engineering; B.S., University of Virginia, Biomedical Engineering

Originally from India, Ankit completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at DAVV, Indore, and Ph.D. in bioscience and bioengineering at IIT Guwahati, India. His postdoctoral journey included a year at IIT Gandhinagar and two fruitful years at the Terasaki Institute in Los Angeles, USA. Ankit's significant contributions to the field have centered on developing biomaterials to address a broad spectrum of clinical challenges, particularly in cancer therapy, abdominal aneurysm management,...

Jin is originally from Busan, S. Korea. He received his bachelor’s degree at NC State and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at LSU before joining the Shields’ Group in June 2021. His research focus is developing medical micro/nanorobots for targeted drug delivery in vivo using acoustically self-propelling active colloids. In his free time, Jin enjoys watching movies, hiking, and playing guitar. Profession: Best Baker

Courtney is a first-year graduate student in the Biomedical Engineering program dual mentored between the Shields lab and the Bitler lab at University of Colorado- Anschutz. She received her B.S. in Physics from Furman University in Greenville, SC and spent a year working in digital pathology at Inotiv in Boulder, CO. Her research interests are digital pathology, clinical applications, and designing immunotherapeutics for targeting ovarian cancer tumors. Courtney is on...

Taylor is a third-year graduate student in the Bioengineering program. He is a local Coloradan who grew up in Colorado Springs and received his B.S. in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Colorado State University. His research interests include engineering photo-stimulatory and acoustically responsive colloidal systems for targeted delivery and release of immunotherapies to tumors. In his free time, Taylor enjoys running, hiking, and golfing. Profession: Sean White's Backup Rider

Nicole is a fifth-year graduate student, originally from Portland, Oregon. She got her bachelor's degree from Oregon State University in Bioengineering. Her research focuses on using magnetically responsive systems, including particles and hydrogels, for remote control over the delivery of cancer immunotherapies. She is also passionate about mentorship and K-12 STEM outreach. Outside of research, she enjoys spending time hiking, biking, and running with her dog. Profession: Cell Babysitter

Alanna is a second-year graduate student in the Chemical Engineering program. She received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arizona in her hometown of Tucson, AZ. Alanna’s research interests include the engineering and control of active particles for biosensing and other biotechnological applications. Outside of the lab, Alanna enjoys baking, playing sports such as volleyball and golf, and is learning how to ski for the first time!...

Abby is a second-year graduate student in Chemical Engineering. She received her bachelor's degree in Chemistry and English from the University of Virginia. Her research interests include mapping immune cell responses to pressure changes and other environmental stresses. In her free time, she enjoys doing puzzles, reading, and exploring Colorado. Profession: Tea Queen

Collin is a second-year graduate student in the Chemical Engineering program. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, he received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame. In the lab, Collin is particularly interested in magnetic active particles and microrobotics for applications in drug delivery. When he is not in the lab, you can find him hiking, skiing, climbing, running, camping, or doing any outdoor activities that Colorado has...

Kendra is a third-year graduate student in the Materials Science and Engineering and the Interdisciplinary Quantitative Biology programs. She received her B.S. in Physics with a Biomedical Concentration from the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. Her research interest is to leverage externally controlled active particles/microrobots for biological applications such as drug delivery. Outside of the lab she enjoys reading, cooking, sports, and all things outdoors. Profession: Athlete of the...

Matthew is a Materials Science & Engineering graduate student from Morris Plains, New Jersey. He received his B.E. in Biomedical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. His research looks at cell-mediated drug delivery of nanoparticles. When not in the lab, Matt likes to swim, go to concerts, and eat ramen! Profession: Second Best Banana Bread Baker

Leslie is a second-year graduate student in Chemical Engineering. She completed her undergraduate degree in 2017 from the University of New Mexico, and worked at NASA for 5 years on systems intended to search for microbial life in space. Now, her research interest lies in developing technologies for the benefit of mankind — tailoring the properties of acoustic nanoparticles for the rapid diagnosis of infectious disease. Outside of the lab,...

Ritu is a first-year graduate student in the Chemical Engineering program, who completed his undergraduate degree at Cal Poly Pomona. Ritu has an interest in developing models for the phenomena that govern active colloidal and microbot movement in biological media. He hopes to utilize the developed models for drug delivery and other biomedical applications. When he isn't working, he enjoys getting to be outside hiking and backpacking, or spending time...

Cooper is a fifth-year Biological Engineering graduate student who received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2018. His research involves functional particle engineering, acoustofluidics, electrokinetics, and biomedical device design, primarily for the advancement of diagnostic technologies. Cooper is an active mentor to undergraduates at CU and is involved with several local K-12 outreach efforts. Apart from research, Cooper enjoys snowboarding, woodworking, painting, and...

Katie is a first-year graduate student in the Bioengineering program. She grew up near Portland, Oregon and got her B.S. in Chemical Engineering at Oregon State University. Her research interests include designing low-cost, cell-based immunotherapeutics that can target cancer tumors and be purified using sound waves. Outside of the lab, Katie enjoys cooking, spending time outside, and taking on more art projects than she can finish. Profession: Salad Sommelier