Neha Krishnan

I am currently a second year Biomedical Engineer at the University of Texas at Austin. In my first year of college, I started working in the Laboratory of Biomaterials, Drug Delivery, and Bionanotechnology, led by Professor Peppas with Dr. Lanier as my mentor. When I started working in the lab, I had no experience with laboratory research but through Olivia’s mentorship I reached the level where I was able to conduct portions of experiments without a guiding hand. I first started off working on a project that focused siRNA as a novel treatment for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). Through this project I learned how to synthesize cationic nanoparticles which are biocompatible and degradable for oral siRNA delivery. In addition to this, I learned how to test nanoparticle formulations in vitro. Currently I am working on a paper about drug delivery systems for immunotherapies for cancer. Throughout my experiences in the lab, Olivia has always taken the time to thoroughly explain the science behind the research allowing for me to expand my knowledge on the subject.