BME Research Expo Showcases Students’ Research Acumen

More than 60 undergraduate and graduate students presented their research posters at the 2023 BME Research Expo, the department’s biggest annual event.

“This year was probably the most robust and engaged participation we’ve had from students,” said Senior Academic Advisor Diana Wilson, who has helped plan and execute the event since it began with BME’s inception 11 years ago.

All presenters conduct research in faculty labs, and some are also Gore Scholars, who are paid a stipend by event sponsor W.L. Gore and Associates. Gore judges awarded prizes to seven undergraduate students or teams, while the graduate-level competition was judged by graduate students.

Wilson was glad to see several nontraditional students among the winners. Some came from backgrounds often underrepresented in engineering, while others have overcome academic difficulties.

“These are students who have maybe had to fight their way through a little harder. And now here they are standing out with their research and earning prizes,” she said. “It also serves as a validation for students that their work outside the classroom is meaningful and can help them toward future connections as much as work they do in the classroom.”

Building Knowledge and Confidence

Junior Marcus Cathey won Most Creative for his poster. He has worked in assistant professor Minkyu Kim’s lab since fall 2021. Cathey is helping to create an injectable hydrogel to treat atherosclerosis – a buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances in and on the artery walls.

Presenting at the expo was a valuable experience, he said.

“It was a fantastic opportunity to showcase my contributions on my project and helped me gain more experience presenting more complicated concepts,” he said.

Cathey attributes his award to the novelty of his project and his presentation of the material.

“I did a good job highlighting that there are many possibilities with our protein polymer design,” he said.