Bioengineering Graduate Students Receive External Fellowships

Three PhD students in the Swanson School’s Department of Bioengineering were awarded external fellowships from the National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association, and the Department of Defense this academic year. 

National Institutes of Health (NIH) F31 Fellowship

Meagan Makarczyk

F31 Fellowships from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) allow graduate students in the health sciences to develop their research. Makarczyk is a fifth-year Bioengineering PhD student working with Hang Lin, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery. Also a recipient of the ICMRS Webster Jee Young Investigator Award, her research focuses on developing microphysiological systems to model musculoskeletal diseases like osteoarthritis, as well as studying the mechanisms of musculoskeletal pain. 

"I am very excited to be selected as an F31 recipient, as this award will fund my thesis work. It will also help me be a competitive applicant for postdoctoral positions as I pursue a career in academia.” Makarczyk said. “I’m grateful for the support from the CATER and CBTP T32 fellowship programs and the departments of Bioengineering, Neurobiology, and Orthopaedic Surgery."

American Heart Association (AHA) Predoctoral Fellowship

American Heart Association (AHA) predoctoral fellowships support the next generation of heart health researchers through funding and mentorship for doctoral students who are committed to advancing the fight against heart disease and stroke. This predoctoral fellowship program funds up to three years of graduate studies, along with providing mentorship opportunities for students to work with some of the leading scientists and clinicians in the field of cardiovascular research.

Pete Gueldner

Gueldner is a 5th-year PhD bioengineering student, working in the Vascular Bioengineering Laboratory (VBL) with John A. Swanson Professor of Bioengineering David Vorp. Gueldner’s research focuses on the biomechanical analysis of aortic aneurysms, and he is developing a device to assess vascular tissue under physiologically relevant conditions to improve the prediction of aneurysm ruptures. 

"I am interested in modeling aortic aneurysms in the most physiologically relevant way and demonstrating that local material density is a predictor of failure," Gueldner said. “This innovative approach could lead to better non-invasive methods to assess aneurysm risk in clinical settings, and this fellowship gives me the freedom to work with my mentors to design a personalized training plan that prepares me for a career as an independent researcher.”

Department of Defense (DoD) NDSEG Fellowship

The National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship program was established by Congress in 1989 as an approach to increasing the number of United States citizens receiving doctoral degrees in science and engineering disciplines to Department of Defense (DoD) Relevance. The highly competitive fellowship program has awarded nearly 4,700 fellowships from over 70,000 applications since its inception.

Taylor Hobbs

Hobbs is a fourth-year PhD student researching upper limb sensory restoration for bi-directional brain-computer interfaces with Robert Gaunt, associate professor in the Department of Physical Medicine. Her research uses intracortical microstimulation in the human somatosensory cortex to create artificial sensations in participants' hands.

"Receiving this fellowship is an incredible opportunity, and it’s a validation of the hard work and passion I’ve put into my research,” Hobbs said. “Not only does it provide full funding for the remainder of my PhD, but it also offers the flexibility to explore new, innovative projects in my field. This kind of support allows me to focus fully on my research and push the boundaries of sensory restoration for brain computer interfaces.”