Penn Bioengineering

Congratulations to Flavia Vitale and Ritu Raman on receiving a Grainger Foundation Frontiers of Engineering (FOE) Grant from @theNAEng. The $30k grant supports interdisciplinary research sparked at the FOE Symposium, advancing new collaborations and ideas. Their project integrates bioelectronics with engineered tissue systems to enable precise control of cell communication. bit.ly/4tPH4W2

Celebrating our 2026 Bioengineering undergraduate award winners. Recognizing excellence in scholarship, leadership, research, and service across our community. Congratulations to this year’s honorees. Learn More: beblog.seas.upenn.edu/2026-ug-awards… @PennEngineers

Congratulations to César de la Fuente (@delafuentelab) on receiving the 2027 Biochemical Society Award for Significant Breakthrough or Achievement. His AI-driven approach to antibiotic discovery is accelerating the search for new treatments from years to hours, opening new possibilities for tackling antimicrobial resistance. @pennbioeng / @BiochemSoc bit.ly/41uWymi

It's almost time for Penn Engineering's 2026 Commencement ceremonies. Save the dates below if you haven't done so already. Doctoral Ceremony Date: Thursday, May 14, 2026 Time: 3:30-4:45 p.m. Location: Irvine Auditorium, 3401 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA Master’s Ceremony Date: Friday, May 15, 2026 Time: 2:00-5:00 p.m. Location: The Palestra, 223 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA Undergraduate Ceremony Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026 Time: 2:00-4:00 p.m. Location: The Palestra, 223 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA For full details on regalia, ticketing, campus information and more, check out the link: events.seas.upenn.edu/commencement/

Discovery. Translation. Impact. See what’s moving Bioengineering forward this month, from Luce Scholars to next-gen mRNA research in the March Newsletter. Read more: mailchi.mp/seas/be-march-… @PennEngineers

From studying Bioengineering at Penn to inspiring Ghana's future scientists. Alumna Elsie Effah Kaufmann (@elsie_effah) is helping shape STEM culture and education in Ghana through leadership and national outreach. Read more: newsghana.com.gh/prof-elsie-eff… @PennEngineers

Penn Engineers redesigned a key component of lipid nanoparticles used in mRNA vaccines. The new aroLNPs steer mRNA toward lymph nodes, potentially enabling more precise, lower-dose vaccines. “If we can make the delivery process more precise, we can potentially lower the dose needed to achieve immunity,” says Hannah Yamagata, a @pennbioeng doctoral student in the Mitchell Lab (@MJMitchell_Lab) and first author of the study. bit.ly/4sSAspY bit.ly/3NSd2Si

Four Penn third-years named 2026 Goldwater Scholars, one of the nation’s top honors for undergraduate researchers. Bioengineering student Ian Peng is advancing synthetic biology tools for precision medicine and gene therapies. bit.ly/3NSyAxW @PennEngineers

In @NatureMaterials, the lab of @MJMitchell in @pennbioeng redesigned lipid nanoparticles to boost mRNA vaccine performance while reducing common inflammatory side effects, thanks to chemistry that revs up the metabolism of immune cells. bit.ly/3NdvtAC

Congratulations to Yash Rajpal, a fourth-year studying bioengineering and biophysics in the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research, who has been named a 2026–27 Luce Scholar. A future leader building global experience across Asia. bit.ly/4bz0U0d @PennEngineers

Congratulations to @XueSherryGao on her lab's renewal of the Maximizing Investigators Research Award (MIRA) from the @NIH. The $2+ million award will fund five years of continued support for research advancing genome engineering and exploring fungal natural products as a rich source of small molecule therapeutics. #GenomeEngineering #SyntheticBiology #Biocatalysis #NaturalProducts #NIH / @CBE_Penn

Penn Engineering and @Rice_BIOE researchers refined a base-editing tool to more precisely change single DNA letters, dramatically reducing unintended “bystander” edits. Led by @XueSherryGao and Gang Bao, the work advances safer, potential therapies for cystic fibrosis and other genetic diseases. seas.upenn.edu/stories/engine…

The February 2026 Bioengineering Newsletter is out. Featuring AI in stroke recovery, rural health innovation, lipid nanoparticle discovery, alumni updates and faculty research highlights. Read more: bit.ly/4baw26e @PennEngineers

@ClaudiaLoebel has received the 2026 Young Investigator Award from @SFBiomaterials. The award recognizes outstanding early-career achievement in biomaterials research. Loebel’s work in mechanobiology is advancing how we understand tissue injury and healing. @PennEngineers

Nearly 100 Penn students recognized a faculty or staff member who made a meaningful difference in their academic experience. We are proud to share that LeAnn Dourte, Practice Associate Professor, was among those honored. #HigherEd #Mentorship @PennEngineers

Reimagining stroke recovery with AI. Shreya Parchure, bioengineering M.D.-Ph.D candidate, is developing AI-driven tools to personalize speech therapy and help survivors regain their voices. 🔗 bit.ly/4qAWcVn Photo credit: Penn Today @PennEngineer @PennEngAI

Featured in @NatureBiotech, @pranamanam shares what drives his work at the intersection of computer science and bioengineering, and how generative AI and programmable biology can help design molecules to cure disease. @PennEngAI @pennbioeng @CIS_Penn go.nature.com/4p3CeSr

Penn Engineering is proud to announce that two faculty members have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (@theNAEng), one of the highest professional honors accorded to engineers. @NaderEngheta, H. Nedwill Ramsey Professor in @ESEatPenn, and Karen Winey, Harold Pender Professor in @CBE_Penn and in @MSEatPenn, join the ranks of the distinguished members that comprise the NAE Class of 2026. seas.upenn.edu/stories/two-pe…

Congratulations to Professor César de la Fuente (@delafuentelab) named to Vox's “Future Perfect 25” for his work using AI to combat antibiotic resistance. 🔗 bit.ly/4rbKzFM @PennMedicine @PennMicro @CBE_Penn

Penn’s 2025 research portfolio showcases 20 of the University’s most collaborative breakthroughs. Five of those discoveries come from Penn Engineering, ranging from AI-powered weather prediction and cancer immunotherapy to micro-robotics, immune system modeling and carbon-absorbing concrete. penntoday.upenn.edu/news/penn-20-b…