Two PhD students and one master's student defended their theses this summer. Their degrees will be conferred in October. Congratulations to the new PhDs and ScM!

Casssady Rupert, PhD
Coulombe Lab

Stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes for engineering the human heart

Cassady's research focused on various aspects of cardiac tissue engineering from cardiac cell differentiation to electrical interactions between heterogeneous cell types in engineered tissues. She was the first graduate student in the group and her work was instrumental in establishing the Coulombe lab. She is a tireless student, exceptional mentor, avid marathon runner, wonderful friend, and a loving twin and m-auntie. We wish her the best in her postdoctoral studies at Yale! - The Coulombe Lab 

You can read more about Cassady in her 2017 student spotlight.

Rachel Deraney, PhD
Tripathi Lab

Sample Preparation and Nucleic Acid Extraction for Molecular Diagnostics: Innovations for Resource Limited Settings

Rachel has been a solid leader in the lab since we have joined the program. With a strong passion for applying her research in diagnostics into resource limited settings, she has been a great example for how hard work can lead you to a lot of success. Not only did she complete her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, she also earned her Master's in Public Health through the Brown Open Graduate Education Program. Through her busy schedule she always made time to share her research knowledge, revise a fellow lab mates paper, or be there to talk to whenever we needed. We will miss her next year! -Kiara Lee & Lindsay Schneider

You can read more about Rachel in her 2018 student spotlight.

Lilibeth Martinez, ScM
Tripathi Lab

Optimizing the Effects of Fragmentation Enzymes to Control for the Extent of Fragmentation

Lilibeth was a great addition to the Tripathi Lab. She is hard working, passionate, and did made innovative contributions to the lab. We will miss her friendship and wish her luck on her next steps! -Kiara Lee