This Summer the Magin Lab hosted five outstanding undergraduate researchers and we’re excited that three will continue their research into the Fall semester! Thank you for all of your incredibly hard work.
Blake Neiderlander (pictured above with his poster) from Allegheny College working through the Gates Summer Internship Program studied the influence of sex- and age-related biochemical cues from cell culture supplements on pulmonary arterial adventitial fibroblast activation. Lab Mentor: Mikala Mueller.
Saif Eldeen Noreldeen, University of Colorado, Denver | Anschutz, was a Summer Research Training Program Intern. He improved a technique for decellularizing lung tissue for incorporation into hybrid-hydrogel platforms that can be dynamically stiffened to study chronic pulmonary diseases. Lab Mentors: Rukshika Hewawasam and Rachel Blomberg.
Andrew Colson, University of Colorado, Denver | Anschutz, was a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Intern and worked on a synthetic chemical route to creating photodegradable hybrid-hydrogels to study the reversal of chronic lung diseases. Lab Mentor: Rukshika Hewawasam.
Layla Blair, University of Colorado, Denver | Anschutz, was a research volunteer this Summer. Her project included creating multi-cellular, 3D-bioprinted mimics of the pulmonary arteries to study cellular activation in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Lab Mentor: Duncan Davis-Hall.
Zoe Fry from Gonzaga University joined our lab to complete the research component of her degree in Biology. She evaluated the degradation rates of microspheres that were designed to dissolve in response to enzymes released by the cells within a 3D lung model. Lab Mentor: Rachel Blomberg. She wrote about her internship experience here:
My name is Zoe Fry, I am a rising junior at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. This summer I had the opportunity to work in the Magin lab for ten weeks. I am a biology major, and due to the COVID19 pandemic, prior to this summer I had little lab experience. Due to these two pieces I was excited, yet nervous to work in a bioengineering lab for the summer. Over the course of ten weeks I had an invaluable experience. I learned how to decipher research papers, run new technology and microscopes, formulate assays, and analyze data. My mentor, Rachel Blomberg, helped me through my specific research project throughout the summer. Not only was I able to learn about the specifics regarding my topic, during meetings each week I was able to hear about other labmates’ research. The collaborative and encouraging atmosphere of the Magin lab was a delight to be a part of for the summer.
Magin Lab 