Achievement

IGERT-LifeChips trainee, Melinda Simon, set up a collaborative project between her Biomedical Engineering lab and a lab in the Ophthalmology department to study the effect of mechanical force on corneal cells using microdevices. Melinda and her lab partners have constructed a novel device, and although it has not yet been tested with corneal cells, they are excited about the potential of the device. The project is in its early stages of development. After securing some preliminary data with cells adhered to the devices, Melinda and her colleagues plan to secure funding for their project and eventually publish a conference and journal article on the project's results. IGERT funding allowed Mindy to expand her research focus and form a collaborative partnership with a lab in the School of Medicine.