Penn Bioengineering

07/25/2025

At Penn, innovation thrives because collaboration happens naturally.

Twelve world-renowned schools — from Bioengineering to Medicine to Business — are all within walking distance, fueling the connections that turn bold ideas into reality.

At Penn Bioengineering, our work crosses traditional boundaries every day. Whether it's teaming up with the Perelman School of Medicine, tapping into insights from the Wharton School, or partnering with Nursing, Veterinary Medicine, or the School of Arts and Sciences — progress is built into the way our campus is designed.

One university. One ecosystem for innovation. One future reimagined, together.

See how close innovation really is with our interactive map: https://facilities.upenn.edu/maps

07/17/2025

Join us in congratulating Dr. Noor Momin of Penn Bioengineering on receiving the 2025 American Heart Association Transformational Project Award!

Her lab is pioneering a targeted immune modulation approach to prevent heart failure in heart attack survivors — a major step toward healthier, longer lives.

This award-winning research was catalyzed by support from The Center for Precision Engineering for Health, and reflects the bold, human-centered innovation happening at Penn Engineering.

🔗 Learn more about this incredible work: https://beblog.seas.upenn.edu/momin-aha-transformational-project-award

engineering alumni

07/15/2025

From Penn to the forefront of precision medicine, Kelsey Swingle, Ph.D. is redefining what's possible in reproductive health.

A proud alumna of Penn Engineering, Dr. Swingle is now launching her lab at Rice University, building on her groundbreaking work in mRNA delivery to treat pregnancy complications like pre-eclampsia.

Trained in Michael Mitchell’s lab at Penn Bioengineering and shaped by the vibrant, interdisciplinary ecosystem at the Center for Precision Engineering for Health, Swingle exemplifies the next generation of bioengineers — turning research into impact.

We’re proud to see her shape the future of women’s health with the same ingenuity and resolve she honed right here at Penn.

🔗 https://beblog.seas.upenn.edu/swingles-journey-penn-to-rice/

Engineering Alumni University Department of Bioengineering

07/09/2025

Join us in congratulating Dr. David F. Meaney, Senior Associate Dean at Penn Engineering and Solomon R. Pollack Professor in Bioengineering, on being named Vice Provost for Research at the University of Pennsylvania!

A cornerstone of Penn Engineering and Bioengineering Dr. Meaney has advanced cutting-edge work in neuroengineering and championed cross-campus collaboration. His leadership will now help guide research across all twelve schools at Penn.

Penn Engineering is proud to announce the appointment of David Meaney as the new Vice Provost for Research at the University of Pennsylvania.

Meaney is the Solomon R. Pollack Professor in Bioengineering and has served as the inaugural Senior Associate Dean of Penn Engineering since January 1, 2020. Prior to this role, he served as Chair of Bioengineering for more than 12 years.

Provost John L. Jackson Jr., who made the announcement, says, "He has an exciting and expansive vision for the future of research, which will be more important than ever as our strategic framework, In Principle and Practice, calls us to lead on the great challenges of our time, accelerating interdisciplinary innovation across our campus and our city.”

Congratulations to David Meaney on this new role.
https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/david-meaney-named-vice-provost-research-penn

06/27/2025

We’re proud to congratulate Dr. Kelly Jordan-Sciutto and Dr. Russell Composto on their appointments as Vice Provosts at Penn, effective July 1!

Dr. Kelly Jordan-Sciutto, a member of the Penn Bioengineering Graduate Group, will serve as Vice Provost for Graduate Education. A Professor in Penn Dental Medicine and Associate Dean of Organizational Effectiveness, Dr. Jordan-Sciutto brings a powerful interdisciplinary perspective shaped by deep engagement with research and mentorship across schools.

Dr. Russell Composto, Secondary Professor of Bioengineering and a member of the Penn Bioengineering Graduate Group, will take on the role of Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education. With a primary appointment in Materials Science and Engineering, Dr. Composto has long championed integrative, student-focused learning across Penn Engineering.

We are proud to see our faculty and affiliates stepping into roles that shape Penn’s academic mission at the highest level.

📖 Read more: https://bit.ly/40ihBrN
🔗 Learn about the BE Graduate Group: https://bit.ly/3FZRVtp

Penn Engineering

06/18/2025

We are proud to announce that Dr. Michael J. Mitchell, faculty member in Bioengineering, has been selected to receive the 2025 Kabiller Rising Star Award in Nanoscience and Nanomedicine.

“Receiving the Kabiller Rising Star Award is a true honor,” Mitchell said. “My lab designs new materials for drug delivery, with a major focus on next-generation lipidnanoparticles for nucleic acid delivery. Together with my colleagues and students, ourgoal is to engineer new mRNA lipid nanoparticle platform technologies beyond vaccinesto enable therapeutic breakthroughs in areas including cancer immunotherapy,autoimmune disease, cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders and fetal and maternal health.”

Learn More: https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2025/06/three-leaders-in-nanotechnology-receive-2025-kabiller-awards/

Congratulations to Dr. Mitchell on this well-earned recognition.

Penn Engineering Engineering Alumni

06/13/2025

Celebrating excellence in innovation and impact!

The 2025 Solomon R. Pollack Award honors four outstanding Penn Bioengineering Ph.D. students:

👶 Kelsey Swingle – targeting pre-eclampsia with mRNA nanoparticle therapies
🧬 David Gonzalez-Martinez – decoding cancer drug resistance
🧠 Harshini Chandrashekar – 3D genome mapping in Alzheimer’s
🔬 Nikolas Di Caprio – injectable platforms for cartilage regeneration

These rising leaders in bioengineering are shaping the future of human health through brilliant, translational research.

Read more about their work: https://beblog.seas.upenn.edu/2025-pollack-awards/

Penn Engineering Engineering Alumni

06/10/2025

Exciting science from Penn Bioengineering!

Assistant Professor Su Chin Heo is part of a research team studying how artery cells behave when blood vessels get stiff, something that can lead to heart disease.

They found that a protein called survivin helps these cells move more in stiff environments. When survivin was blocked, the cells slowed down—suggesting that survivin could be a new target to help fight heart disease in the future.

📖 Full article in APL Bioengineering: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0252766

Penn Engineering Engineering Alumni

06/06/2025

Congratulations to Dr. Mitchell of Penn Bioengineering on being elected to the Controlled Release Society College of Fellows!

This honor recognizes his exceptional and sustained contributions to delivery science—advancing how therapeutics reach and treat disease at the molecular level.

We’re proud to see Penn faculty at the forefront of biomedical innovation.

https://www.controlledreleasesociety.org/about-crs



Penn Engineering Engineering Alumni

06/03/2025

We are proud to announce that Dr. Michael J. Mitchell, faculty member in Bioengineering, has been selected to receive the 2025 Kabiller Rising Star Award in Nanoscience and Nanomedicine.

Dr. Mitchell is being recognized for his outstanding contributions to nanotechnology and nanomedicine, including the development of lipid nanoparticle platforms for mRNA delivery and a polymer-based "suit of armor" that improves the precision and effectiveness of CAR T cell therapies for cancer.

Congratulations to Dr. Mitchell on this well-earned recognition.

Engineering Engineering Alumni

05/30/2025

A simple test could help save a patient’s life—but only if it’s done in time.

Team PRIME built a device that automates capillary refill time measurement to support faster detection of sepsis in emergency and ICU settings.

Their work earned Second Place at the Minnesota Design of Medical Devices Competition and is already moving toward clinical trials.

Read how they brought it to life in Part 3 of our 2025 Senior Design Awards Spotlight: https://beblog.seas.upenn.edu/senior-design-awards-part-3/

05/29/2025

More than a billion people need glasses—but many don’t have access to an eye exam.

Team Prism Optics developed a portable, self-guided device that can determine a patient’s prescription without a trained optometrist. Their design earned the Leadership Prize at Penn Engineering’s 2025 Senior Design Competition.

Learn how their innovation is headed toward clinical trials and global deployment.

👓 Read the full story: https://beblog.seas.upenn.edu/senior-design-awards-part-2/