Penn Bioengineering

03/18/2026

Penn Engineers have redesigned lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to potentially make mRNA vaccines more effective and better tolerated.

By modifying the chemistry of the ionizable lipid, a key LNP component, researchers boosted the metabolism of certain immune cells, improving their performance while reducing inflammation tied to common vaccine side effects like fever and fatigue.

“Instead of accepting a trade-off between efficacy and side effects, we’re beginning to see that chemistry can help us improve both," says Michael J. Mitchell, Associate Professor in Bioengineering (BE) and the study’s senior author.

https://bit.ly/3NdvtAC

Penn Bioengineering

03/17/2026

A Bioengineering senior is heading abroad as a 2026–27 Luce Scholar.

Yash Rajpal, who is studying bioengineering and biophysics in the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research, has been selected for the prestigious Luce Scholars Program, which provides young leaders the opportunity to live and work in Asia.

His work reflects the interdisciplinary mindset at the core of Bioengineering, where students bridge fields and apply their knowledge in ways that extend beyond campus.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4bz0U0d

Penn Engineering

03/12/2026

How can artificial intelligence support the discovery of new antibiotics?

In a recent Stat News article, Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez, Presidential Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry, Microbiology, Bioengineering, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Chemistry, and Henry Skinner, CEO of the AMR Action Fund, explore both the opportunities and the structural considerations shaping antibiotic innovation.

AI tools can rapidly analyze large datasets and identify promising molecular candidates, opening new possibilities for drug discovery. At the same time, the authors note that economic and policy frameworks play a key role in determining whether new antibiotics advance from research to real-world use.

The piece offers an informed perspective on how science, industry, and policy intersect in the evolving landscape of antibiotic development.

Read the full article in Stat News: https://bit.ly/4rvQMLR



Penn Medicine / Penn Medicine- Clinical Research / Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department, Penn / Penn Engineering

Economic reality and the persistent absence of funding stand in the way of using AI for antibiotic breakthroughs.

03/04/2026

The February 2026 Bioengineering Newsletter is now available.

Inside this issue:

• AI tools advancing stroke recovery research
• Improving health care delivery in rural India
• A high-tech beanie supporting premature infants
• New platforms accelerating lipid nanoparticle discovery
• Faculty and alumni news and recognitions

Catch up on the latest stories and milestones from our community.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4baw26e

Penn Engineering

02/25/2026

Claudia Loebel, Reliance Industries Term Assistant Professor in Bioengineering, has been awarded the 2026 Young Investigator Award from the Society For Biomaterials.

The award recognizes outstanding achievement in biomaterials research at the early career stage.

Loebel’s research explores mechanobiology and mechanosensing in fibrosis and tissue injury, expanding how we understand the dynamic relationship between materials and living systems. Her work reflects Penn Bioengineering’s commitment to advancing fundamental science while shaping translational impact.

We congratulate Loebel on this well-deserved honor and celebrate the continued momentum of Penn Engineering research.

Penn Engineering

02/19/2026

Inside Skirkanich Hall, Bioengineering students do more than study innovation. They build it.

The George H. Stephenson Foundation Educational Laboratory & Bio-MakerSpace serves as the Department’s primary teaching lab and an open space for creativity, collaboration, and entrepreneurship. From biomechanics and biomaterials to microfluidics and medical device development, students gain hands-on experience that prepares them to lead.

As highlighted in this Technical.ly article featuring Sevile Mannickarottu and the Bio-MakerSpace team, thriving makerspaces are powered by people, systems, and support.

At Penn Engineering, makerspaces are where students build technical skills, test ideas, and connect with a community. These spaces can spark new companies, grow technical confidence and create lasting networks.

In a recent article for Technical.ly, Sevile Mannickarottu, founder of the Bio-MakerSpace at Penn, alongside current director Michael Patterson and developer Carolyne Godon, shares lessons on how to make these spaces thrive. Their biggest takeaway has little to do with tools or square footage, and everything to do with people, systems and support structures.

“The most important lesson is this: A makerspace is not a place, it’s a system.”

Read the full article today.

https://technical.ly/entrepreneurship/what-makes-makerspaces-work-guest-post/

02/17/2026

Excellence in engineering education extends beyond the classroom. It is built through mentorship, rigor, and meaningful connection.

As part of the Quaker Wellbeing Survey, students were invited to recognize someone who made a lasting difference in their Penn experience. Nearly 100 students took part in this effort.

We are pleased to share that LeAnn Dourte, Practice Associate Professor, was among those honored.

Through her leadership and dedication to student development, Dourte contributes to a learning environment where students are challenged, supported, and inspired.

Penn Engineering

02/16/2026

Helping stroke survivors find their voices again.

Speech loss after a stroke can be isolating and life-altering. Shreya Parchure, bioengineering M.D.-Ph.D candidate, is leveraging artificial intelligence to better understand how speech changes after stroke and how personalized, AI-guided therapy could help patients recover more effectively.

By combining bioengineering with artificial intelligence, this research aims to improve speech rehabilitation by making it more precise, data-driven and adaptable to individual patients. The long-term goal is to equip clinicians with smarter tools and expand access to high-quality recovery pathways beyond the traditional model of care.

Because restoring speech isn’t just about words. It’s about restoring independence, confidence, and human connection.

Learn more:https://bit.ly/4qAWcVn

Photo credit: Penn Today
Penn Engineering / Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Doctoral student Shreya Parchure and her team evaluated the usefulness of an AI tool for personalizing speech therapy for patients with post-stroke aphasia.

02/11/2026

Penn Engineering is proud to announce that two faculty members have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), one of the highest professional honors accorded to engineers.

Nader Engheta, H. Nedwill Ramsey Professor in Electrical and Systems Engineering, and Karen Winey, Harold Pender Professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and in Materials Science and Engineering, join the ranks of the distinguished members that comprise the NAE Class of 2026.

Engheta is known for his pioneering work in metamaterials and photonics, and his lab focuses on the physics and engineering of fields and waves and the various features and characteristics of wave-matter interaction in metamaterials and metasurfaces.

A leading researcher in polymer-based nanostructured materials, Winey and her lab currently concentrate on nanoparticle and polymer dynamics in electrochemical devices.

https://www.seas.upenn.edu/stories/two-penn-engineers-elected-to-national-academy-of-engineering/

National Academy of Engineering / Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department, Penn

02/11/2026

Bioengineering at Penn is for students who want more than a degree.

It’s where ideas become discoveries, curiosity becomes impact, and graduates step into careers shaping health, technology, and the world ahead.

This is where what’s next begins.

Penn Engineering

02/06/2026

Proud to see Bioengineering represented in Penn’s 2025 Research Portfolio, highlighting 20 of the University’s most collaborative breakthroughs. Two featured discoveries from BE underscore the power of cross-disciplinary work, led by Ravi Radhakrishnan, Herman P. Schwan Department Chair of Bioengineering and Cesar de la Fuente, Presidential Associate Professor.

Penn’s 2025 research portfolio highlights 20 of the University’s most collaborative breakthroughs. Five featured discoveries from Penn Engineering reflect the breadth of work underway across AI, health, materials science and robotics.

Highlights include a machine-learning model for more accurate weather prediction, new insights into improving CAR T cancer therapies, the world’s smallest programmable autonomous robots, mathematical decoding of an ancient immune defense system, and carbon-absorbing 3D-printed concrete.

Read Penn Today’s full "20 Breakthroughs of 2025" portfolio.

https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/penn-20-breakthroughs-2025

02/05/2026

The January Bioengineering newsletter is now available.

Featuring a message from the Chair, faculty appointments and promotions, student achievements on the national and international stage, and recent media coverage, this edition captures the energy and impact of our community as we head into 2026.

Read the full newsletter and stay connected.

🔗 January Newsletter: https://bit.ly/4rywMZj

Penn Engineering