Penn Bioengineering

04/17/2026

04/16/2026

Join us in celebrating our 2026 Bioengineering undergraduate award winners.

These students are recognized for outstanding achievement in academics, leadership, research, and service across the Penn Engineering community.

Their work reflects the curiosity, collaboration, and drive that define Bioengineering and shape what comes next.

Congratulations to all of this year’s honorees.

Learn More: https://beblog.seas.upenn.edu/2026-ug-awards-be-students/

Penn Engineering

04/14/2026

Reimagining how we treat the brain.

On the podcast "Unstoppable Strides: Navigating Runner’s Dystonia," Iahn Cajigas Gonzalez, Assistant Professor in Neurosurgery with a secondary appointment in Bioengineering, shares how deep brain stimulation (DBS) is helping patients regain control over neurological conditions.

By delivering carefully targeted electrical signals, DBS can help regulate brain activity in patients with Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, epilepsy, and more—especially when medications fall short . At Penn Medicine, this approach builds on years of expertise combining engineering and clinical care to improve patient outcomes .

Hear how this technology is changing what’s possible in neuroscience:

https://bit.ly/4tGX4JI

Penn Engineering

04/14/2026

It's almost time for Penn Engineering's 2026 Commencement ceremonies. Save the dates below if you haven't done so already.

Doctoral Ceremony
Date: Thursday, May 14, 2026
Time: 3:30-4:45 p.m.
Location: Irvine Auditorium, 3401 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA

Master’s Ceremony
Date: Friday, May 15, 2026
Time: 2:00-5:00 p.m.
Location: The Palestra, 223 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA

Undergraduate Ceremony
Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026
Time: 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Location: The Palestra, 223 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA

For full details on regalia, ticketing, campus information and more, check out the link:
https://bit.ly/3L6uADx

04/13/2026

Progress in Bioengineering is never just one story, it’s a collective push forward.

In this month’s newsletter:

• A student recognized as a Luce Scholar
• Faculty guiding the future of research and education
• New strategies to improve mRNA vaccines
• National recognition for emerging leaders

Explore the full newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/seas/be-march-2026-newsletter

Penn Engineering

04/06/2026

04/02/2026

A new era of research is here.

Penn’s newest supercomputer, Betty, is expanding what researchers can ask and answer. By dramatically increasing computational capacity, it enables deeper modeling, faster iteration, and entirely new lines of inquiry across disciplines.

“Betty is accelerating research across the spectrum. We have examples of computing times dropping from months to days and from weeks to hours,” says David Meaney, vice provost for research. “Just as importantly, faculty are now tackling problems that they thought they could never tackle, at speeds they could not imagine."

With this kind of power, discovery doesn’t just move faster, it expands. Enabling breakthroughs across fields and helping translate ideas into impact.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4m9tFFI

Penn Engineering

03/30/2026

Celebrating an incredible achievement.

Four Penn third-year students have been named 2026 Goldwater Scholars, a prestigious national award recognizing students pursuing research careers in science, engineering, and mathematics.

Among them is bioengineering student Ian Peng, who is developing synthetic biology tools for precision medicine and gene therapies, work that could shape the future of how diseases are treated.

Chosen from more than 5,000 nominees across the country, these scholars represent the next generation of innovators.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3NSyAxW

Penn Engineering

03/27/2026

The 2026 Bioengineering Graduate Research Symposium returns on April 3 at the Singh Center from 12:30 PM to 6:00 PM.

This signature event brings together the BE community to showcase graduate research, spark new ideas, and strengthen collaboration across disciplines. The program includes a keynote by Tejal Desai, student talks and posters, and a reception to close out the day.

Attendance is free and open to all BE students, postdocs, faculty, and staff.

Register here: https://bit.ly/48aHE8g

Join us and see where bioengineering is headed next.

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.