Awarded in 2026
Home Department: Bioengineering
Faculty Advisors: Kyle Loh (Developmental Biology), Mark Skylar-Scott (Bioengineering), Hiromitsu Nakauchi (Genetics), Joanna Wysocka (Chemical & Systems Biology and Developmental Biology), Kristy Red-Horse (Biology), and Lay Teng Ang (Urology)

Research Title: Discovering the Brain Vasculature’s Surprising Origins to Engineer a Human Blood-Brain Barrier Model

The blood-brain barrier is a remarkable structure that shields our brain from harmful toxins and other substances in our blood. Anastasiia is trying to build the human blood-brain barrier in a Petri dish, inspired by how it is naturally built in the body. If successful, this could help us to discover new drugs and gain new insights about the workings of the brain.