People

Ester J. Kwon is an Associate professor of Bioengineering at the University of California San Diego. Dr. Kwon earned her B.S. in Bioengineering and B.A. in Molecular & Cell Biology at UC Berkeley. She went on to earn her Ph.D. at the University of Washington in Bioengineering with Suzie H. Pun, where she engineered polymeric nanoparticles that were grafted with peptides to give them biological function for the delivery of therapeutic nucleic acid into the central nervous system. Her postdoctoral research was completed in the laboratory of Sangeeta N. Bhatia at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There, she engineered several nanomaterial scaffolds for application to cancer, bacterial infections, and traumatic brain injury. Her lab in the Bioengineering Department at UCSD engineers nanoscale tools, diagnostics, and treatments for diseases of the central nervous system. In order to fulfill these goals, Dr. Kwon is motivated to create an inclusive research environment through the individualized mentorship of trainees and outreach to young scientists. Dr. Kwon is a recipient of the pre- and post-doctoral NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards, the 2018 NIH Director’s New Innovator award, a 2021 NSF CAREER Award and the Joan and Irwin Jacobs-Kavli Foundation Chancellor’s Endowed Faculty Fellowship in Brain and Mind.

Sangwoo is interested in researching targeted-therapeutic RNA delivery systems for the treatment of traumatic brain injury and diseases of the brain. In his spare time, he enjoys working out and hanging out with friends.

Marianne Madias is pursuing a Ph.D. in Bioengineering at UCSD. She is interested in using nanomaterials to develop innovative technologies for the treatment and diagnosis of diseases affecting the nervous system.

Jason Wu is pursuing a Ph.D. in Bioengineering at UCSD. He is interested in using nanomaterials for targeted therapeutic delivery to treat neurodegenerative diseases and to modulate the immune response after traumatic brain injury. In his spare time he enjoys Latin dancing and longboard surfing with his friends.

Katelyn Miyasaki is pursuing a Ph.D. in Bioengineering at UCSD. She is interested in developing nanomaterials for targeted drug delivery in order to increase specificity and efficacy of drug action and reduce off-target effects. Outside of the lab, she enjoys playing badminton and writing fanfiction.

Yazmin is pursuing a Ph.D in Bioengineering at UCSD. She is interested in developing nanoformulations for targeted delivery of therapeutics to treat traumatic brain injury and brain infections. In her free time, she enjoys reading, trying new food, and exploring San Diego with friends.

Akash is a PhD Student in the Bioengineering department at UCSD. He is interested in using nanomaterials to develop therapeutics for neurological diseases and understand those diseases using computational systems. He obtained his B.S. in Bioengineering from UCSD. Outside of the lab, he enjoys reading, trying different cuisines and activities with friends.

Jonathan is pursuing an M.D. and Ph.D. in Bioengineering at UCSD and is co-advised by Dr. Dan Kaufman. He is interested in developing an in vivo Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) using a targeted lipid nanoparticle (LNP) vehicle to treat malignancy and autoimmune disease. During his time off, Jonathan enjoys playing tennis, hiking, and eating out.

Woojung is a visiting Ph.D. student from Prof. Jinmyoung Joo's group at Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology. She is interested in developing nanoparticles for neurodegenerative diseases and loves playing instruments.

Emma is interested in using nanomaterials for targeted delivery to immune cells during lung infections. Outside of the lab, she enjoys weightlifting, crafting, and spending time with friends.

Sameera is a bioengineering undergraduate student at UCSD. She is focused on synthesizing and characterizing nanoparticles for drug delivery and retention in the brain. Her hobbies include making digital art and playing the piano.

Elizaveata is a bioengineering undergraduate student at UCSD. She is planning to persue a graduate degree to further interests in targeted drug delivery for secondary injury after mechanical injury. Outside of her studies, Elizaveata enjoys long distance running, surfing, and crocheting.

Catharine is a bioengineering undergraduate student at UCSD. She is interested in developing nanosensors for neurological diseases and plans to go to graduate school to further her studies. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, playing the piano, and exploring San Diego.

• Nicholas Mininni - Summer REU 2018. Currently an undergraduate at North Carolina State University.
• Alexander Yan - Undergraduate researcher 2018-2020. Currently a NSF GRFP PhD student at the University of Washington.
• Joseph Rich - Summer REU 2019. Currently a NSF GRFP PhD student at Duke University.
• Jae Lee - 5-year BS/MS program 2020. Currently working at Cue Health Inc.
• Katherine North - UCSD Bioengineering MS thesis student 2020-2021. Currently working at Maze Therapeutics.
• Hope Leng - Undergraduate researcher 2019-2021. Currently a NSF GRFP PhD student at Stanford University.
• Alan Hurtado - Undergraduate researcher 2019-2021. Currently a NSF GRFP PhD student at Vanderbilt University.
• Bolarin Lawrence - Undergraduate researcher 2020-2022. Currently working at Pfizer.
• Lauren Waggoner, PhD - PhD student in Nanoengineering 2018-2022. Currently at Nitto Biopharma.
• Julia Kudryashev, PhD - PhD student in Bioengineering 2018-2022. Currently at QuidelOrtho.
• Sophia Warlof - Undergraduate researcher 2020-2023. Currently a PhD student at UCSD.
• Rebecca Kandell, PhD - PhD student in Bioengineering 2019-2023. Currently at Ionis Pharmaceuticals.
• Bernice Lozada - Undergraduate researcher 2021-2023. Currently a PhD student at the University of Chicago.