Grant Barringer
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Major: Biomedical Engineering (Minor: Business)
Supervisor: Ana Salazar-Puerta, Ph.D.
About Me:
I am a third year Biomedical Engineering student at the Ohio State University originally from Lewis Center, Ohio. I began working in the Gallego-Perez lab in November of 2022 with Dr. Ana Salazar-Puerta to investigate the use of engineered extracellular vesicles to induce cellular reprogramming for an overall therapeutic effect. My first project in the lab initially focused on utilizing these vesicles to reprogram endothelial cells in macrophage-like cells to measure how this method could be used to treat calcified aortic stenosis in patients with heart disease. After working on that project, I’ve now moved on to my current project, where I’m investigating how engineered EVs can induce the reprogramming of fibroblasts into endothelial cells to promote blood flow for damaged peripheral sciatic nerves.
Outside of the lab, I work as a Head Teaching Assistant for Ohio State’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, where I act as a supervisor for other General Chemistry lab TAs to ensure the quality of general chemistry education for all students. I also spend my time volunteering in the Emergency Department at the James Cancer Hospital, where I help take care of patients and their families as they’re receiving medical care.
After graduating, I plan to pursue a Ph. D. in Biomedical Engineering to continue developing my knowledge of this field while also enhancing my skills and experience as a researcher. With my Ph.D., I then plan to work in Research and Development Engineering to investigate potential applications of cellular engineering and nanotechnologies to provide and improve treatments for chronic health disorders.
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