Age: 29
BS biomedical engineering ’11
Founder and CEO, BioAesthetics; PhD candidate, Tulane University
My Greatest Accomplishment
Taking the work I have done in an academic lab and creating a spinout company, BioAesthetics, a startup regenerative medicine company focused on developing nipple-areolar complex grafts for breast reconstruction, with a target population of women who have undergone mastectomies due to breast cancer. Having an idea, prototyping it, then attempting to commercialize the product is an exciting process, but developing a product that could potentially impact breast cancer survivors is the most rewarding accomplishment.
How Drexel Helped
By teaching product development through the curriculum and senior design. I was fortunate enough and extremely grateful to have my first research experience in the laboratory of Margaret Wheatley, PhD, during my freshman summer through the Pennoni Honors College Star Scholars Program. I learned how to take an idea and see if it had potential. I was always encouraged to take smart risks, and to always think translationally. My mentors and advisers relentlessly supported me and were always there, whether I succeeded or failed, to help me plan the next steps — that still holds true five-plus years after graduation.
Where I’ll Be In Five Years
I have learned to plan ahead but to take it one day at a time. In five years, I hope to still be working hard and enjoying it.