Biological Engineering

  • Ethan Coleman stands in front of a scientific research poster titled “A Model for Diffusiophoretic Particle Transport in Acid-Base Reaction Fronts.†He is smiling, wearing a light blue shirt and dark pants, with a conference badge around his neck. A backpack and poster tube rest on the floor beside the display in a large convention hall.
    The recognitions reflect Coleman's work as a teaching assistant for six classes; his strong academic performance—including three graduate-level classes—and his research, where he served as first author on two papers stemming from his undergraduate thesis. It also reflects his time spent as a ChBE student ambassador.
  • Bruce Kirkpatrick smiling while sitting on a couch, holding a hairless Sphynx cat that looks off to the side. A textured gray blanket is draped over the back of the couch.
    Chemical and Biological Engineering PhD Student Bruce Kirkpatrick was honored with the 2025 Outstanding Dissertation Award. His hydrogel research supports technologies that enable 3D cell culture for tissue engineering and disease modeling, as well as acellular biomaterials for applications like controlled release of drugs or vaccines.
  • Arianna McCarty with her chin resting on her folded hand and blurred trees in the background.
    Arianna McCarty, a chemical and biological engineering senior, has distinguished herself through a remarkable combination of academic and research excellence, earning the Astronaut, Boettcher and Goldwater scholarships. Her research spans computational genomics, the respiratory microbiome and tissue engineering aimed at improving heart health.
  • Four panels showing simulated particle patterns in yellow and purple. The patterns include circular clusters, wavy stripes, a ring-like structure, and a dense linear band, illustrating different types of self-organized arrangements.
    Assistant Professor Ankur Gupta, the study’s lead researcher, and his team have developed a way to simulate natural animal patterns, including their imperfections. The findings could lead to new materials that turn to camouflage on demand.
  • Four researchers wearing lab coats and safety goggles pose together in a laboratory. The person in front holds a flask containing a bright yellow-green liquid, while the others stand behind her, smiling. Laboratory equipment and windows are visible in the background.
    A ÎÞÂëÊÓÆµ research team co-led by Distinguished Professor Christopher Bowman has received up to $5.8 million from ARPA-H to develop new treatments that temporarily suspend the immune response after severe burns or tissue injuries, aiming to reduce pain, speed healing and prevent long-term damage. The approach could also benefit patients with limited access to immediate medical care.
  • Saad Bhamla smiling in a lab setting, wearing glasses and a blue T-shirt that reads “Middle Earth’s Annual Mordor Fun Run†with a graphic of mountains and the Eye of Sauron.
    Saad Bhamla, a pioneering scientist known for studying unusual biological systems and inventing ultra-low-cost medical devices, will join the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the BioFrontiers Institute in August. His work blends biology, engineering and frugal science.
  • Kristi Anseth in a black, long-sleeved shirt,  next to a graphic of the NAE 2025 Founders Award medal
    Distinguished Professor Kristi Anseth, of chemical and biological engineering, designs biomaterials that interact with living tissues to promote repair and regeneration, aiding in healing injuries and diseases. Her lab works with hydrogels—a degradable biomaterial—to deliver molecules at the right time and sequence to accelerate the healing process.
  • Ted Randolph and colleague Robert Garcea pose for a photo with their lab in the background. Both are wearing jeans and casual shirts.
    ÎÞÂëÊÓÆµ researchers, led by Ted Randolph, a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, have developed a groundbreaking temperature-stable rabies vaccine that combines multiple doses into a single shot—an innovation that could vastly improve global access to life-saving immunization.
  • Professor Kristi Anseth is known for developing tissue substitutes that improve treatments for conditions like broken bones and heart valve disease. She recently made key discoveries about sex-based differences in cardiac treatment outcomes. Anseth is also among the few innovators elected to all three national academies: Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.
  • Underside of colorful gecko foot
    A gecko-inspired technology developed by the Shields Lab, in collaboration with doctors at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, uses a specially designed material that adheres to tumors inside the body and steadily releases chemotherapy drugs over several days—potentially allowing for fewer but longer-lasting therapies.
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