Department:
Biological Engineering and Small-scale Technologies, UC Merced

Faculty Advisers:
Valerie Leppert, Materials Science and Engineering, UC Merced
Henry Forman, Biochemistry, UC Merced

Project Title:
Mechanobiology of Silica Nanomaterials on THP-1 Human Monocyte-Derived Macrophages

Kennedy Nguyen is a rd year graduate student in Biological Engineering and Small-scale Technologies at the University of California, Merced, working under faculty advisor, Valerie Leppert. He completed his B.S. in Bioengineering with an emphasis on Bioelectricity and aminor in Chemistry at the University of the Pacific, in his hometown: Stockton, CA. In his research, he plans to explore how the physical and mechanical properties of silica nanomaterials, similar to those used in drug delivery, can affect the cell behavior of Alveolar Macrophages. His interests in research also include electron microscopy, materials science, chemistry, biology, and environmental engineering. His career goals are to eventually teach the next generation of engineers and scientists in the fields of material science and bionanotechnology. Outside of research, he enjoys science fiction, playing badminton, swimming, and practicing martial arts such as Shorin-ryu.