Graduating Undergrad Awarded National Science Foundation Fellowship

Jonathan Chang, BME student, was selected as a winner of the Graduate Research Fellowship Program from the National Science Foundation. This award comes with an annual stipend of $34,000 dollars for three years, as well as $12,000 dollars to go towards tuition and fees. It also provides opportunities for international research, professional development, and the freedom to conduct their own research at any accredited U.S. institution they choose for graduate school. Previous fellows of this grant include Steven Chu, U.S. Secretary of Energy, and Sergey Brin, the founder of Google. This grant is awarded to outstanding graduate students who are pursuing a research-based master’s and doctoral degree.

 

Chang’s research focuses on building models of tumor microenvironment using microfluidic techniques. More specifically, his research looks at how a specialized cell type called a “cancer-associated fibroblast” contributes to disease progression. The models that Chang helps create is used to test the effect of different drug treatment on cancer behavior, thus allowing researchers to know a more effective treatment plan for cancer patients.

 

Chang is from Gahanna, Ohio and is a fourth year in BME. Although he hasn’t made a final decision as to where he plans on attending school, he will be pursuing his PhD next year. After completing his PhD program, he wishes to become a professor and run his own research lab. Chang is advised by Dr. Jonathan Song, assistant professor in Mechanical and Aerospace engineering and graduate faculty advisor in BME.