Antonio received his bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University and holds a master’s degree in biomedical engineering. Following his master’s degree, Antonio worked at several tissue engineering startups, and developing patented large-scale bioreactors for cellular agriculture applications. Now pursuing a PhD in bioengineering, Antonio’s research focuses on designing 3D microfluidic models to investigate hemodynamics and clotting factor binding. An avid hockey fan and fitness enthusiast, he enjoys hockey nights at PPG Arena and weightlifting.

Isabel received her bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering, then her master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). After CMU, Isabel worked for two years at a small pharmaceutical company on multiomic analysis for neurological and rare pediatric diseases. She is now working toward her PhD in bioengineering, focusing on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine in cardiovascular disease. In her free time, Isabel loves to row and go on walks with her dog.

I received my Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in the Fall of 2024, then completed my Accelerated Master’s degree from VCU in the Spring of 2025. During my undergraduate experience, my interdisciplinary research assessed the therapeutic potential of extracellular matrix (ECM) nanoparticles for pulmonary diseases. I look forward to continuing my research utilizing the ECM in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications for cardiovascular diseases throughout my PhD in BioEngineering. Outside of academics, I enjoy cooking, painting, drawing (especially card-making!), and sunset walks.

Sydney received her Bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh. She then worked for four years at a medical device startup where she developed an implantable nerve cap for prevention of neuroma and associated pain after amputation. Sydney is now pursuing her PhD in Bioengineering with a focus on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine in cardiovascular applications. Outside the lab, Sydney is an avid crocheter and loves to be out in nature with her dog.

Oliver Santiago-Kermani joins the Shiwarski Tissue Engineering Lab as a PhD student in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh in 2026. He earned his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering from Yale University, with a concentration in biomechanics and mechanobiology. His undergraduate research bridged cell biology and fabrication: in the Wu Lab at Yale School of Medicine he used TIRF microscopy to study Rap1 oscillations and integrin-mediated adhesion, and in the Integrative Cardiac Biomechanics Lab he redesigned engineered heart tissue protocols using CAD and rapid prototyping, including building an automated device to improve reproducibility and throughput. Oliver brings hands-on expertise in 3D and resin printing, decellularization, and biomaterials preparation, and his graduate work focuses on 3D biofabrication of functional engineered tissues.

Sara Rothrock joins the Shiwarski Tissue Engineering Lab as a PhD student in the Department of Bioengineering in 2026, co-mentored by Dr. Afshin Beheshti and Dr. Sylvain Costes through Pitt’s Trivedi Institute for Space and Global Biomedicine. She earned a B.S. in Physics, with minors in Mathematics and Biology, from Baylor University, and completed a M.S. in Biomedical Engineering at Brown University. Her research centers on how human physiology adapts to spaceflight and other extreme environments. In the Lee Lab at Brown she develops engineered skeletal muscle constructs and microgravity culture hardware, including a system tested in parabolic flight, and through the Buckey Lab at Dartmouth she models cardiovascular responses to altered gravity. At Pitt, Sara combines this physics-grounded, interdisciplinary training with tissue engineering to advance space biomedicine and support human health beyond Earth.