Biomedical Engineering Senior Accepted into NSF Research Academy

Alikhan Fidai, a biomedical engineering senior in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, has been accepted into the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Summer Research Academy (SRA) Abroad. He is studying in London this summer.

The program, funded by the National Science Foundation, gives students the opportunity to participate in STEM summer research programs, either locally at UT System institutions or globally at a lab of the fellow’s choosing.

“I have been extremely fortunate to have participated in both of these programs and have gained valuable research skills as well as mentorship from professors here at UT Dallas,” Fidai said.

Fidai has evaluated bacterial adhesion on dental biomaterials in Dr. Danieli Rodrigues’ Biomaterial for Osseointegration and Novel Engineering (BONE) lab. He was also mentored by Dr. Juan González, director of the LSAMP program at UT Dallas, dean of graduate education and Francis S. Johnson Chair for Graduate Education; and biomedical engineering graduate student Danyal Siddiqui.

“I had never conducted research before and was incredibly nervous, but through their mentorship I have gained the confidence and competence to conduct research and present our findings,” Fidai said.

Fidai is working with Dr. Rylie Green at Imperial College London to research living bioelectronics, focusing on differentiation mechanisms that can be used to guide the growth of cells from within devices and create functional synapses to target tissues.

Original News Center article here.