Robyn Birch is originally from Manitoba. She completed her BSc degree in Biosystems Engineering at the University of Manitoba, specializing in Biomedical Engineering. She has previous work in textiles engineering related to fabrication of polymer nanofibers. In her free time, Robyn enjoys, hiking, running, playing sports and reading.
Tianhao Jia is originally from Jinan, China. He completed his BEng and MEng degree at Shandong University, China. In 2023, he began his PhD work in the further development of CAD/CAM/CAI software under the guidance of Prof. Hsi-yung (Steve) Feng in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UBC. Tianhao enjoys playing badminton and photography in his free time.
Jingqi Lei is originally from Shaanxi, China. He completed his BSc Honours degree in Biochemistry and Chemistry at the University of British Columbia. In 2022, he began his MSc work in the development and characterization of protein-based biomaterials under the guidance of Professor Hongbin Li in the Department of Chemistry at UBC. Jingqi enjoys watching YouTube and listening to music in his free time.
Kezi Li completed his MSc in Robotics at Johns Hopkins University and his BSc in Mechanical Engineering at Pennsylvania State University. He is a first-year PhD student studying and researching laser-based additive manufacturing, supervised by Professor Nagamune and Professor Jin in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He enjoys playing basketball, snow skiing, and skateboarding.
Hikaru Noguchi was born in Kanagawa, Japan. She completed her BSc in Chemistry at Osaka University. She began her MSc under the guidance of Prof. Michael Wolf in the Department of Chemistry at UBC. Her research focuses on sulfoxide bridged anthracene molecules and studying their photophysical properties. In her free time, Hikaru enjoys to practice martial arts and go around the city for good boba drinks.
Andrea Ortiz was born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico. She received her BEng in Nanotechnology from ITESO and a MSc in Materials Science from Universidad de Guadalajara. In 2022, she began her PhD work under the guidance of Prof. Mark MacLachlan in the Chemistry Department at UBC. Andrea is interested in studying various nanomaterials and the composites they form to explore different applications, including 3D printing. Her hobbies include reading, baking, and walking her dog.
Behnam Panahi was born in Tehran, Iran. He earned his BSc in Chemical Engineering from Sharif University of Technology. He also received an MSc in Biomedical Engineering from Sharif University. In 2022, he began his PhD studies in Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering at UBC’s School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME) under the supervision of Professor Nozomu Yachie, Professor Glen Tibbits and Professor Mohsen Akbari. In his spare time, Behnam enjoys soccer, volleyball, and swimming.
Victor da Silva is originally from São Paulo, Brazil. He completed his BSc Honours in Science and Technology and BEng in Biomedical Engineering, both at the Federal University of ABC (UFABC), Brazil. He had the chance to work for one year at a medical company as a P&D analyst, focused on developing and optimizing filament extrusion to suture treads. He joined the Willerth Lab at the University of Victoria in January 2022 to pursue his MAsc and is currently studying alternatives to bioprint heart models. In addition, Victor has experience with bioprinting applied to neural tissue.
Yuheng Song is originally from Nanjing, China. He recently received a BSc degree from the University of Waterloo’s Honours Materials and Nanosciences Program. Starting in September 2022, under the supervision of Professor Hongbin Li, he is a first year PhD student focusing on single molecule atomic force microscopy. Yuheng loves going to the zoo and aquarium for relaxation.