Category: Uncategorized

Earlier this summer, the Sharma Lab bid farewell to long-time lab member, Quincy Barton. Quincy will be working as a Research and Development Scientist at AstraZeneca. Congratulations to Quincy and we wish him the very best as he moves onto this exciting phase of his career!

This past year, Suzanne was elected Vice President of Education Outreach in Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society. Suzanne organized and led 10 free STEM-based experimental activities. These events were designed to complement the education received in Alachua County public schools for local K-12 students. Each activity had at least 35 kids signed up […]

The Sharma Lab closed out the academic year with dinner at Dr. Sharma’s house where we laughed over funny memories and admired the many accomplishments achieved over the last year. Although we are sad to see such familiar faces go at the end of the year, we are excited about the future endeavors that await […]

The Society For Biomaterials (SFB) hosted their 2023 Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA, themed “Rising the Translational Waves to the Future,” on April 19th-22nd. The meeting focused on breakthroughs in biomaterial science, translation of research to clinical application, next-generation medical devices, standards development, regulatory issues, and commercial realities. Suzanne, a third year PhD student, […]

On April 12th, the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering at UF hosted Undergraduate Research Day. Undergraduate Research Day is designed to showcase the quality of student research projects conducted during the academic year, as well as inspire classmates in biomedical engineer programs to pursue their research. Out of the thirty-two undergraduate poster […]

In March, Jessica was invited to speak as a FAB at the annual Silicon Valley Meetup hosted by the University Innovation Fellows at Stanford University. The University Innovation Fellows program seeks to empower students and faculty to become leaders of change in higher education. Jessica became a fellow in 2018 and has since participated in […]

A HUGE congratulations to Jillian for earning an engineering co-op position at Edwards Lifesciences in Irvine, California. Jillian will be joining a team led by Austin Griewe where she will continue the development of cutting-edge solutions for individuals battling cardiovascular disease. Although we are sad to lose Jillian this fall, we are excited to see […]

On Friday, March 24th, Jessica Aldrich, a fourth year PhD student, disseminated her research at the 12th Annual UF Biomaterials Day. The theme of this year’s Biomaterials Day was “Differentiating Scientists.” Jessica’s work titled “Cellular Uptake and Retention of an ROS Scavenging Biomaterial as a Chondroprotective Therapy for Osteoarthritis“ was one of twelve students selected […]

In March, Tolulope Ajayi attended the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) 49th Annual Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. NSBE is one of the largest student-governed organizations based in the United States. NSBE supports and promotes the aspirations of collegiate and pre-collegiate students and technical professionals in engineering and technology. Tolu stated that “it was […]

Tolulope Ajayi presented her work at the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) World Congress in Denver, CO! OARSI is the premier international organization for scientists and health care professionals focused on the prevention and treatment of osteoarthritis. At this conference, Tolu shared her research titled, “Non-Invasive ACL Rupture and Surgical Transection ACL Model Produce Unique […]

In February, Suzanne completed her first half marathon! The Gasparilla Distance Classic Half Marathon was held in Tampa, FL. It’s great to see the Sharma Lab students completing milestones both in and out of the laboratory.  

Undergraduate researcher, Jillian Jacek, was selected as a part of the 2023 University Scholars Program. This prestigious award is given to 200 undergraduate students across all disciplines at UF. Those selected are paired with faculty mentors to complete a research project throughout the year. Students who receive the award are expected to present their research […]

In February, Dr. Sharma and several lab members attend the Orthopedic Research Society (ORS) annual meeting in Dallas, TX. Jessica Aldrich presented her research via a podium presentation titled, “Cellular Uptake and Retention of an ROS Scavenging Biomaterial as a Chondroprotective Therapy for Osteoarthritis.” Jessica also presented a poster on former Master’s student, Tiffany Conklin’s […]

Kicking off 2023, Jillian, a Junior undergraduate student, was awarded the 2023 Luby Microgrant from the Warrington College of Business and Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center. Jillian received the maximum funding of $10,000 to kick start her company J2 Medical Technology. Her company will aim at building medical products to revolutionize the lives of individuals with […]

Long-time Sharma Lab members Quincy Barton and Tiffany Conklin graduated with their Master’s degree this past December 2022. We look forward to following their work and impact in the industry! Congratulations!

The Sharma Lab celebrated the end of a great semester with a White Elephant Gift Exchange Party. We hope that everyone had a restful break.

Matthew Rexroad, a Master’s student, was selected to be an HSF Scholar. The HSF selects 10,000 outstanding students as HSF scholars making this scholarship extremely competitive and prestigious. Matthew’s research focuses on the development of a non-invasive knee injury model for the study of post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Congratulations, Matthew!

On November 29th, the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering celebrated its 20th anniversary as a department by commemorating with Pruitt Research Day. At Pruitt Research Day, three pivotal leaders in the early development of the BME program gave the keynote speeches where they shared the successes of their research program and reflected […]

On November 12th, Nahis Cruz-Delgado presented her research at the American Institute for Chemical Engineers (AIChE) 2022 Annual Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. This conference is the educational forum for chemical engineers interested in innovation and professional growth. Nahis is an undergraduate student at the University of Puerto Rico who spent the summer conducting research in […]

National Nanotechnology Day (NanoDay) is a time to celebrate nanoscale engineering, science, and technology, to recognize researchers advancing the field, to applaud innovators translating outcomes into valuable products and services, and to increase understanding for its potential to positively impact lives.  This year, Jessica Aldrich and Quincy Barton represented the Sharma Lab. Jessica presented her […]

On Saturday, October 29th, the Sharma Lab gathered at Dr. Sharma’s house to watch the Florida Georgia football game. Win or lose, the Sharma Lab, family, and friends gathered to cheer on the Gators and eat amazing food, including a roasted pig! Go Gators!

This Halloween, the Sharma Lab partnered with the Allen lab to recreate the Land of Oz. The Sharma Lab was transformed into Munchkin Land and a yellow brick road led to the Emerald City. This year’s theme idea came from Jessica Aldrich, a PhD candidate in the lab, who is (fittingly) co-mentored by Dr. Sharma […]

Congratulations to Quincy Barton, who successfully defended his Master’s thesis on Friday, October 21st, 2022! The title of his defense was “Establishing Methodology for Probing Mechanisms of Nanoparticle Uptake in Natural Killer Cells” and reflected his work conducted as a researcher in the Sharma Lab. Quincy has been a member of the Sharma Lab since […]

From October 12-15, 2022, the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) held its annual meeting in the vibrant multicultural city of San Antonio, Texas. Four Sharma Lab members traveled to San Antonio to participate in the conference. Together, the Sharma Lab delivered three poster presentations and one podium presentation, visited the Alamo, and ate their fill of […]