Principal Investigator
Susan E. Leggett
Susan Leggett is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She is an Associate Member in the Cancer Center at Illinois and an Affiliate in the Carl R. Woese Institute of Genomic Biology.
Susan received her B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Vermont in 2013 and Ph.D. in Pathobiology from Brown University in 2018. She completed postdoctoral training at Princeton University as a New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science Fellow in 2022. She joined the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioengineering in January 2023. She has been awarded several honors in her field of expertise and has received national recognition; She is a 2012 Goldwater Scholar and was named a 2021 Rising Star in Engineering and Health by Columbia and Johns Hopkins University.
Graduate Students
Rana Abbed
Ph.D. student in Bioengineering
B.S. in Bioengineering, 2023, University of Illinois Chicago
“I am interested in creating microfluidic devices for cell culture applications”
B.S. in Bioengineering, 2023, University of Illinois Chicago
“I am interested in creating microfluidic devices for cell culture applications”
Anastasia Shostak
Ph.D. student in Bioengineering
B.E. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 2023, Vanderbilt University
B.E. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 2023, Vanderbilt University
Undergraduate Students
Ahmad Al-Juboory
Bioengineering, Class of 2024
“I am really interested in using my skills and knowledge to help work in the field of cancer research.”
“I am really interested in using my skills and knowledge to help work in the field of cancer research.”
Stephanie Maria Espino
Bioengineering, Class of 2026
“I am interested in cancer research related to drug discovery and model systems.”
“I am interested in cancer research related to drug discovery and model systems.”
Nicole Southey
Bioengineering, Class of 2024
“I am interested in the mechanisms of cell movements and tracking capabilities to visualize cancer cells.”
“I am interested in the mechanisms of cell movements and tracking capabilities to visualize cancer cells.”
Hetvi Nikulbhai Patel
Honors Molecular and Cellular Biology, Class of 2026
“I am eager to discover more about breast cancer and develop innovative solutions that can allow for early detection and treatment.”
“I am eager to discover more about breast cancer and develop innovative solutions that can allow for early detection and treatment.”
Eliza Refaqat
Bioengineering, Class of 2024
“I am interested in using technologies and engineering principles to study the interaction of cancer cells with their microenvironment”
“I am interested in using technologies and engineering principles to study the interaction of cancer cells with their microenvironment”
Darian Jason Tabrizi
Bioengineering, Class of 2027
“I aspire to make advancements in oncology through utilizing computational models of cancer.”
“I aspire to make advancements in oncology through utilizing computational models of cancer.”