Joseph Yu, second-year PhD student and Ryan O’Hara, a newly appointed PhD student, both in the lab of Dr. Natalia Trayanova, Murray B. Sachs Professor of Biomedical Engineering and ICM core faculty member, have been awarded National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships. Each fellowship provides a stipend of $34,000 and a cost-of-living education allowance per year for three years. The selected awardees represent a wide range of scientific disciplines, as well as proven potential for significant research achievements that can “propel the country’s future innovations and economic growth.”

Joseph’s primary research interests include cardiac regeneration and whole-heart computational modeling. He is currently studying how somatic mosaicism, a condition that may arise when mutations occur during early development, can lead to severe arrhythmias such as Long QT Syndrome.

Ryan is interested in advancing the capabilities of translational medicine with patient-specific, computational models of the cardiac anatomy, in addition to applying these models in order to noninvasively determine the relevant factors of a procedure. By tailoring procedural planning to individual patients, Ryan aims to contribute to successful clinical outcomes.

Way to go, Joseph and Ryan!