Fischell Institute Welcomes 2026 Summer Research Interns

This June, the Fischell Institute welcomed its fourth cohort of Summer Research Interns. Five individuals from a pool of over 300 applicants were selected to work on four unique research projects within institute-affiliated labs.

The Fischell Institute Summer Research Internship program pairs institute faculty and partners with driven undergraduate and graduate students interested in life science research-related career paths. During the program, those selected gain hands-on research experience, mentorship and career guidance.

These five individuals were selected for the 2026 cohort:

Kishore Krishnakumar, a rising sophomore studying electrical engineering, will join Fischell Institute Director Bill Bentley’s Biomolecular and Metabolic Engineering Lab. Working with Ben Wu, a fifth-year bioengineering doctoral candidate in the lab, Krishnakumar will help advance an automation platform designed to streamline lab tasks for electrochemical experiments by integrating new hardware components, conducting validation studies and evaluating the system's performance.

Kaitlyn Ro, a rising bioengineering senior, will rejoin the Payne Group, led by Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research Professor and Fischell Institute Fellow Greg Payne, to continue research on oxidative stress and the gut-brain axis. Her project, which she started in the summer of 2025, aims to generate systems-level measurements to help researchers better understand the relationship between diet and mental health.

Minh Nguyen, a rising sophomore studying computer engineering, will become the first Fischell Institute Summer Research Intern to conduct research in Baltimore at the Optics Biotech Lab. Led by Giuliano Scarcelli, Fischell Department of Bioengineering professor and Fischell Institute fellow, the lab develops advanced optical imaging technologies for biological research and clinical medicine, including Brillouin microscopy, which uses light to measure the mechanical properties of biological tissue. Nguyen will help improve the system’s stability and data-analysis capabilities through optical imaging, instrument development and software validation.

Another first for the 2026 cohort is the Institute’s partnership with UCleaner, a College Park, Md.-based medical device company focused on transforming personalized oral hygiene through innovative bioengineering approaches.

Alexandra Tombleson, a rising junior studying biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University, will help develop UCleaner’s software user interface for its dental prosthetic device that monitors oral health conditions. Tombleson will also conduct market analysis and technology background research while evaluating commercialization strategies for regenerative dental technologies.

Jaehee Yi, a rising junior studying mechanical engineering at Northwestern University, will enhance the design of UCleaner’s proprietary oral hygiene device for dental implant and prosthetics patients. Additionally, Yi will support process engineering efforts aimed at improving workflows tied to the company’s regenerative dental technology research and development initiatives.

The Fischell Institute Summer Research Internship Program is a paid opportunity open to any student interested in gaining hands-on lab experience in the field of life sciences. Each year, the program receives over 100 applicants for a small number of research projects uniquely focused on medical device development and biotechnology advancements.

Published June 11, 2026