MARC Students Visit the Fischell Institute

In December, the Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices hosted the inaugural cohort of students from the National Institute of Health-supported Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) program for a tour of the institute’s laboratory space, where they learned about the Fischell Institute’s mission and work.

MARC is a research training program designed to help break down barriers for students traditionally underrepresented in STEM. The inaugural award for the University of Maryland campus to lead the program was granted to several multiple principal investigators (MPI), led by Fischell Department of Bioengineering Assistant Professor and Fischell Institute Affiliate Fellow Katharina Maisel. BIOE Associate Professor, DEI Associate Chair, and Fischell Institute Affiliate Fellow Alisa Clyne is also a program PI.

During the student tour, Assistant Director Martha Wang discussed some of the biomedical devices the Fischell Institute has worked on. Students saw a prototype for a novel shoulder implant developed by MPowering the State Student Entrepreneurship Fellows Rayan Alabsi and Tejasvi Subramanya.

The tour concluded with a visit to the Fischell Institute Foundry lab space, where Wang showcased the workspace and equipment the Foundry uses. Wang explained how MARC students could get involved with the Fischell Institute, including applying for the Summer Research Internship and Fischell Institute and MPower Entrepreneurship Fellowship programs.

During their visit, students were interested in learning more about the institute.

“The MARC students were a dynamic group with many ways to contribute to our discussions,” said Wang. “I enjoyed having them visit and look forward to more visits in the future.”

Published January 4, 2024