Sahana Sateesh
Sahana is a senior graduating in Spring 2026 with a B.S. in Bioengineering: Nano & Molecular Engineering with Departmental Honors and a minor in Data Science. She began her research journey in the summer after her freshman year in Professor Alshakim Nelson’s lab in the Chemistry Department, where she investigated stimuli-responsive polymer-protein composites for 3D printing applications. This hands-on experience showed her how tuning molecular structures can create novel hybrid materials, and how combining them with biological systems can lead to innovative solutions – an experience that cemented her interest in research.
Building on that foundation, Sahana continues her work in the Nelson Lab, where she now develops 3D-printed Engineered Living Materials (ELMs) that embed the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica within polymer matrices to degrade oil in wastewater – creating sustainable materials for environmental remediation. She has been fortunate to receive support for this work through the Mary Gates Research Scholarship and the Washington Research Foundation Fellowship.
In Summer 2025, Sahana participated in an NSF-funded REU at the UC San Diego Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, where she worked in Professor Nicole Steinmetz’s lab on virus-like particle nanocarriers for targeted cancer therapy. This experience expanded her lab skills in bioconjugation and protein engineering, gave her practical insight into creating nanomaterials for therapeutic applications, and further supported her preparation for graduate research.
Sahana is also a Team Lead of LegUp Prosthetics, a subteam of Bioengineers Without Borders, which develops transtibial prosthetics for children in underserved communities. She enjoys engaging with the community through the Society of Women Engineers as part of the high school outreach team. Her long-term goal is to develop targeted delivery systems that overcome biological barriers in hard-to-treat diseases. She views pursuing a PhD as the next step toward this goal, which motivated her to apply to programs through the UK scholarships. In her free time, Sahana enjoys drawing (often sketching UW architecture) and traveling.
Goals
After earning my B.S., I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in bioengineering, where I can focus on engineering biomolecules for therapeutic applications. In the long term, my goal is to develop targeted treatments for hard-to-treat diseases. I hope to advance this work through a career in the biotech industry.
Tips
Connecting with potential research advisors and reading their work can be very helpful when developing your proposal, as they often provide valuable feedback. I also highly recommend meeting with OMSFA advisors frequently - they offer great guidance throughout the application process.
