Nikhith K
- Research Program Mentor

PhD candidate at University of Texas Austin (UT Austin)

Expertise

Tissue Regeneration, Stem Cell Biology and Ethics, Cardiac Tissue Engineering

Bio

Hi Y'all! My name is Nikhith Kalkunte and I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. I did my undergrad at the University of Virginia, also in BME. My current research focuses on differentiating induced pluripotent stem cells into cardiomyocytes and assessing their functionality. We are looking at tissue engineering methods, like electrostimulation and alignment as methods to mature these cardiomyocytes into adult cardiac tissue. The end goal is develop a process by which we may generate healthy, patient specific cardiac tissue in the lab to help patients after a heart attack. In my free time, I love eating good food, rock climbing, and paddle boarding.

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

What are Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and how do they work?

Hearing the term "stem cells" can spark ideas of human cloning and bring to the surface its complex ethical history. In this project we will investigate the history of stems cells and learn about the revolutionary "new" technology of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and how they are created. The end product will be a substantial knowledge base in stem cell biology and application encapsulated in a research paper or presentation.

Cardiomyocytes: The Magic and the Mystery

In this project we will explore how cardiomyocytes work together to create a functional organ that contracts 100,000 times a day. We will learn about the mysteries that surround cardiac development and our barriers to developing healthy adult cardiac tissue in the lab. The end product will be a research paper or presentation detailing cardiomyocyte biology and development and an understanding of the current barriers in the field.

Coding skills

MATLAB, R

Teaching experience

Over the past few years as a graduate student I have TA'd 1 semester, which involved 2 weekly 1 hour discussion sections with undergraduate BME students. I have also individually mentored 1 high school student and 3 undergraduate students in individual research projects, leading to successful poster presentations at local and regional conferences.

Credentials

Work experience

University of Texas at Austin (2019 - Current)

Graduate Research Assistant

Education

University of Virginia

BS Bachelor of Science (2019)

Biomedical Engineering

University of Texas Austin (UT Austin)

PhD Doctor of Philosophy candidate