Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University
Graduate Students
Dr. Abbie Clevenger (she/her)
Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering
Abbie is a Post-doc in BME at Texas A&M University, and the US Senator Phil Gramm Doctoral Fellowship Awardee. Abbie completed her Bachelor of Science in Engineering at Trinity University in San Antonio. Her past work at Trinity includes hydrogel wound dressings and inflammatory responses. She has loved studying engineering and has enjoyed seeing how it can be applied in various biomaterial applications. Abbie works on cancer mechanobiology, and studies how cells use mechanical stimuli within tumors to suppress the immune system. She loves sweet tea, Chic-Fil-A, and chocolate and loves to find the best places to eat when she is somewhere new! When she isn't in the lab or in the classroom, Abbie loves to travel around Texas and go camping, spend time on the lake or curl up with a good book!
Sabrina VandenHeuvel (she/her)
Ph.D. Candidate, Biomedical Engineering
Sabrina is a PhD candidate in BME at Texas A&M University. She was born and raised in Wisconsin and completed her Bachelor of Science in Materials Science & Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, receiving a Certificate in International Engineering from her time spent studying in Barcelona, Spain. Her previous research at UW-Madison was conducted in a Pediatric Oncology lab focused on cancer immunology and immunotherapy. In the Raghavan lab, Sabrina engineers metastatic therapy-resistant cancers to identify new forms of treatment for deadly metastatic cancers. Sabrina loves coffee, being active, singing, traveling and being outdoors!
Claudia Collier (she/her)
Ph.D. Candidate, Biomedical Engineering
Claudia is a PhD candidate in BME at Texas A&M University, a SMDP Scholar, and an NDSEG Fellow through the Army Research Office. She graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a bachelors of science in Biomedical Engineering. In the past, she has worked on utilizing microdiscs to activate neurons remotely and wirelessly. In the Raghavan lab, Claudia unpacks neuroinflammation in combat exposures during Gulf War Illness. While not in the lab, Claudia loves to workout, explore new places and watch live shows.
Dr. Astha Lamichhane (she/her)
Post-doctoral student, Biomedical Engineering
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Astha completed her PhD in Engineering at The University of Akron. She worked on understanding cancer drug resistance using tumor models. Originally from Nepal, where she did her undergraduate studies in Biomedical Engineering. Astha has a sweet tooth so she loves chocolates and ice cream. In her free time, Astha loves to cook, explore new places, listen to podcasts/songs and try new foods.
Lucy Nash (she/her)
Ph.D. Student, Biomedical Engineering
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Lucy is a first year Ph.D. student in BME at Texas A&M. Lucy is from Chicago and graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a bachelors of science in bioengineering. her previous research experiences have focused on ultrasound imaging of liver cancer and immunoassay development. In her free time, Lucy loves to hike, travel, play video games, and cook!
Karla Ortega-Sandoval (she/her)
Ph.D. Student, Biomedical Engineering
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Karla is a first year Ph.D. student in BME at Texas A&M. Karla is from Chihuahua, Mexico and completed her undergraduate degree at New Mexico State University in Chemical Engineering. She worked in a Flow Cytometry Lab studying drug resistance in breast cancer cells. Outside of lab, Karla likes to ride horses, travel, bake and watch movies.
Kate Maier (she/her)
Ph.D. Student, Biomedical Engineering
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Kate is a biomedical engineering PhD student at Texas A&M and a
College of Engineering Graduate Merit Fellow. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering. In the past, she has worked on utilizing biomaterials for cancer immunotherapy. In the Raghavan lab, Kate works on mechanobiology and cancer progression. Outside the lab, Kate loves to read books, listen to music, and try new foods!