Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, 202x
M.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, 2020
B.S., Chemical Engineering, Arizona State University, 2016
Foege Hall N330B
jaking11@uw.edu
LinkedIn
(she/her/hers)
Hailing from the mountains in northern Arizona, I came to UW to pursue my interests in biomaterials. As an engineer, I am naturally a problem solver and find the most inspiration working on problems in medicine, helping people most tangibly. I have experience with surface-polymerized nonfouling polymers via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), surface functionalization by plasma-deposition and subsequent halogen and thiol chemistries, microfluidics fabrication, and a variety of characterization techniques including x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy, in vitro radiolabeled protein adsorption quantification, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and ellipsometry. In the lab, my project is to increase the lifetime of insulin catheters by inhibiting occlusion via reducing the effects of the foreign body response (FBR). I utilize non-fouling zwitterionic polymers to reduce protein attachment and surface-conjugated synthetic interleukin-4 to encourage macrophages to an anti-inflammatory phenotype. Additionally, I have been successful in adding levofloxacin to the insulin catheter tubing and calculating by mathematical modeling the concentration over time of the extended release of the antibiotic to ensure inhibition of biofilm formation. Personally, I enjoy spending all free time in the Washington Cascade Range hiking, camping, swimming, skiing, and volcano viewing. I am also an avid runner and yogi and enjoy creating nutritious meals for myself and my friends and family.