Andrea develops synthetic molecules that can assemble into structures that resemble the behavior of natural proteins. She completed her PhD in Chemistry at Northwestern University where she designed and synthesized molecules that closely resemble proteins by mimicking the ability of a protein to adapt its structure and function in response to environmental changes, these synthetic molecules have many potential applications.
As a Schmidt Science Fellow, Andrea is working with Dr. Eric Appel at Stanford University where she will pivot into biomedical engineering. Andrea aims to develop biomaterials for controlled drug delivery to treat diseases such as diabetes by answering key questions relating to the design and mechanism of therapeutic biomaterials.
Andrea is motivated by a desire to improve healthcare solutions sparked by an intrigue in chemical design.