Melanie Gavilanes Farias
MIT Department: Mechanical Engineering
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Giovanni Traverso
Research Supervisor: Troy Kang
Undergraduate Institution: Florida International University
Hometown: Miami, Florida / Santo Domingo, Ecuador
Website: LinkedIn
Biography
Melanie Gavilanes is a dedicated biomedical engineering student passionate about integrating biomechanics and tissue engineering to develop innovative biomedical devices. Growing up in Ecuador, Melanie witnessed the pain endured by atherosclerotic vascular patients lacking access to life-saving devices. This experience ignited Melanie’s desire to develop low-cost technologies for failing organs, particularly the heart and liver. Through research experiences at Florida International University, Melanie delved into the mechanobiological mechanisms underlying cardiovascular diseases and explored transformative solutions. Melanie has also contributed to the monitoring and preventing of Legionnaires disease through molecular detection methods. Melanie is conducting groundbreaking research on drug delivery systems at MIT’s Traverso Lab in the Mechanical Engineering Department. Committed to inspiring future scientists, Melanie actively participates in STEAM outreach activities and hackathons. Melanie envisions a future of wearable biomedical devices at the intersection of vascular biology and medical engineering. With an unwavering dedication to diversity and integrity, Melanie aims to empower minorities around the world and inspire future young scientists to pursue their dreams.
