Lab News & Announcements

Dr. Leipzig Named 2026 Recipient of the Louis A. Hill Award

Dr. Nic Leipzig has been named the 2026 recipient of the Louis A. Hill Award, the College of Engineering and Polymer Science's highest recognition for outstanding faculty achievement across research, teaching, and service. The selection committee highlighted Dr. Leipzig's well-rounded contributions to the college — including a strong record of impactful teaching, extensive service, and research excellence — and noted especially the meaningful mentorship reflected in nominations submitted by his students. Congratulations, Dr. Leipzig!

Usaid and Pokharel at Regional SFB 2026 in Cleveland

Ahmed Usaid and Rounak Pokharel shared their work and connected with regional researchers focused on biomaterials and their application to biomedical problems at the Regional Society for Biomaterials meeting hosted by Cleveland State University. Both were selected to give talks in addition to presenting posters — congratulations to them!

Bradshaw, Pokharel, and Usaid Present at UA Graduate Research Day 2026

At the University of Akron's Graduate Research Day, Katie Bradshaw, Rounak Pokharel, and Ahmed Usaid presented the lab's latest progress on strategies for repairing injuries to the central nervous system as well as biomaterial approaches for liver organoid study.

Isabel Taylor Joins the Leipzig Bioengineering Group as a PhD Student

We are thrilled to welcome Isabel Taylor to the lab! Isabel joins us in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and will be pursuing her doctoral degree as part of the Leipzig Bioengineering Group. We are excited to see the fresh perspectives and energy she brings to the team, and we look forward to supporting her growth as a researcher.

Lab Members Present at SFB Annual Conference in Atlanta

Vasanti Dhakate and Ahmed Usaid represented the Leipzig Bioengineering Group at the Society for Biomaterials (SFB) Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. The students presented their latest work on biomaterial strategies for spinal cord injury repair and liver organoid platforms.

Jianyu Hao Joins the Lab to Pursue a PhD

Welcome to Jianyu Hao, who joined the Leipzig Bioengineering Group in January 2026 to pursue doctoral research. It's great to have Jianyu joining us, and we look forward to the impact his contributions will have on the lab's projects.

Usaid and Pokharel Honored with Departmental Awards

The Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering at the University of Akron recognized two Leipzig Lab members at its end-of-year awards ceremony. Ahmed Usaid received the Best Teaching Assistant Award for the second consecutive year, honoring his exceptional dedication to student learning and his contributions in the classroom. Rounak Pokharel was honored with the Outstanding Research Award, recognizing the impact and quality of his doctoral research. Congratulations to both!

"Teaching has been one of the most rewarding parts of my PhD journey. I genuinely love interacting with students, helping them work through challenging concepts, and getting opportunities to deliver lectures and grow as an educator. Thank you to the department for this recognition and for the generous iPad award this year. Grateful for the students, faculty, and mentors who continue to shape my teaching journey."

Dr. Leipzig Attends AIChE Annual Meeting in Boston

Dr. Leipzig attended the student portion of the AIChE Annual Meeting in Boston in his role as Team Advisor for the University of Akron's Chem-E-Car team. The team's car — creatively named PV = nCARt — became a fan favorite for its clever twist on the ideal gas law and won Best Team Name. At Nationals, the team delivered an impressive performance: their first run landed just one meter short of the target, and their second run came within 0.326 meters of the exact 19-meter mark. Against 53 international teams, Akron proudly placed 7th overall. Dr. Leipzig also got to catch up with friends from his Rice University graduate school days — with some Halloween fun mixed in!

Congratulations to the Newly Minted Dr. Hannah Durr!

Hannah Durr successfully defended her PhD dissertation, "Development of Antibacterial Hydrogels with Regenerative Benefits for Infected Wound Healing," on June 3rd, 2025. Hannah's doctoral work has made outstanding contributions to the lab's wound healing research program. She will be heading to the University of Illinois Chicago next month to begin a Postdoctoral Fellowship. Congratulations, Dr. Durr — we are incredibly proud of you and wish you all the best in this exciting next chapter!

Lab Members Present at SFB Annual Conference, Chicago

Rounak Pokharel, Ahmed Usaid, and Oluwaseyi Shofolawe-Bakare represented the Leipzig Bioengineering Group at the Society for Biomaterials (SFB) Annual Conference in Chicago, Illinois. The team presented their latest work on biomaterial strategies for spinal cord injury repair and tissue engineering.

Dhakate, Durr, and Bradshaw Present at UA Graduate Research Day

Vasanti Dhakate, Hannah Durr, and Katherine Bradshaw showcased their research at the University of Akron's Graduate Research Day, highlighting ongoing work from the lab on wound healing hydrogels and CNS injury repair strategies.

Bradshaw and Shofolawe-Bakare at UA Biomedical Engineering Research Day

Katherine Bradshaw and Oluwaseyi Shofolawe-Bakare presented at the University of Akron's Biomedical Engineering Research Day in March 2025, presenting their research on biomaterial scaffolds for spinal cord injury and tissue regeneration.

Lab Receives Planning Grant for Smart PPE Development (MAPPS)

The Leipzig Bioengineering Group is part of an awarded ReDDDoT Phase 1 Planning Grant for the project Materials Advancement through PRECEDE-PROCEED for Safety (MAPPS). The project addresses a critical need for responsible development of advanced personal protective equipment (PPE) for hazardous materials (hazmat) operators — including emergency medical technicians, police, fire, and nursing personnel.

The project applies the evidence-based PRECEDE-PROCEED framework combined with a gamified design process to engage end users and materials scientists at the University of Akron. The resulting action plan will guide the design and deployment of smart, responsive PPE incorporating mechanochemical and Ohmic sensing of mechanical failure alongside colorimetric indicators for chemical and biological exposure — leveraging UA expertise in polymer design, additive manufacturing, and printed electronics. The project is also integrated with the NSF i-Corps™ program to bridge research ideation and real-world stakeholder needs across the full disaster cycle.

Bradshaw and Durr Give Podium Presentations at BMES Annual Conference

Katherine Bradshaw and Hannah Durr delivered podium presentations at the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Annual Conference in October 2024. Podium presentations reflect the strong impact and significance of the research being conducted in the lab.

Dr. Leipzig Promoted to Full Professor

Congratulations to Dr. Nic D. Leipzig on his promotion to Full Professor in the Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering at the University of Akron. This achievement reflects Dr. Leipzig's outstanding contributions to research, teaching, and service throughout his tenure at UA.

Lab Group Kayaks on the Cuyahoga Valley River

Lab members took a break from the bench to enjoy a group kayaking outing on the Cuyahoga Valley River. Team outings help strengthen the collaborative and supportive culture that makes the Leipzig Bioengineering Group a great place to do science.

Oluwaseyi Shofolawe-Bakare Joins as Postdoctoral Research Associate

Welcome to Oluwaseyi Shofolawe-Bakare, who joined the Leipzig Lab in July 2024 as a Postdoctoral Research Associate supported by the Department of Defense Spinal Cord Injury Research Program. We look forward to the expertise and new perspectives Oluwaseyi brings to the team.

Ahmed Usaid Joins the Lab to Pursue a PhD

Welcome to Ahmed Usaid, who joined the Leipzig Bioengineering Group in August 2023 to pursue doctoral research. We are excited to have Ahmed on board and look forward to seeing the contributions he will make to the lab's research programs.

Lab Awarded $750,000 DoD Spinal Cord Injury Research Grant

The Leipzig Bioengineering Group received a $750,000 three-year Investigator-Initiated Research Award from the Department of Defense (DoD) Spinal Cord Injury Research Program. This competitive award will support the lab's work developing novel biomaterial strategies to promote repair and functional recovery after spinal cord injury.