Karla N. Robles
Engineering, Tennessee State University
Overview:
Karla is a 2nd year PhD student in
Engineering and Computational Science at Tennessee’s only state funded HBCU,
Tennessee State University (TSU). Karla is a recipient of the National Science
Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship and an SMDP MedTech Scholar.
In her work, she develops and characterizes
sustained-release microcapsules for the immunotherapy of ovarian cancer using
electrohydrodynamic atomization (EHDA). Ovarian cancer, like many cancers, has
lower survival rates in women of color. A sustained-release therapeutic can
reduce the number of dose administrations, and this work will be particularly
impactful for patients for whom frequent access to healthcare is a difficulty.
As a scientist and engineer, she plans to continue to investigate health
disparities and to design therapeutics for women’s diseases. In her career, she
wants to build up inclusive communities where immigrants, people of color,
members of the queer community, neurodivergent people, people with
disabilities, and anyone with a journey is celebrated. Karla is an Ecuadorian
immigrant and a first-generation student – she enjoys writing, crocheting
amigurumi, and serves as a volunteer English instructor for adult Latinx
students.
Awards:
-SMDP MedTech Scholar, 2023
-NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, 2019