2013 Notre Dame Prep alum Connor Verheyen is helping to develop effective therapeutics for type-1 diabetes.
Connor Verheyen, a 2013 graduate of Notre Dame and current student at the University of Miami in Florida, has been chosen to present his research on an important biomedical engineering project at the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) annual meeting, which will be held October 7-10 in Tampa.
Along with Alice A. Tomei, Ph.D., assistant professor at Miami’s Islet Immunoengineering Lab and Vita Manzoli, senior research associate, Verheyen authored a research report titled “PEG-Reinforcement of Alginate Hydrogels Improves Capsule Stability for Pancreatic Islet Transplantation.” His work at the lab this year also earned him the Honors Summer Research Award from the university.
According to the university, the research focus of Dr. Tomei’s laboratory is to integrate immunological challenges with bioengineering platforms with the aim of developing novel therapeutics for type-1 diabetes. Veheyen, second from left, is with other members of the Islet Immunoengineering Lab at the Diabetes Research Institute of the University of Miami.
Now a junior at Miami majoring in biomedical engineering, while at Notre Dame, Verheyen was part of the 2013 NDP valedictory court and a member of the school's Environmental Club, National Honor Society, Retreat Commission and was an NDP student ambassador. He also participated in track and field, football, basketball and cross country for the Fighting Irish.
About BMES
The Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) is the professional society for biomedical engineering and bioengineering. Founded in early 1968, the society currently has nearly 6,500 members.
Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org.
Follow us on Twitter @NDPMA
About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.