October 16, 2025

The School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems is pleased to announce the inaugural recipients of the Banu Onaral Global Innovation Partnerships (GIP) Fellowships. The fellowships were first announced in 2024 in recognition of Professor Banu Onaral's longstanding commitment to fostering synergistic global academic and innovation partnerships.

Fellows participate in a range of opportunities, including international research and innovation exchanges, joint degree programs, service through innovation projects, and hands-on experience in diverse settings with industry startups.

The inaugural recipients, as well as their proposed research projects and international collaborating institutions, are as follows:

Phoebe Ellin Chua
Degree: Honors BS/MS in Biomedical Engineering, with a focus on Biomaterials
Proposed Research: Developing immunomodulatory peptides to enhance cell-mediated tissue repair.

Partner institution and country: University of Nottingham, England


Paul DeSantis
Degree: PhD in Biomedical Engineering, with a focus on Biomaterials and Additive Manufacturing
Proposed Research: Learning new chemical characterization techniques to evaluate 3D printed polyaryletherketone (PAEK) medical devices.

Partner institution and country: University of Turin, Italy


Hailee Mayer
Degree: PhD in Biomedical Engineering, with a focus on Ultrasound Imaging and Signal Processing
Proposed Research: Evaluation of subharmonic-aided pressure estimation (SHAPE) of the splenic vein in patients with portal hypertension, under Dr. Annalisa Berzigotti.

Partner institution and country: University of Bern, Switzerland


Samuel Sung
Degree: PhD in Biomedical Engineering, with a focus on Biomaterials and Macrophage-based Cell Therapies
Proposed Research: Investigating the immunomodulatory effects of gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) on iPSC-derived macrophages (iMACs)  under Dr. Nico Lachmann.

Partner institution and country: Hannover Medical School, Germany

The inaugural Global Innovation Partnerships (GIP) Fellowships are made possible through the generous support of the Professor Banu Onaral Endowed Fund for Global Innovation Partnerships.
 
Established in honor of Dr. Banu Onaral, BIOMED professor and founder of Global Innovation Partnerships at Drexel, the Endowed Fund carries forward her legacy of translational research, biomedical engineering education, and impactful global collaboration. This fund plays a vital role in advancing the mission of Global Innovation Partnerships and in supporting future generations of GIP Fellows.

Make a Difference.

Contact Us

To learn more about supporting the GIP program, please contact Karen Shore at kes325@drexel.edu.