Student Spotlight | Alexandra Snyder, Biomedical Engineering
Alexandra Snyder knew from a young age that she wanted to be a part of the medical profession.
Growing up she was also always drawn to toys that involved creating and building something.
“I have always had an interest in engineering, when I was little, I wanted the LEGO and construction sets. I also really liked watching medical dramas and reading medical books, looking up different illnesses,” she said.
“But I kind of knew I didn’t want to be a doctor, I knew medical school was not going to be for me. But then I saw biomedical engineering as an option for majors and I looked into that and decided I will make the medical equipment and treatments doctors use to help patients.”
So, as a senior at Center Hill High School in Olive Branch, Miss., Snyder decided to enroll at the University of Memphis to pursue her dreams of contributing to science.
Now as a senior biomedical engineering major in the Herff College of Engineering, as well as a student in the Helen Hardin Honors College, she is bringing her imagination and passion researching fabrication techniques into engineering the immune system’s response to tissue engineered vascular grafts under the lab of Dr. Gary Bowlin, interim department chair, professor and Chair of Excellence in the Biomedical Engineering Department.
“I’ve really enjoyed the University of Memphis because the engineering department is small and the class size to professor ratio is pretty small. You’re able to get to know all your professors really well which is part of what helped me get into research. With research, I’ve also been able to travel,” she said. Snyder has been able to visit cities including Nashville, Tenn, and Vienna, Austria as part of her research.
Research Alongside Faculty
As a role model for girls interested in engineering, Snyder serves as an ambassador for the STEM field, visiting local schools and serving as a panelist advocating for women in engineering. “I didn’t have a lot of those opportunities when I was younger. I just kind of had to figure things out myself,” she said. “Being in engineering, there’s not a lot of women around, so recruiting more women to know that it’s OK to be in engineering and they can survive and get through as well, is good.”
By combining her love of engineering and medicine, Snyder has had the opportunity to study and perform research alongside faculty in the development of 3D biodegradable vascular grafts. Currently most of the vascular grafts used for treatment of cardiovascular diseases and medical emergencies such as a heart attacks are made from a non-degradable material which cells in the body have difficulty adhering too and often need replacement within six months to a year. The use of biodegradable vascular grafts will allow the grafts to degrade naturally overtime as cells grow into it and will result in only native tissue left instead of a permanent piece of plastic in the body. Bowlin’s lab utilizes near field electrospinning of materials which allows for specific fiber alignment and spacing to accommodate different cell responses in the body.
Bowlin said, “Alexandra Snyder’s passion for both engineering and medicine has driven her to the forefront of biomedical design and innovation. Through her research in my lab, she has demonstrated an exceptional ability to merge creativity with scientific rigor, contributing to advancements in tissue-engineered vascular grafts. Her dedication to solving real-world medical challenges, combined with her commitment to inspiring future engineers, makes her a true student leader in the field.”
“It’s really exciting to be one of the few people that gets to be a part of this type of technology solving really big problems like cardiovascular disease which is responsible for one in three deaths every year,” Snyder said. “Most adults will be diagnosed with cardiovascular disease in their lifetime so it’s really cool to be able to work on things that will affect such a large group of people.”
After graduating in May, Snyder will be a part of the CorAmi Biotech team where she will assist in researching hydrogels to promote cardiac tissue healing in cardiovascular disease. In the fall, she plans to start as a PhD student with the joint Biomedical Engineering Program with the UofM and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
