We are excited to welcome Amari to the lab! As research technician, she will provide support to the current projects in the lab.

Over this previous summer, Dr. AF and Autumn traveled to Santa Barbara, California to participate in light scattering technology training hosted by the Waters | Wyatt Light Scattering University. There, they learned how to use dynamic light scattering and static light scattering equipment. These trainings are essential for characterizing the polymers and peptides used in the lab. For more information about this training program, please check out the following link: Light Scattering University (LSU) – Waters | Wyatt Technology.

On August 20, 2025, Autumn’s research on aquaporins was accepted for publication in the American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology. The paper details her undergraduate honors thesis work from her time at the University of Maryland. Attached is a link to her publication: Aquaporin 5 expression regulates MDA-MB-231 spheroid multicellular invasion. We are so proud of her and we are eager to support her as she continues ground-breaking research to fight against cancer.

We are excited to welcome Yugma to the lab! She will be working on improving drug delivery approaches in the context of the nervous system.

Summer is a great time to pursue your passions and enhance your professional skills. Here is how our undergrads made the most of this summer:

Raymond spent the summer in New York helping out with his parents’ business. He recalls that it was enriching to learn more about the business and take spend time with his family.

Ryan studied abroad in Galway, Ireland to partake in the BME Galway Summer Program. While taking fundamental BME coursework, he also traveled to places like Switzerland and London. He claims Edinburgh as his favorite destination.

Sathya studied abroad in the Biomolecular Engineering, Science, and Technology (BEST) Study Abroad Program in Lyon, France. She learned about lab techniques such as chromatography and distillation. She also traveled throughout France and visited a friend in Madrid.

David commuted to campus to advance ahead in BME coursework and worked part-time at a local restaurant. He also took some time to unwind with friends for a day trip at Lake Lanier, located an hour away from Atlanta.

Arha stayed on campus, coupling coursework with starting in the lab and making monumental progress with her research work. She spent her weekends with family and friends.

With everyone back on campus, we are looking forward to working together in the lab again!

We are pleased to welcome Sam, a Master’s student, to the Ackun-Farmmer Lab team! Sam will be with the lab for a year.

Dr. AF participated in a luncheon hosted by STEM Gems, an organization whose mission is to inspire young girls to pursue STEM careers. They conduct outreach by hosting camps and summits to connect girls with STEM role models.

Recently, Dr. AF attended the 2025 Cancer Nanotechnology Gordon Research Conference, a forum where scientists come together to discuss and present ground-breaking research in the field of cancer nanomedicine. During this event, she reconnected with a previous mentee.

We would like to welcome Arha to the lab as a new undergraduate researcher for the summer! We look forward to having her join the team and contribute her unique perspective.

After careful consideration, Nellie has decided to pursue a course-based Master’s at Georgia Tech as she explores the field of sustainable polymers for environmental applications. We were fortunate to recruit Nellie from Eli Lily as our first graduate student. Nellie has left an indelible mark on the lab by mentoring Raymond, assisting Autumn with her review paper, and leading our nanoparticle synthesis approach. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors!