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.

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!

At the Ackun-Farmmer Lab, we firmly believe that creative endeavors are essential for shaping an enriched perspective both in and out of the lab. One of our scientists, Autumn Hengen, channels her creativity through photography.

On March 25, Canadian actor/rapper Connor Price took the stage at The Eastern as part of his The Friends & Family Tour. Autumn sprung into action, effectively capturing Price’s enthusiasm and dedication through her lens. Her approach to photography embodies her persistence and compassion in the lab.

Take a look at Autumn’s photos and insightful perspective on the event, now published in Half Moon Magazine: Connor Price brings music, comedy to Atlanta. We look forward to supporting Autumn as she continues her photography!

We are proud to share that Raymond was recently distinguished with the esteemed Alfred H. Gibeling Family Research Fund through the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering. His research work is mentored by Nellie. We are looking forward to supporting Raymond as he begins a project funded by this honor.

An additional member is joining the team! David Chung is a 1st year BME student and he is excited to begin working in the lab.