Marina Slawinski is a senior at UW-Milwaukee majoring in Biomedical Engineering. She began her involvement in undergraduate research in 2018 as a UR@UWM participant and continued as a SURF recipient, working on multiple projects centered around biomaterials. Under the direction of Dr. Ionel Popa, she investigated various methods of altering the physical structure and mechanical properties of protein-based hydrogels. The ability to fine-tune the material properties can lead to improvements in soft-robotic applications and 3D cell scaffold designs to aid in tissue regeneration. In 2021, Marina began working with Dr. Priyatha Premnath on a project developing double-walled microparticles to assist in bone regeneration. Her senior project will focus on further characterizing the drug release kinetics of the microparticles and examining the effects on bone healing in vitro. Marina is grateful that undergraduate research has played an integral role in her experience at UWM and further ignited her interest in biomedical research. She has had the opportunity to present her research in UWM’s SURF Symposium, the CEAS Student Research Poster Competition, and the UW System Symposium, and to contribute to multiple academic publications. She looks forward to continuing her involvement in undergraduate research and sharing her passion with other students this year. After graduation, she plans to pursue graduate studies focused on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Email: slawins6@uwm.edu.