BME student receives NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

April 23, 2026 — Kyle Kunisaki, a graduate of the Department of Biomedical Engineering’s undergraduate program, has received a 2026 fellowship through the U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program. 

During his undergraduate studies, he worked with Angela Panoskaltsis-Mortari, a professor in the Medical School, in the 3D Bioprinting Facility, where he developed novel biofabrication methods for muscle tissue. 

Since graduating, he has been working as an R&D Engineer at Arteriopulse, a startup based in the Earl E. Bakken Medical Devices Center, and recently completed a backpacking trip to Everest Base Camp.

Kunisaki plans to attend Harvard for graduate school starting in the fall, where he will pursue a PhD under the mentorship of Professor Kit Parker, focusing on cardiac tissue engineering.

The Graduate Research Fellowship Program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing full-time research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, including STEM education.