President – Sarah Nowakowski
Sarah Nowakowski is a Bioengineering Ph.D. student at the University of Washington. Her current research in Dr. Mike Regnier’s lab is focused on determining the mechanisms by which cell- and tissue-based therapies improve heart function following myocardial infarction. Ultimately, this work will allow for the development of improved therapies to treat cardiovascular disease and heart failure. Prior to moving to Seattle to pursue her graduate degree, Sarah earned a B.A. in Biology from Williams College in 2008. Shortly after arriving in Seattle, Sarah joined SEBA in order to hone her business-related skills and to better understand the local business climate. Though being involved with SEBA, Sarah has met and connected with many players in the business community of Seattle. Currently, she is interning at ZINO Society, a local angel investment group that strives to cultivate both a business and social network in order to connect accredited investors with entrepreneurs seeking funding. Sarah enjoys waterskiing, traveling, and cheering for the Green Bay Packers.
VP of Finance – Ryan Coe
Ryan Coe is a Ph.D. student at the University of Washington in the department of Bioengineering. He currently performs his research in the Human Photonics Lab under the direction of Eric Seibel, Ph.D. Ryan’s goal is to develop quantitative microscopy methods for a novel three-dimensional microscope, known as the Cell-CT. The Cell-CT has the potential to revolutionize the early detection of lung cancer by detecting morphological changes at the single-cell level before macroscopic changes are detectable by traditional methods. In 2008, Ryan obtained his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Virginia. As an undergraduate, he participated in the development of a novel C-scan ultrasound device and the design of a motion estimation algorithm shown to have unparalleled accuracy and precision. Ryan eventually hopes to combine his interests in medical imaging and technology transfer to improve clinician’s diagnostic capabilities. Beyond the classroom, Ryan is actively involved in Bioengineering, both as a Graduate Student Affairs Co-chair for the 2009-10 school year, as well as the Student Advisory Board. Outside of work, Ryan enjoys watching college football, playing golf, and skiing.
VP of Marketing – Miah Wander
Jeremiah ‘Miah’ Wander is a Bioengineering graduate student at the University of Washington. He is a researcher in the lab of Jeff Ojemann and Rajesh Rao, investigating how external stimuli can influence the way the brain is interconnected as well as how signals from the brain are used to convey information that could be used in future brain computer interfacing (BCI) applications. Before coming to the UW, Miah obtained a BS in Electrical and Computer engineering from North Carolina State University (Go Wolfpack!), worked for a pharmaceutical startup company, started a business as a professional musician and volunteered for over a year with Habitat for Humanity in Costa Rica. Miah enjoys working with SEBA because he thrives on the innovation and excitement that surrounds translation of ideas into implementations. With his long term goal of being a part of one of an entrepreneurial venture, Miah feels SEBA is a fantastic venue for developing the necessary skills and relationships. Furthermore, he sees SEBA as an important learning and development resource for the student body of the University of Washington and wants to be a contributor to something so valuable.
VP of Membership – Dev Sarma
VP of Operations – Andrei Afanasiev
Andrei Afanasiev has received a B.A. degree in Physics and a minor in Electrical Engineering from UC Berkeley in 2005. At UCB he researched thermal and electronic properties, novel synthesis methods and manipulation techniques of carbon and BN nanotubes. After graduating he worked for a year at AMD/Spansion as a Process Engineer developing the 65 and 45 nanometer SONOS-type flash memory. Having joined Prof. Parviz’ group in 2006 as a PhD student, Andrei is working on designing nanoscale electronic sensors capable of detecting biomolecules at concentrations pertinent to single cell measurements. Outside of lab he enjoys – depending on the season – skiing, snowboarding, sailing and hiking
VP of Relations – Dominic Filice
Dominic Filice is currently a first year Bioengineering Ph.D student at the University of Washington. In 2005 he received his B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA and immediately sought a career in industry. Dominic began working for Chevron as a refinery design engineer and learned the many practical aspects of engineering. After three years, he left Chevron to take an equipment engineer position with UOP, A Honeywell Company, to continue his engineering and leadership development. While at UOP, Dominic began volunteering in the Neuro-Locomotion Lab of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC); this volunteering eventually led to employment at RIC where Dominic designed and built gait training systems for local clinics to aid in the rehabilitation of patients with neurological injuries. Dominic is excited to be a part of SEBA because he believes one can develop the skills and make the connections necessary to pursue entrepreneurial ventures. When he has spare time, Dominic enjoys restoring cars and motorcycles (he’s currently having fun completely rebuilding a 1972 Datsun 240Z), snowboarding, camping, and exploring his new home Seattle.
Career Fair Coordinator – Brian Mogen
Brian is a Ph.D. student in the department of Bioengineering under the direction of Dr. Eberhard Fetz. He is currently studying the link between electrical signals in the brain and spinal cord in the hope that the connections will be useful in rehabilitation and brain-machine interfaces to restore function to patients suffering paralysis and other nervous system disorders. Brian received a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin in 2011 and moved out to Seattle shortly thereafter. He started working with SEBA immediately after enrolling at the University of Washington with the desire to understand commercialization and hopes to bring novel medical products that come out of research labs to the general public. Outside of school, he enjoys cycling, skiing, hiking, and reading.
President Emeritus – Erik Feest
Erik is a Ph.D. candidate in the department of Bioengineering at the University of Washington (UW). In the Heart And Muscle Mechanics (HAMM lab) under the direction of Dr. Michael Regnier, he is developing a novel targeted gene therapy to treat heart failure by improving the pump function of heart after a myocardial infarction. Prior to arriving at UW, Erik earned his B.S. in Bioengineering from the University of California – Berkeley in 2007. Professionally, Erik plans to move to the business side of the biotechnology industry to help develop the business strategies necessary commercialize promising technologies and therapies in order to deliver them to the patients who truly need them. To compliment his technical background with a better understanding of business development and practices, Erik joined SEBA upon arriving at UW. Erik was the VP of Finance for two years, and in this role helped establish SEBA as a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization, has improved financial reporting, responsibility, transparency, and budgeting, and grew cash reserves by 300%. Erik is currently the President of SEBA with a vision focused on improving the internal and external transparency of SEBA’s mission and value propositions. He is also enrolled in the Technology Entrepreneurship Certificate program run by the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Foster School of Business, which allows scientists and engineers to sharpen their business savvy through a number MBA-level courses and projects. Erik’s interest in business strategy and commercialization of biotechnology motived him to work with Aqueduct Neurosciences, Inc., which a medical device startup company out of UW. With Aqueduct Neurosciences, Inc., Erik is responsible for business plan & strategy development, and US and international market research & analysis. In his free time, Erik enjoys playing/watching soccer, baseball, and football, as well as snow skiing and wakeboarding.
President Emeritus – Jeff Chamberlain
Jeff Chamberlain is a Ph.D. student in the department of Bioengineering at the University of Washington. His research, under the direction of Dan Ratner, is focused on the development of a functional biosensor which will be used for identifying and characterizing the mechanisms of the beginning stages of viral and bacterial pathogenesis. This research aligns with his interests in medical devices, distributed diagnostics, and home healthcare. Jeff received his BE in Biomedical Engineering from Vanderbilt University, where he performed research primarily on cell-based microfluidics. Professionally, Jeff hopes to move to industry where he can apply his science and engineering background to address the demands and issues of present-day healthcare. To complement his education and research with a better understanding of business, Jeff is actively involved in SEBA and is enrolled in the Technology Entrepreneurship Certificate program. Jeff’s hobbies include snowboarding, biking, hiking/camping, and cooking
