Office Hours

In this episode of Office Hours with Liz Wayne, Liz chats with Amal Shabazz, Ph.D. candidate and National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow in Bioengineering at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Amal discusses her research using 3D printing to develop nipple tissue for breast reconstruction, her journey to graduate school, and the mentorship that shaped her path. She also shares advice on balancing research, leadership, and advocacy, setting boundaries, working with advisors, and building meaningful professional connections. 
Connect with Us:
Follow BMES on social media for more conversations like this:
Twitter/X: @BMESociety
Instagram: @Bmesociety
Facebook: Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)
LinkedIn: Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)
Website: www.bmes.org
Follow Amal Shabazz:
Linkedin: @AmalShabazz
Music Credit: “Vlog Music Beat Trailer Showreel Promo Background Intro Theme” by Coma-Media via Pixabay
https://pixabay.com/music/beats-vlog-music-beat-trailer-showreel-promo-background-intro-theme-274290/
Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review Office Hours with Liz Wayne wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode of Office Hours with Liz Wayne, Liz chats with Dr. Conrad Zapanta ("Dr. Z"), Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, College of Engineering and Teaching Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, to explore the evolving role of higher education. They discuss what universities offer beyond the classroom, how engineering programs are adapting to AI and changing workforce needs, and why community, mentorship, and hands-on learning remain essential in biomedical engineering.
Connect with Us:
Follow BMES on social media for more conversations like this:
Twitter/X: @BMESociety
Instagram: @Bmesociety
Facebook: Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)
LinkedIn: Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)
Website: www.bmes.org
Follow Dr. Conrad Zapanta:
Linkedin: @ConradZapanta
Music Credit: “Vlog Music Beat Trailer Showreel Promo Background Intro Theme” by Coma-Media via Pixabay
https://pixabay.com/music/beats-vlog-music-beat-trailer-showreel-promo-background-intro-theme-274290/
Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review Office Hours with Liz Wayne wherever you get your podcasts.

What does “women’s health” really mean and who gets to define it? In this episode of Office Hours with Liz Wayne, Liz chats with Dr. Erika Moore, Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, and Dr. Shreya Raghavan, Associate Professor at Texas A&M University, to unpack how biomedical engineers are reshaping the future of women’s health research. From uterine mechanics and cancer mechanobiology to wearable technologies and FDA-cleared health apps, the conversation explores how engineering is driving new discoveries across reproductive health, autoimmune disease, imaging, diagnostics, and beyond. Together, they discuss the evolution of the BMES Women’s Health SIG, the importance of trainee involvement, and why expanding the definition of women’s health could transform healthcare for everyone.
Connect with Us:
Follow BMES on social media for more conversations like this:
Twitter/X: @BMESociety
Instagram: @Bmesociety
Facebook: Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)
LinkedIn: Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)
Website: www.bmes.org
Links to Dr. Erika Moore's Work:
Moore Lab
Cell Line-Specific Estrogen Responses Uncover Functional Sex Differences in Murine Macrophages
TRACE: Applying AI Language Models to Extract Ancestry Information From Curated Biomedical Literature
Modeling Uterine Fibroids Using Bioengineered Hydrogels
Follow Dr. Erika Moore:
Instagram: @MooreLabBME
Linkedin: @MooreLab
Instagram: @ErikaMooreTaylor
TikTok: @DrErikaMoore
Links to Dr. Shreya Raghavan's Work:
ElevateHER: Engineering a New Era in Women's Health
Follow Dr. Shreya Raghavan:
X: @LabRaghavan
LinkedIn: Shreya Raghavan
Music Credit: “Vlog Music Beat Trailer Showreel Promo Background Intro Theme” by Coma-Media via Pixabay
https://pixabay.com/music/beats-vlog-music-beat-trailer-showreel-promo-background-intro-theme-274290/
Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review Office Hours with Liz Wayne wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode of Office Hours with Liz Wayne, she chats with Dr. Jenny Amos, Teaching Professor in Bioengineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, about what it really means to build a career centered on teaching in academia. From her transition away from a traditional research path to her passion for student engagement, Dr. Amos breaks down the role of teaching faculty and how they shape the classroom experience for future biomedical engineers.
They explore topics like active learning, student belonging, and how course design can directly impact retention and success in engineering programs, along with how teaching has evolved in recent years. This conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at the impact of great teaching in biomedical engineering.
Connect with Us:
Follow BMES on social media for more conversations like this:
Twitter/X: @BMESociety
Instagram: @Bmesociety
Facebook: Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)
LinkedIn: Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)
Website: www.bmes.org
Links to Dr. Jenny Amos' Work:
Jenny Amos Profile
Facilitating the Development of Sessions and Dissemination of Outcomes from the 5th Biomedical Engineering Educational Summit
Promoting Teaching‑Focused Faculty in Biomedical Engineering: Education Summit Highlights Best Practices for Professional Development
Overview of Biomedical Engineering Graduate Education Landscape
Follow Dr. Jenny Amos:
LinkedIn: Jenny Amos
Music Credit: “Vlog Music Beat Trailer Showreel Promo Background Intro Theme” by Coma-Media via Pixabay
https://pixabay.com/music/beats-vlog-music-beat-trailer-showreel-promo-background-intro-theme-274290/
Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review Office Hours with Liz Wayne wherever you get your podcasts.

What does life really look like after earning a biomedical engineering degree? In this episode of Office Hours with Liz Wayne, she chats with Dr. Jose Rios Lizarraga, Director of Formulation Sciences at Nuvalent, to unpack the realities of building a career in the biopharmaceutical industry, from graduate school uncertainty to landing that first job and beyond.
Dr. Lizarraga shares how a single undergraduate course sparked his passion for drug delivery, leading him from research at MIT to a PhD at Cornell and ultimately into pharmaceutical development. Along the way, he shares the challenges of breaking into industry, the pressure of the job search, and the importance of learning how to translate academic experience into real-world impact.
Connect with Us:
Follow BMES on social media for more conversations like this:
Twitter/X: @BMESociety
Instagram: @Bmesociety
Facebook: Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)
LinkedIn: Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)
Website: www.bmes.org
Follow Dr. Jose Rios Lizarraga:
LinkedIn: Jose Rios Lizarraga
Music Credit: “Vlog Music Beat Trailer Showreel Promo Background Intro Theme” by Coma-Media via Pixabay
https://pixabay.com/music/beats-vlog-music-beat-trailer-showreel-promo-background-intro-theme-274290/
Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review Office Hours with Liz Wayne wherever you get your podcasts.