Brown Technology Innovations

Alec McCall is a Ph.D. candidate in biomedical engineering at Brown University’s Institute for Biology, Engineering, and Medicine. He is a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, advised by Dr. Anita Shukla, and is focused on developing antimicrobial biomaterials. Before entering graduate school, Alec earned his Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Arizona State University (ASU), where his interest in technology transfer began. At ASU, he collaborated with his undergraduate advisor, Dr. Jessica Weaver, to design a complex hydrogel geometry injection-molding device for donor islet encapsulation to treat type 1 diabetes, leading to a provisional patent. This project has since evolved into a start-up supported by ASU’s tech transfer office, fueling Alec’s motivation to continue pursuing translational research at Brown. His research interests and experience encompass biomaterial development, tissue biomechanics, and CAD modeling.