By: Allison O’Donnell, Written Communications Specialist, UConn School of Engineering
JLLA member Leila Daneshmandi has been selected as a 2020 Finalist in the Collegian Innovation and Leadership category for the 16th annual Women of Innovation (WOI) program.
The WOI committee recognizes women innovators, role models and leaders in STEM fields- science, technology, engineering and math. The women nominated have also made advances and promote equitability, diversity and inclusivity in the STEM arena.
As a Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. candidate, her accomplishments have been recognized by a panel of judges from over 150 nominations. The recipient of the Collegian Innovation and Leadership award must demonstrate inventiveness or creativity within the STEM field.
Daneshmandi’s leadership and ingenuity is demonstrated by her status as a Co-Founder and COO of Encapsulate LLC. Her company personalizes cancer therapy by growing cancerous cells outside the patient’s body to evaluate the body’s response to various chemotherapy drugs prior to treatment.
Encapsulate has previously been recognized by the prestigious 2019 International Space Station U.S. Laboratory and Boeing “Technology in Space” Prize, awarding Daneshmandi’s company and one other company $500,000 and the opportunity to conduct research projects onboard the International Space Station (ISS).