First-Gen Spotlight with Daniela Sanchez

First-Gen Student Spotlight: Daniela Sanchez




 
 

Daniela Sanchez is a graduate research assistant in the Nanovaccine Institute and Narasimhan Lab, where she advances particle-based vaccine technology as part of the Chemurgy 2.0 team. As a first-generation scholar, Daniela’s interdisciplinary work bridges the gap between chemical engineering and real-world biomedical innovation, with a focus on sustainability. Her recent research article, co-authored with Dr. Balaji Narasimhan—one of Chemurgy’s Focal Area Co-Leads in Proteins for Diagnostics and Therapeutics—highlights breakthroughs in protein release and vaccine formulation, furthering Iowa’s EPSCoR-supported bioscience initiatives. Read Daniela and Balaji’s recent publication here.

How does EPSCoR help your projects?
My project is one of many funded by the Chemurgy 2.0 grant from EPSCoR. I’ve enjoyed working on such a large grant across the state of Iowa because it has connected me with graduate students from ISU and other universities. Being part of a large group like this has also helped me connect my work to others and start to see the “big picture” of the project's goals.

What inspires you?
The constant progress of science: there are so many breakthroughs and discoveries still being made that are adding to the overall knowledge of the world and also making people’s lives better. Most of them don’t get their spotlight moment, but I find it inspiring that science, as a broad field, is constantly moving forward.

What is “advanced biomanufacturing” to you?
To me, advanced biomanufacturing is about connecting two fields that seem different but can actually have significant overlap. The future work on my project is a great example. The polymers I work with to create particle-based vaccines could one day be produced in a more sustainable way – connecting vaccines to green chemistry.

What advice would you give today’s young scientists?
Find something you’re passionate about, but don’t be afraid to step outside of it. I decided that I wanted to be a biomedical engineer in high school, but that didn’t stop me from exploring research that focused on biofuels. Ultimately, I didn’t end up sticking to that, but I’m glad I took the time to step outside of the biomedical focus that I had at the time.

Can you share a specific challenge you've faced in your research and how it has shaped your approach moving forward?
During the first couple of years of doing research, I didn’t get the results that I wanted. The way I moved past it was by changing my perspective and focusing more on what I was learning from these results – not just learning the protocols and improving my technique, but also what the "negative" results were telling me about the materials that I was working on. That’s a long-winded way of saying that the negative/unexpected results that I got still taught me a lot about the materials and my research going forward.

As a first-gen scholar, what sparked your interest to pursue an education in science?
I can’t think of a specific moment that sparked my interest. Science has always interested me. What motivated me to pursue graduate school was my participation in an REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) program, along with shadowing a graduate student during my undergraduate studies. There was a long of uncertainty around graduate school, only because I didn’t personally know anyone who was familiar with the process. Thankfully, there were a lot of resources available to me, so it was doable, and now I’m here!