Eduardo Andres Chacin Ruiz

I am originally from Venezuela, where I completed my undergraduate studies in Chemical Engineering at La Universidad del Zulia (LUZ). Joining the CBE department at UB has proven to be the perfect decision for achieving my goals. The program not only offers a wide range of research opportunities but also allows the students to tailor their Ph.D. experience by selecting core and elective courses best aligned with their interests. The top-notch faculty members genuinely care about student learning and provide valuable guidance. Additionally, Buffalo is a great place to live, with beautiful summers and its well-gained reputation of the city of good neighbors.

Currently, I am working in the Systems Biomedicine and Pharmaceutics Laboratory, led by Dr. Ashlee Ford Versypt. In the lab, we use chemical engineering principles like kinetics and transport phenomena to model biological and chemical interactions in physiological microenvironments and biomedical and pharmaceutical systems. My research specifically focuses on the mathematical modeling of drug delivery from bi-layered drug delivery systems in the eye with the end of improving wet AMD treatment.

As an international student, I have found UB to be very welcoming, offering a variety of resources to navigate the different challenges we face. There is great diversity of students in the CBE department and at UB in general. Currently, I serve as the vice-president for the Latin American Graduate Student Association club at UB. I also serve as the graduate student liaison for the LatinX in ChE community, a Minority Community within the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. These roles have allowed me to connect with fellow students and also contribute to fostering an inclusive and supportive academic environment.