Marigold Malinao

I got involved in research as an undergraduate at UC San Diego when I happened to get a scholarship that placed me in a lab working on haptic feedback research involving materials that stimulate our sense of touch. I didn’t know what research entailed, and I wasn’t confident, but a friend told me I’d learn what I needed to know and encouraged me to go for it. I worked on connecting haptics to materials that changed their properties in response to light and heat, trying to elicit different sensations from them on command, such as softness, stickiness, or roughness. During that time, I developed an interest in materials science and how it could be applied to the brain and the body using neurotechnology. Later, a wonderful mentor in that lab encouraged me to branch out and expand my experiences. I was happy where I was, but I followed his advice, and that’s how I found the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program at Stanford.

As a first-generation student, I’d never imagined I would end up somewhere like Stanford. I spent the summer of 2020 working with Professor Michael Lepech and graduate student Andrea Coto in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering on a joint project with the NASA Ames Research Center. My work involved identifying potential biopolymers that could be used in the development of new materials for extraterrestrial construction on the moon or Mars. SURF showed me I was capable and shouldn’t discount opportunities, that I was welcome in these spaces, and that schools like Stanford were well within my abilities.

Today I work in the Hong Lab, where our current focus is developing minimally invasive neuroengineering tools that can help doctors and scientists better communicate with the brain. Medicine currently has great therapies that involve stimulating certain parts of the brain, but they involve implanting electrodes into the brain, which is very invasive and something most people don’t want to undergo. In my research I’m looking at ways of delivering light deep into the body. One of the ways to do this non-invasively is through ultrasound, or sound energy. Nanoparticles we introduce through the bloodstream can respond to this sound energy and emit light, which could potentially be used to stimulate parts of the brain or to activate other nanoparticles carrying medication.

My work involves biology, materials science, and engineering, which is what I love about it and what’s challenging. Finding solutions that work across all these fields isn’t easy, but I love that I get to look for that niche – to apply these different sciences in ways people haven’t thought of before to find a new solution. After I graduate with my PhD, I’d like to find a job in the biotech industry and work on getting some of these technologies to the people who need them.

Beyond my research, I’m part of the Community Associates Program with the Graduate Life Office, where I help put on community events for graduate students living on and off campus. I’m also still involved in the SURF program, where I work in admissions and mentor a few students every year. It’s so exciting to see the whole process, from a student’s application to watching their confidence grow during their time here. It’s really a full-circle moment for me.