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Danielle Benoit is the inaugural Lorry Lokey Chair of the Department of Bioengineering. Her research specializes in the rational design of polymeric materials for regenerative medicine and drug delivery applications. Dr. Benoit’s work has provided insights into the translation of tissue engineering strategies for bone allograft repair, development of pH-responsive nanoparticles for nucleic acid and small molecule delivery, and novel targeting strategies for bone-specific delivery of therapeutics.

Benoit received her Ph.D. from the University of Colorado and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Washington in the Department of Bioengineering. She holds a B.S. from the University of Maine, Orono, in Biological Engineering.

Before joining the Knight Campus, Benoit served as the University of Rochester’s William R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Director of the Materials Science Program. An award-winning researcher, teacher, and mentor, she is a fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering and the Biomedical Engineering Society, as well as an Associate Editor for Science Advances and the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B.

As chair, Benoit plays an instrumental role in continued development of the Department of Bioengineering, including shaping and maturing the research and educational portfolio, coordinating fundraising, outreach, and alumni and industry relations, and hiring of approximately 15 new faculty as Phase 2 of the Knight Campus is completed. These efforts will be critical to advancing the Knight Campus mission of translating research discoveries into innovations to improve the human condition.

David Johnson, from the suburbs of Chicago, joined the Benoit and Willet Labs in September 2024 as a postdoctoral scholar. He received his B.S.  in Biomolecular Engineering from Milwaukee School of Engineering and his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Saint Louis University. Research interests are synthetic biomaterial fabrication for applications in musculoskeletal tissue injuries.

Sarea joined the Benoit Lab as a postdoctoral scholar in July 2024. She earned her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University and her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University. Her research interests are in therapeutics development and the role of age in tissue regeneration.

Vigneshkumar Rangasami joined the Benoit lab for therapeutic biomaterials in April 2023. Vignesh completed his M.S. in Medical Sciences (Molecular Medicine major) from Uppsala University, Sweden in 2015 and PhD in Biomedical engineering and sciences from Tampere University, Finland in 2022. His research work in the Benoit lab focuses on developing polymer-based drug delivery systems for bone healing.

Sydney Yang joined the Benoit Lab in November 2024. Yang received her PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Maryland. Her PhD work focused on developing mucus-inspired biomaterials for drug delivery and antimicrobial applications. Prior to her doctorate, Yang received her Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering from Lehigh University. Her research interest is in tissue engineering approaches to antimicrobial therapeutics.

Kaitlin joined the Benoit and Guillemin Labs in August 2024. She earned her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences – Microbiology from the University of Iowa. Her postdoctoral work investigates how interactions between microbes, host cells, and tumor cells contribute to colon and pancreatic cancer progression.

Julia Andraca Harrer joined the Benoit Lab as a postdoctoral scholar, where her research focuses on developing nanoparticle drug delivery systems to improve tendon healing. She earned her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University and her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University. Her doctoral work centered on engineering therapeutic biomaterials for enhanced tissue repair and targeted delivery applications.
 

Elizabeth joined the Benoit Lab as a PhD candidate in September 2024. She completed her B.S in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Ghana in August 2021. She was awarded the Knight Campus First Year Fellowship for 2024. Her research focuses on using biomaterial and tissue engineering novelties to target tendon and bone healing.

Phillip joined the Benoit Lab as a PhD candidate in 2023. He is jointly advised by Bob Guldberg. He completed his B.S in bioengineering at Oregon State University. His research is focused on drug delivery for osteoarthritis.

David joined the Benoit Lab for Therapeutic Biomaterials in September 2024 as a PhD student. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering in August 2023 from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana. His PhD research focuses on designing biomimetic phagocytic drug delivery systems for targeted cancer treatment.

Kevin Ling, Ph.D. Candidate, joined the Benoit Lab in July 2021. He completed his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida in 2020, and a M.S. in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Rochester in 2022. His research is focused on leveraging the advantages of engineered biomaterials and microfluidic devices to develop in vitro models of the outer retinal blood barrier.

Cameron Moore joined the Benoit Lab in March of 2023 as a research assistant and will pursue their Ph.D. at the Knight Campus starting in the fall of 2023. Their research interests include designing responsive polymeric nanoparticles as drug-delivery systems and applying the principles of green chemistry in developing future therapeutic biomaterials. Cameron earned their B.S. and B.A. at The Evergreen State College in June 2022 with an interdisciplinary education in both biochemistry and physical chemistry.

Kelsey joined the Benoit lab in September 2025 as a PhD student. She completed her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering in May 2025 from the University of South Carolina. Her PhD research focuses on leveraging engineered biomaterials and microphysiological systems to develop in vitro models of the neuromuscular junction.

Emma graduated from Oregon State University with a B.S. in Bioengineering. She joined the lab in Fall 2025 as a PhD student. Her research is focused on targeted delivery with polymeric nanoparticles for tendon healing. 

Emma graduated from Oregon State University with a B.S. in Bioengineering. She joined the lab in Fall 2025 as a PhD student. Her research is focused on targeted delivery with polymeric nanoparticles for tendon healing. 

Alexandra Aeschliman joined the Benoit lab in February 2023. Her research focus is developing polymeric drug delivery systems for bone healing. She is an undergraduate at the University of Oregon and the Clark Honors College studying Biochemistry and Bioengineering.

Garrow joined the Benoit Lab as an Undergraduate Researcher in June 2024 and will graduate from the University of Oregon with a B.S. in Chemistry in 2026. His research interests are in polymer chemistry and targeted drug delivery in treating chronic illnesses.

Daniel, a Neuroscience major with a minor in Biology at the University of Oregon, joined the Benoit Lab as an Undergraduate Researcher in July 2024 and is expected to graduate with a B.S. in 2025. His primary research interests focus on the biological mechanisms and neural pathways that underlie cognition, aiming to deepen our understanding of how these processes shape behavior and cognitive functions.