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Kuo Lab Hosts Future Bioengineers

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The Kuo Lab in the University of Maryland's Fischell Department of Bioengineering (BIOE) recently welcomed high school students from across Maryland and Virginia for a day of interactive learning about bioengineering research and careers in STEM. The visit was organized in partnership with STEM for Her, a nonprofit that introduces young women to STEM through hands-on experiences, mentorship, and exposure to STEM careers.

BIOE Professor Catherine K. Kuo opened the event with an introduction to her lab's research, which focuses on developing new therapies for musculoskeletal injuries. Rather than sitting through a traditional presentation, students then stepped inside a working laboratory, where three Kuo Lab Ph.D. students led live demonstrations of their research projects with the assistance of the lab’s undergraduate researchers. Divided into small groups, the high school students rotated through each station, giving them the chance to ask questions, interact directly with researchers, and see how the work in the lab could one day improve patient care.

The visit concluded with a panel discussion over lunch, where students asked questions about research, graduate school, and career paths in science.

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Throughout the visit, high school students stayed engaged, asking questions about the research, scientific careers, and life as graduate students.

For Kuo, outreach is about opening the doors of science. She believes research should be understandable and accessible to everyone, and that students are more likely to see themselves in STEM when they can meet the people doing the work.

"I want to make science accessible to everybody, and I want to help the public understand the importance of science and the role that science plays in their life," Kuo said.

"As much as the goal was to get the high school students excited and give them exposure that they wouldn't get otherwise, my other equally important goal was to get my students excited about educating others. Everybody played a role, and I think it really helped my students to see the impact they can have on others already at such an early stage in their careers."

-Catherine K. Kuo

That philosophy extends to her graduate students who led the demonstrations. Kuo hopes that seeing researchers closer to their own age will help the visiting students picture themselves following a similar path.

"By engaging not just with me, but directly with my graduate and undergraduate students in the lab, I hope the high school students can really envision themselves taking those steps and becoming a scientist," she said.

Throughout the visit, students stayed engaged, asking questions about the research, scientific careers, and life as graduate students.

The event also gave members of the Kuo Lab valuable experience of their own. Graduate students practiced communicating their research to a general audience while serving as mentors for younger students interested in STEM.

"It was exciting to share my research and passion for science with students who were equally excited to learn," said Divya Sivalingam, a doctoral student in biological sciences in the Kuo Lab. "I hope the experience serves as a stepping stone for students who may one day pursue research themselves. Opportunities like this help demystify science by showing what research looks like and the people behind scientific discoveries."

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The high school visit builds on the Kuo Lab's ongoing outreach efforts. Each year, the lab participates in Maryland Day, where visitors of all ages explore musculoskeletal research through hands-on activities. In previous years, the Kuo Lab has built working hand models to learn how tendons move the body. This year, the lab introduced a new demonstration showing what happens when a tendon is injured and why previously injured tissue is weaker than healthy tissue. Kuo said these activities help make complex research easier to understand while showing how bioengineering can improve health. 

"As much as the goal was to get the high school students excited and give them exposure that they wouldn't get otherwise, my other equally important goal was to get my students excited about educating others," Kuo said. "Everybody played a role, and I think it really helped my students to see the impact they can have on others already at such an early stage in their careers."

Published August 4, 2026