Catalina Bernabé Correa chose WashU for a lot of reasons — the distinguished program in biomedical engineering at McKelvey Engineering; the support for student entrepreneurs through the Skandalaris Center; and the wide range of co-curricular activities. WashU also offered Bernabé the opportunity to meet leading scientists from around the globe.
“Coming from a different country myself, I wanted to learn how people from different cultures communicate and work,” said Bernabé, who is from Spain and speaks Spanish, English, French and Chinese. “When people come to the lab with different perspectives and questions, that can lead to better science.”
Bernabé currently works with Ismael Seáñez, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at WashU McKelvey Engineering, where she is studying different neuro-rehabilitation strategies for individuals with spinal cord injuries. Outside of the Seáñez lab, Bernabé is developing a pedal box for WashU Racing’s new Formula SAE race car. She also serves as co-chair of public relations for the WashU chapter of Engineers Without Borders, which is designing improvements to a primary school in Bulubandi, Uganda. In addition, Bernabé and McKelvey Engineering classmates Cristina Lopez Miranda and Taryn Sager are working on a sensor that monitors inflammation in individuals with endometriosis. Somehow, she also is learning hip-hop.