Panteha Behboodi Wins Second Place at Johnson & Johnson Engineering Showcase
Ph.D. student’s experience exemplifies Stevens’ new model of experiential Ph.D. education, bridging research across academia, industry and medicine
For Panteha Behboodi, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science (CEMS) at Stevens Institute of Technology, research has never been confined to a single lab bench or discipline.
Her journey — spanning biomedical engineering, materials science and the translation of scientific innovations to real-world applications — recently led her to a second-place showing at the annual Johnson & Johnson Engineering Showcase in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
The annual event brings together top graduate engineering students from across the country to present their research to industry leaders, engage with J&J leadership, and explore potential career pathways. For Behboodi, it was a chance to share her work modeling how the cells, molecules, and structures around the bone marrow may relate to drug resistance in multiple myeloma, an aggressive and incurable blood cancer.
“My project focused on how interactions between cancer cells and bone marrow cells influence how tumors respond — or fail to respond — to treatment,” she explained. “The goal is to contribute to the development of more effective treatment strategies.”
At the Showcase, Behboodi had just a few minutes to effectively present her complex, interdisciplinary findings, which combined microfluidic engineering, cancer biology and systems modeling. But the effort paid off.
“It was both humbling and deeply rewarding,” Behboodi said. “That moment showed me the value of clear scientific communication in a professional setting. It was an honor to present my research alongside so many talented peers, and to be recognized on one of the most prominent stages within the pharmaceutical industry.”
Building bridges in biomedicine
Behboodi’s path to biomedical engineering began with undergraduate and graduate degrees in materials science and engineering. Her growing interest in applying natural and synthetic biomaterials and tissue regeneration to solve health challenges led her to pursue her Ph.D.
Her work on her doctoral thesis, Multiple Myeloma Treatment Approaches, was supported by a grant from the New Jersey Health Foundation. She conducted her research under the mentorship of Woo Lee, professor and chair for the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, and in collaboration with Benjamin Tycko, M.D., Ph.D., at Hackensack Meridian Health’s Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI).
Off campus, her training further shaped both her technical skills and broader scientific outlook. At Regeneron, she completed an eight-month co-op in the company’s Research and Discovery unit, developing 3D models of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and studying what happens when scientists reduce how much a gene works in a cell. At CDI, she contributed to cutting-edge genomic research on DNA methylation, a chemical change that can affect how genes are turned on or off, in cancer and autoimmune disorders.
“Each environment — academic, industrial, clinical — taught me something unique,” said Behboodi. “At Regeneron, I learned how scientific discovery is translated into therapeutic pipelines. At CDI, I collaborated directly with clinicians, connecting molecular insights to patient care. And at Stevens, I gained the interdisciplinary foundation and flexibility to work across all these domains.”
At Stevens, she found an ideal fit — one that allowed her to evolve her research from the lab bench to real-world impact.
“I was drawn to Stevens for its collaborative spirit and its emphasis on translating scientific innovations into real-world applications,” she said. “Working across departments, with experts in cancer biology and engineering, helped me expand my research in ways I never expected.”
With her Ph.D. thesis successfully defended, Behboodi will continue her research through a postdoctoral fellowship at CDI, where she’ll continue investigating how behavior and environment can affect DNA as related to complex diseases.
“My time at Stevens has broadened my perspective, from material design to complex biological systems, and driven me to pursue translational research that bridges engineering, biology and clinical impact,” she said. “The unique combination of technical expertise, interdisciplinary training, leadership skills and other capabilities I’ve built prepared me to take my place in the biomedical field and help move science forward.”
Her advice to fellow Ph.D. students: Think beyond the lab.
“Developing technical skills and conducting innovative research are essential, but building strong communication skills and cultivating a professional network are just as important,” she said. “Ultimately, success in a Ph.D. program is not just about what you discover in the lab, but also about the relationships you build and how you share your work with the world.”