Rayyan Gorashi

Rayyan Gorashi’s interests center around sex-specific and patient-specific models of heart disease using biomaterials. As a Ph.D. candidate in Bioengineering, her research specializes in creating physiologically relevant disease models to study sex-specific differences in heart valve disease progression to create more equitable treatment options for both male and female patients. She was awarded multiple fellowships from the National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (F31 and R00 Supplement Fellowships) as well as the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) fellowship.

She is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in graduate education. She served as co-President of the Bioengineering Graduate Society (BEGS) and works as a Graduate Advocate for the PATH(ways) to STEM Scholar Program. In BEGS, she managed STEM outreach events, connections with local biotech industry networks, and professional development workshops for careers outside of academia. She is passionate about STEM outreach and professional development for underrepresented students and continuously works to support them on their undergraduate journey through mentorship.