Meet Juliane Sempionatto

Describe your background: Since a very young age, I knew I wanted to be a scientist. I grew up in Sao Paulo (Brazil), where I graduated in Chemistry at the University of Sao Paulo. I started a research internship in medicinal chemistry in my freshman year and haven’t stopped researching since! During my master’s studies at Sao Paulo State University, I started developing sensors for the in vitro detection of small molecules aiming at the diagnostic and treatment of diseases. I applied to the Ph.D. program at UCSD, to be part of Prof Joseph Wang’s lab, who is an expert in wearable sensors and since then I have been researching sensors we can wear on our skin!

Describe your area of research and what department/program you are in at UC San Diego: I work in Professor Joseph Wang’s laboratory of nano-bioelectronics in the nanoengineering department. I research wearable biosensors, these sensors are just like your apple or Fitbit smartwatch, but instead of detecting steps and calories, they can read the chemical information in your sweat, saliva, and even tears! The idea is to be able to collect medical relevant information using wearable devices improving and promoting telemedicine. Recently, in collaboration with a research group from Spain, we were able to develop a pacifier sensor for measuring glucose in the baby's saliva. Babies born with neonatal hypoglycemia and diabetic children need to constantly check their blood glucose levels, the pacifier can give the information needed using saliva instead of blood so we can stop pricking our babies' little feet and fingers. The great think about my research is that our sensors can also be applied for healthy people, for sports and nutrition areas. We can improve the performance of professional athletes by measuring their sweat cortisol and lactate levels and we can also keep you healthier by monitoring your sweat vitamin levels!

Describe your involvement in the UC San Diego community: I live off-campus in the college area (20 minutes driving from campus on Highway 5). The little time I have, I really try to take advantage of the resources UCSD offers. Some of them include recreational activities such as indoor climbing and archery, almost all language courses from UCSD extension, such as effective oral presentation, photoshop, etc., and communicating your research workshops.

Why did you choose UC San Diego?: I choose UC San Diego because the experts in my area (sensor and biosensors) were located here.

Have you been awarded any graduate fellowships?: I was awarded a full Ph.D. scholarship from the Brazilian government (CNPq). This is a very prestigious scholarship for exceptional students. The name in Portuguese is “Doutorado Pleno no Exterior (GDE)” I was able to get the scholarship due to the help and guidance from many people who believed in me. For that, I am very grateful. They though me the most important lesson I ever learned: "Help others!" I was helped a lot, so whenever I can, I really do all I can to help someone else. A simple example includes mentoring high school students during their research summer internship. This has been an incredible experience!!

What has been your favorite part about your graduate student experience at UC San Diego?: My favorite part about being a student here at UC San Diego is to be able to enjoy the city! San Diego is incredible! Mountain, sea, sun, and snow, everything! I can go smoothly through my week just by thinking about the weekend hiking I will have later on.

Any final thoughts you'd like to share?: I really enjoy doing research, and I am even happier about sharing what I do with the general community. Here at UCSD, there are many opportunities to connect with the external/real world! You can easily find accessible information (including in social media) of what is happening on campus and there is also the incredible GRAD SLAM, a student competition (TED talk style) where students must present their research in three minutes in front of judges and an audience. Just awesome!