Christopher Anderson is currently a fifth year PhD graduate student in Dr. Yibing Qyang’s lab as part of the ExPath and Physical and Engineering Biology (PEB) programs. His research interests include cardiovascular tissue engineering and biomechanics. Christopher’s thesis work focuses on development of a fully biologic blood pumping vessel known as a tissue engineered pulsatile conduit (TEPC) that can be used to treat children born with single ventricle congenital disorders, and is currently funded by an NIH F31 NRSA fellowship.
In addition to Christopher’s academic interests, he is also very active in science communication, outreach and diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives here at Yale. Christopher is a founding member of Yale’s Bioscience Diversity and Inclusion Collective (YBDIC). YBDIC is a student lead arm of Yale’s BBS program that seeks to: (1) Promote community for underrepresented minority (URM) Yale graduate students in the sciences to increase matriculation and retention of URM students, (2) provide support and enrichment opportunities for their members to improve career outcomes of Yale’s minority students, (3) provide mentorship to students both in and outside of Yale.
In addition to his DEI work through YBDIC, Christopher is also involved in teaching and science communication for local New Haven middle schoolers through multiple outreach organizations such as Flipped Science Fair, Pathways to Science outreach initiatives from the PEB program.