My name is Helena de Puig, I am a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at MIT. My research is focused on the use of gold nanoparticles for healthcare technologies.

I studied Industrial Engineering in Institut Quimic de Sarrià (IQS), Ramon Llull University in Barcelona, Spain. After graduation, I decided to continue studying beyond the borders of my country and obtained a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering in MIT, in Boston, US, under the guidance of Dr. Kimberly Hamad-Schifferli on investigating the interfacial interactions of gold nanoparticles with biomolecules, as well as using gold nanorods to externally control biological processes. I am currently developing my Ph.D. research in Prof. Lee Gehrke’s group and use my expertise in the synthesis, characterization and applications of gold nanoparticles for the development of nanoparticle-assisted detection methods for point-of-care diagnostic devices.

When I am out of the lab I enjoy participating in reining competitions -horseback riding-, playing the piano, reading and spending time with family and friends.

Gehrke Lab group lunch, July 2013

My resume as of October, 2017