Science, Technology and Engineering Policy (STEP) Group

Project Leader: Kate Hammond, Graduate Student, Bioengineering

Kate Hammond is a 3rd year graduate student in the UCSF/UCB (University of California San Francisco / Berkeley) Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering and National Science Foundation fellow. She is currently conducting research on high-field MRI of brain tumors and neurodegenerative disorders in the Surbeck Laboratory of Advanced Imaging at the UCSF. Kate co-founded the STEP group in 2005 to pursue her interests in science policy, health and international development. Kate completed the Stanford Technology Ventures Mayfield Fellowship Program and is currently a Bridging the Divide fellow in a program jointly funded by the Berkeley Management of Technology Program and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.

Other Team Member(s) Info:

Seminar Committee

Mike Rosenbluth is a 5th year doctoral student in the UCSF/UC Berkeley Graduate Group in Bioengineering and a STEP co-founder. His research focuses on the cause of leukostasis, an often fatal condition in late stage leukemia when leukemia cells sludge in the small vessels of the blood, causing hemorrhage and respiratory failure. Mike has maintained an interest in entrepreneurship, as a Mayfield Fellow at Stanford and as a semi-finalist in both the UC Berkeley and Stanford business plan competitions.

Lisa Walling is a masters student at the Goldman School of Public Policy. She wants to ensure science is used to inform policy, particularly in the realm of marine and water policy in California. She currently works at the California Public Utilities Commission on issues related to desalination of sea water on the California coast.

Karsten Temme is a 2nd year graduate student in Bioengineering and National Science Foundation fellow developing alternative energy sources with the emerging field of synthetic biology. While founding two companies, he has focused on transforming technologies into more accessible forms. Karsten is experienced working alongside surgeons and medical device companies on nationwide studies of spinal devices and surgical procedures. He is currently studying sustainable medical device design as a Bridging the Divide fellow with funding from the Berkeley Management of Technology Program and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. Karsten is focused on developing policy for the use of synthetic biology as a transformative technology in international development.

White Paper Committee

Janet Blumenfeld graduated in 2001 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University, Janet continued her education at the University of Michigan where she received two master's degrees, one in biomedical engineering and one in mechanical engineering. At Michigan her master's research focused on bone biology at the cellular level. Janet then worked as a development engineer at General Electric Healthcare for two years where she participated in the leadership development program. In the fall of 2005, Janet returned to academia to pursue a PhD in biomedical engineering in the joint UC San Francisco-UC Berkeley program. Her current research focuses on image processing of musculoskeletal Magnetic Resonance (MR) images. Janet was one of the founders of STEP group which formed in 2005.

Bala Pesala is a 4th year graduate student in Applied science and technology. His current research is focused on slowing down the light which has important applications in optical memory, optical signal processing and phased array antennas. He is also actively with several inter-disciplinary student clubs. He served as co-president Nanotechnology club from 2005-2006 and currently a co-president of AS&T grad student association, Treasurer of OSA Berkeley Chapter and serving as project co-ordinator for Asha for Education. His main aim to help bridge the divide between scientists, engineers, business students and policy makers to create safe and better technologies.

Public Relations Coordinator

Christine Fry is a 2nd year Masters in Public Policy student at the Goldman School of Public Policy. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from MIT. Christine's main policy interest is mental health policy, a field that requires an understanding of both science and policy.

External Coordinator

Erik Douglas is a 5th year graduate student in the UCSF/UC Berkeley Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering and National Science Foundation fellow. His research focuses on microdevices for interfacing with single mammalian cells. Erik has been a fellow with the MOT/UNIDO Bridging the Divide program in China, studying biological monitoring technology for the shipping industry, as well as a research intern with the California Council on Science and Technology.