We are incredibly proud to announce that two exceptional alumni of our research group, Kevin Armknecht and Conor Sheehan, are embarking on their next chapter as medical students this summer. Both Kevin and Conor have been instrumental to our work on antimicrobial nanotechnologies, and their acceptance into medical school is a testament to their dedication, intellect, and hard work.
Kevin Armknecht – Burnett School of Medicine at TCU Kevin (ND ’24) will be attending the Burnett School of Medicine at Texas Christian University starting this July. During his time with us, Kevin brought a unique perspective, balancing a major in Pre-Professional Studies with minors in Compassionate Care in Medicine and Poverty Studies.
His research contributions were significant, focusing on testing phage-mimicking core-shell nanoparticles against multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria like MRSA and P. aeruginosa, and expanding that scope to common skin bacteria with pathogenic potential. His excellence in the lab was widely recognized; he was an invited presenter at the Midwest Microscopy and Microanalysis Workshop 2024 and won the 2023 Notre Dame Integrated Imaging Facility Award for Best Imaging Publication. Kevin leaves with two co-authored publications in Nanoscale Advances and Military Medicine.
Conor Sheehan – Cooper Medical School Conor (ND ’24) will begin his studies at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University this August. A Chemistry and Biochemistry major, Conor was a dedicated researcher who specialized in the immobilization of antimicrobial phage-mimicking nanoparticles onto implant-grade metals.
His work was crucial in testing these coated surfaces against aggressive MDR bacteria including A. baumannii and K. pneumoniae. Conor was selected as an NDnano Undergraduate Research Fellow (NURF) in 2022 and is a co-author on our 2024 publication in Nanoscale Advances.
We are grateful for the time and energy Kevin and Conor sacrificed to advance our research. We know they will bring the same rigor and compassion to their medical careers. Congratulations, future doctors!
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