Shinya received a B.S. in NanoEngineering at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) in 2020. At UCSD, he worked in Dr. Nisarg Shah’s lab. In Dr. Shah’s lab, Shinya worked on the application of immune checkpoint molecules and hyaluronic acid-based hydrogels for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. In 2019, Shinya was selected to be part of the Amgen Scholars Program at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). At UCLA, he worked at Dr. Andrea Kasko’s lab and synthesized polymeric tobacco tar mimics for testing the effects of cigarette smoke on the immune system. At the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago, Shinya is co-advised by Dr. Matthew Tirrell and Dr. Sihong Wang.
Shinya is working on the development of conducting polymeric materials with the capability to mitigate the foreign body response for applications in implantable electronics. His work involves taking advantage of the antifouling properties of zwitterionic polymers and using immunomodulatory agents to impart immune-compatibility to conducting polymers.