Alexander Novokhodko
UW Honors Graduates
Alexander Novokhodko

Bioengineering and Biology (Physiology)
Applied Mathematics
Designation: Departmental Honors
Honors Grads 2017/2018
Proudest Moment: Designing an XBOX controller so that it doesn't require fine motor control to operate. The adapted controller has large buttons and joysticks, making it more accessible for people of all abillities. Seeing it in use was my proudest moment. This was possible thanks to a Bioengineering Honors team, and later the RSO HuskyADAPT.
Thesis: Design of a System to Study Endothelial Cell Adaptation in Response to Physiological Cues In Vitro (Bioengineering Capstone Final Report)
AlexanderNovok98@gmail.comI am an engineer, a scientist, and an advocate. The University of Washington has given me a priceless opportunity to learn while solving real, tangible problems. In research in the Zheng Lab I designed a system to control pressure and flow across blood vessels "in a Petri dish". This work was recognized by the Levinson Emerging Scholars program and presented at the Mary Gates Research Symposium (see "Design and Engineering of Open Source Hardware for Pressure Regulation in the Study of Vascular Processes" and "Venous to Arterial Endothelial Adaptation in Response to Pressure and Flow in Vitro").
Through the Bioengineering Departmental Honors program and the RSO HuskyADAPT I was part of the team that organized the first Holiday Toy Hack (see here https://bioe.uw.edu/bioengineering-outreach-and-honors-team-adapts-toys-for-children-with-disabilities-at-holiday-toy-hack-event/ and here https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/toy-hackers-help-kids-with-disabilities/367898045). I went on to organize a new team, and we worked together to adapt an XBOX controller for the needs of a local family.
I have interned at Takeda Pharmaceuticals and Fractal Therapeutics, exploring new approaches to cancer treatment through computational modeling.
Finally, I have had the honor to be elected as an ASUW student senator. In this role I advocated for ensuring that Early Entrance students like myself have equal access to research opportunities (https://depts.washington.edu/asuwsen/oro/#!LegislationView/id=183233) and for housing affordability in the City of Seattle (See here https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/could-apartments-soon-go-to-the-highest-bidder-in-seattle/281-523256324 and https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seattle-may-ban-rent-bidding-websites/).
In all of these roles, I have had the opportunity to work with wonderful teams of students, instructors and stakeholders. Thank you to all the mentors, peers and advisors who have made this experience possible. The collaborative environment, and the opportunity to make a tangible impact that benefits others are my favorite things about the university.
I plan to continue my growth in medical research and development in biomedical industry, to discover cures and improve treatments.