Kenneth Gouin

Class of 2016

Education: Blended BS and MS in Biomedical Engineering at Cal Poly

 

Biography

Kenny is interested in regenerative medicine because it provides the foundation for both more effective treatments as well as previously unavailable treatment options for patients who may not be good candidates for existing treatments. His interests are in the application of regenerative medicine to treating cardiovascular disease. He hopes to continue working in research labs whether in a private or public institution, and continue learning as long as he can.

Kenny's internship site is Capricor Therapeutics, and he works under Dr. Michelle Kreke in the Process Development Department. Capricor's main product is an allogeneic cell therapy for patients suffering from an acute myocardial infarction. Traditional therapies for MI only aim to restore blood flow to the affected region, but Capricor's cell therapy aims to regenerate the cardiomyocytes that have died, and therefore improve the function of the heart and patient prognosis. Kenny's role in this project is to work on a potential therapy that eliminates the cell aspect by utilizing secreted factors that may provide the same therapeutic effects as the cells themselves.

After graduating, Kenny went on to Cedar Sinai to obtain a PhD in Translational Medicine.