Georgia Tech’s 400 acres of land thrive thanks, in part, to student involvement. Among those keeping Tech’s gardens thriving is Athena Chien, a 4th-year Ph.D. student in biomedical engineering and co-president of the Bioengineering and Bioscience Unified Grad Students (BBUGS). Chien’s impact goes beyond the gardens she helps maintain. 

Researching cures for diseases

While working toward her Ph.D., Chien is simultaneously working on her master’s degree in electrical engineering and researching a new electrical technique to study epithelial tissue in the Precision Biosystems lab. 

“There’s so much potential, and that’s the exciting part of it,” said Chien. “But there’s also so much that’s unknown, which is the unnerving part of it where you get to stretch your mind. It’s an interesting puzzle.” 

Chien came to Tech straight from undergrad at Rice University in Houston. 

“I was drawn to this project, looking at epithelial tissue, which lines the inside surfaces of your body,” said Chien. 

Her research is still in its early stages, but she believes it holds promise.

“Epithelial diseases are more common than we think,” said Chien. “Celiac disease is an epithelial disease. Age-related macular degeneration affects epithelia on the back of your eye.” 

One of Chien’s collaborators at the National Institute of Health, Dr. Kapil Bharti, studies age-related macular degeneration. They’re developing tissues to treat this leading cause of blindness in people over 65. 

“The dream would be that [the research] is used to understand and develop cures to epithelial diseases,” said Chien. 

Navigating Academia and Finding Support

In addition to her academic and research responsibilities, Athena Chien has navigated the complexities of being a minority and a woman in a predominantly male field. Through the challenging times, Chien has looked to her community and mentors for support and guidance.  

“Early on, I was involved with the Bioengineering Alliance for Minorities (BEAM),” said Chien. “That was a nice sense of community where we could just talk about experiences we were having.” 

For Chien, she found it helpful to have a mentor who shared similar experiences. They could talk about being a minority or experiencing sexism in research and academia and how to deal with it. 

“It helps to have someone who has similar experiences to validate my concerns and feelings or give me advice on how to handle it,” said Chien. “Or sometimes telling me that I don’t have to put in that extra effort to explain myself if I don’t want to. You can choose when you want to bring it up.” 

These experiences, while disheartening, have not deterred her. Instead, they have strengthened her resolve to excel and advocate for inclusivity in her field. 

As Chien continues balancing research, mentorship, and leadership, she hopes to pave the way for future scientists. 

“I have benefited from having mentors advocate for me, so I think that as I continue in my career, I hope to do the same for other women,” said Chien. 

Chien credits the support of mentors like Phoebe Welch, Mercedes Gonzales, and Nmachi Anumba–along with the broader network of women in STEM she has connected with over the years–for shaping her journey. She hopes to pay that support forward, advocating for future generations of scientists.