Profile: Luis is a Ph.D. Student in Linda Griffith's group in the Biological Engineering Department at MIT. His work focuses on the development of engineered proteins to control cell behavior in tissue engineering applications. His interests lie in discovering methods to guide tissue regeneration and in the application of unorthodox techniques to solve biological design problems.

His recent awards include: 2006-7 MIT Medtronic Scholar; Nanotech Briefs Nano50 award for a Nanosensor-Based Hydration Monitoring System(2006), semifinalist in the 2006 MIT $100K Competition (Hydralert), the 2007 Foster-Miller design award for a wearable blast dosimeter, and the 2005 ISN Director's award for the development of a point-of-care dehydration diagnostic device.

Luis is an active duty Army officer and has served tours as an intelligence officer in Baghdad, Iraq; South Korea; and various US locations. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Combat Action badge in 2005. Most recently he was accepted into the Army Scientist and Engineer program. He holds an M.S. in chemical engineering from MIT (99) and a B.S. in chemistry from West Point.

He is married and has one daughter.