Q & A with bioengineering professor Keith Neeves

Get to know the faculty! 

A Q&A session was held with bioengineering professor Keith Neeves to give us an inside look at both his professional career and personal life.  He also imparts invaluable advice for all current bioengineering students.   

By Kahla Weber, BS-BIOE 

Kahla:  What has been your biggest accomplishment career wise for this past fiscal year?  

Dr. Neeves:  Keeping everyone in my lab healthy and productive and paid. 

Kahla:  How many publications have you had over the last year and which is the most notable?  

Dr. Neeves:  We published nine papers last year. Probably the most notable was one where we used a mathematical model to predict a new mechanism that may regulate bleeding in hemophilia (learn more).  

Kahla: What is your biggest goal for this upcoming year?  

Dr. Neeves:  We have a few exciting papers coming up with our magnetically powered microbot technology we call microwheels. We are using swarms of these microwheels to dissolve blood clots at a rate much faster than current blood dissolution therapies. 

 Kahla: What has been your biggest personal accomplishment in the last year?  

Dr. Neeves:  Like most people, this was a year that involved a lot of reflection on priorities. I was fortunate enough to be able to work from home and support my daughters as they navigated virtual elementary school and the pandemic. It was tough, but I feel like I have better relationship and I’m closer with them because of it.  

Kahla:  What is something that you like to do for fun in your “spare” time?  

Dr. Neeves: I need ways to turn my brain off, so for me that involves reading fiction and exercising every day. I do quite a bit of downhill skiing in the winter, which I love doing with my daughters…[I] typically run and train for a few longer road and trail races each summer. My wife and I have an amazing circle of friends and neighbors that we enjoy socializing with, another thing that I was grateful for during the pandemic, even though it involved a lot outdoor social distancing get togethers in cold weather. 

Kahla: Do you have any words of wisdom for the students currently completing their bioengineering degree?  

Dr. Neeves:  I would really encourage everyone to develop and nurture your relationships with your classmates. Finding a small (or large) group of people to work with is a more efficient and better way to learn than trying to do everything on your own. The emotional and moral support can really make a difference in your mental health.