Student Doctor
Anthony Acierto
Third-year M.D. candidate at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Aspiring physician-researcher bridging engineering and patient care.
About me
My background in biomedical engineering gives me a unique lens on patient care. From developing shape memory polymers that prevent biofilm growth on implants, to programming AI tools that streamline cardiac surgery research at Cleveland Clinic, I'm passionate about bringing engineering innovation into the clinic.
Outside the lab, you'll find me reading historical fiction, training for long-distance runs, or singing with the UCCOM chorus.
Education
2024 — Present · Anticipated 2028 (Year 3)
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)
Third-year medical student pursuing clinical medicine and research at the intersection of technology and patient care.
2021 — 2024
Syracuse University
B.S. Biomedical Engineering
★Childhood Cancer Sibling Scholar
★Engineering Leadership Scholar
★George Wiley Award — Top Organic Chemistry
★Renee Crown Honors Program
★Tau Beta Pi Scholarship
★$5,000 Crown Research Grant
Experience
Clinical & Volunteer
Sep 2024 — Present
KIDNEE Club Chair
Pediatrics Interest Group, Cincinnati, OH
Chair of mentorship program for pediatric dialysis patients. Matched with a pediatric dialysis patient as a buddy, providing company and support during treatment sessions.
2025 — Present
Director of the Urban Health Project
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Secured $120,000 in funding and managed 21 interns across 14 sites. Generated $100,000 of direct impact in the greater Cincinnati area.
Aug 2022 — Dec 2023
Cardiology Volunteer
St. Joseph's Hospital, Syracuse, NY
Cared for patients across two Cardiology floors. Developed an automated volunteer check-in system.
May — Aug 2022
ED & Dialysis Volunteer
Firelands Regional Medical Center, Sandusky, OH
Guided patients through registration, comforted families, facilitated patient transport in the dialysis clinic.
Engineering & Professional
Oct 2021 — May 2024
Portable Breast Cancer Detection
Senior Design, Syracuse University
Collaborated with a radiologist to create a novel breast cancer assessment using electric impedance tomography. Co-led software development in Arduino and Python.
Dec 2022 — May 2023
Diabetic Foot Ulcer Detection
Senior Design, Syracuse University
Designed an imaging device with a neurologist. Coded ulcer detection AI with 75%+ accuracy. Presented at NEBEC Design Competition.
May — Aug 2022
Operations Associate
PT Solutions, Brunswick, OH
Inspected biomedical devices including spinal fusion implants. Automated documentation via Excel VBA.
Research & Publications
Oct 2021 — May 2024
SU Bioinspired Institute
PI: Dr. James H. Henderson
Developed shape memory polymers proven to prevent antibiotic-resistant biofilm growth on implants. 10+ hours/week in SMP manufacturing, cell & bacterial culture, and thermal/mechanical analysis.
May — Aug 2023
Cleveland Clinic / IBM
Discovery Accelerator AI Intern · PI: Dr. Tara Karamlou
Programmed IBM's ‘Deep Search’ to automate literature reviews for cardiac surgery research. Bridged communication between Cleveland Clinic surgeons and IBM scientists.
Publications
“Dry and wet wrinkling of a silk fibroin biopolymer by a shape-memory material with insight into mechanical effects on secondary structures in the silk network”
E. Oguntade, C. Wigham, L. Owuor, K. O'Grady, A. Acierto, R. Zha, J. Henderson
J Mater Chem B, vol. 12, no. 26, 2024
“SciScribe: Automating & Contextualizing Literature Reviews in Cardiac Surgery”
R. Mahboubi, K. Dinkla, A. Weiss, A. Acierto, P. Staar, J. Robinson, M. Hammoud, T. Karamlou
The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 2024
“Bacterial Response to Shape-Memory Actuated Silk Wrinkled Surface Topographies as a Strategy for Biofilm Prevention”
E. Oguntade, L. Owuor, C. Du, A. Acierto, S. Meyer, M. Monroe, J. Henderson
Presentations
1."The Effect of Hydration on Manufactured Shape Memory Polymer Parts" — Plenary oral presentation, NEBEC, Drexel University (March 2023)
2."The Effect of Hydration on Manufactured SMP Parts with Insight into Shape Memory Actuated Wrinkles" — SOURCE Poster Symposium, Syracuse (Dec 2023)
3."P.I.B.I. Check: A Portable Impedance Breast Imaging Device" — SOURCE Poster Symposium, Syracuse (Dec 2023)
4."Ulcer Foot Optical Analysis Device" — Senior Design Poster, NEBEC, Drexel University (March 2023)
Leadership & Service
President
Honors Pre-health Society
Restarted after 6-year hiatus, grew to ~100 members. Collaborated with campus groups to host alumni physician speaking events and a politics in healthcare event.
Peer Mentorship Director
Biomedical Engineering Society
Paired first-year engineers with upperclass mentors. Coordinated events and fundraised for field trips to nearby engineering firms.
Secretary
Tau Beta Pi (Engineering Honors Society)
Admitted based on academics (top eighth of class), character, and leadership. Planned and hosted Vex Robotics competitions for local high school students.
Ignite Fellow
Teach For America
Led small group math instruction for underserved junior high students. Raised test scores and bolstered student confidence for advanced coursework.
Ambassador
Engineering Ambassadors
Taught STEM to local students with learning disabilities, demonstrating that they can thrive in challenging science tasks.
Member
Engineering World Health
Built EKG health kits for communities abroad. Hosted soldering workshops for outreach.
Let's connect
Whether it's about research, medicine, or just to say hello — I'd love to hear from you.
© 2026 Anthony Acierto