Dr. Mona Minkara

STEM specialist

Dr. Mona Minkara is an assistant professor in the field of bioengineering at Northeastern University. Currently, she teaches a biomolecular dynamics and control course. Dr. Minkara’s COMBINE lab research (Computational Modeling for BioInterface Engineering) focuses on developing new computational models and methods to obtain molecular-level knowledge about surfactant protein systems found at chemical interfaces in the human body. Currently, her group is focused on the pulmonary surfactant system. Through the use of computer simulations, her research group aims to gain a better understanding of the functions of this vital biological system, explore the effects of various compounds on the lung, identify potential applications for drug delivery, and aid in engineering a novel synthetic pulmonary surfactant. More information about Dr. Minkara’s current research can be found on her research group website: http://minkaracombinelab.com/#1.

Dr. Minkara also serves as an advocate for the blind and visually impaired students in STEM in many other organizations and committees. She is affiliated with ACS’ Chemists with Disabilities (CWD) Committee, AIChE’s Disabilities Outreach and Inclusion Community (DORIC), American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and American Chemical Society. As an advocate for inclusion, Dr. Minkara goes one step further and actively encourages the inclusion of blind and visually impaired students in STEM by sharing her unique set of Blind Scientist Tools, compiled based on her own experiences as a blind student and professional in science. For more information about Dr. Minkara’s Blind Scientist Tools, visit her website: http://monaminkara.com/blind-scientist-tools/.

As part of her contributions to ETI, Dr. Minkara has implemented her unique Blind STEM Curriculum during ETI’s inclusive summer programs for blind and sighted youth in Lebanon. The Blind STEM Curriculum is a collection of over a dozen experiment-based lessons that utilize commonly found, low-cost items designed with accessibility and collaboration in mind. With this specialized curriculum, Dr. Minkara aims to:
1. transform the misconceptions about youth with visual impairments and their abilities among their peers, educators, and members of the community;
2. increase their interest in pursuing STEM fields, and;
3. increase representation of individuals with disabilities in STEM fields and their inclusion in society.

Furthermore, Dr. Minkara is also the Creative Director of her own YouTube travel show, Planes, Trains, and Canes (PTC), where she uses her five pillars of freedom (the power of determination, the power of choice, the power of human connection, the power of exploration and the power of technology) to freely explore public transportation around the globe and discover the world’s most interesting places. PTC is a unique platform that combines her passion for adventure, her love for public transportation and her interest in accessibility. For more information about Planes, Trains, and Canes, check out: www.planestrainsandcanes.com.

Dr. Minkara’s journey began as a child of Lebanese immigrants in a Boston public school where being blind was considered as a prevention from being educated. However, she pursued her academic ambitions despite feeling resistance from her surroundings and received her first award as an undergrad at Wellesley College, the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates and was honored as Commencement Speaker.

Dr. Minkara’s career has been marked by multiple awards in different points throughout her academic, research and professional journey, from receiving the Howard Hughes Medical Institute as an undergraduate student, to being awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship to continue her Ph.D. studies at the University of Florida. Other awards then followed, such as University of Florida Alumni Fellowship, University of Florida Grinter Award, and Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship.

After receiving her Ph.D. in Chemistry, she was invited by Professor J. Ilja Siepmann to join his group at the University of Minnesota where her research focus shifted to novel studies of surfactants using Monte Carlo algorithms. Upon completing her postdoctoral work, Dr. Minkara relocated back to Boston where she started her Assistant Professor position in the field of bioengineering at Northeastern University in August of 2019.

Her formative years have strongly influenced her position as an advocate for the rights of blind students in education. By combining her passion for science, her curiosity about the world and her own personal experience as a blind woman, Dr. Minkara stands out as a fierce and committed leader in the field of inclusion of people with disabilities in STEM and STEM education. Dr. Minkara’s slogan “Vision is More than Sight” is also a direct reflection of her values and mission to push individuals to go beyond their limiting beliefs about disabilities, human potentials, and diversity.