J. Sebastian Garcia-Medina

Sebastian is a PhD candidate of Physiology and Biophysics at Weill Cornell Medicine under the mentorship of Dr. Christopher Mason & Dr. Laura Donlin. He currently studies bacterial biopolymer manufacturing for space and earth applications, while his earlier work focused on immune physiology of astronauts and early auto-immune patients. Sebastian initially gained an interest in bacterial engineering and biopolymers while learning about the demands of long-duration spaceflight. He became an artist in residency at the School of Visual Arts for the Summer of 2023 where he explored metabolic interconnectedness in ecosystems. He was awarded an innovator award through the Swarovski Foundation and the UN office for partnerships in 2023 and is currently investigating bacterial cellulose manufacturing and industrialization methods for circular bioeconomies. Sebastian gave a TEDx talk in April 2024 where he discussed the future of biomanufacturing practices globally. Sebastian holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in human biology and a double Master’s of Science in medical physiology and clinical research from Case Western Reserve University.