LeAnn Le

Ph.D. University of Washington, WA, USA
B.S. University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

LeAnn Le is a postdoctoral researcher in the CRE Lab at UC San Diego. Her current research focuses on developing 3D-printed living materials to enhance coral larval recruitment and restoration. She received her Ph.D. in Molecular Engineering & Sciences from the University of Washington, where she designed 3D-printed core-shell Engineered Living Materials (ELMs) as bioreactors with enhanced bioproduction, bioprotection, and biocontainment for deployment in remote or resource-limited environments, such as space. Previously, LeAnn earned her B.S. in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics (MIMG) from UCLA, where she conducted research at the California NanoSystems Institute. Alongside her work at UCLA, she contributed to projects at UC Irvine, applying her microscopy experience to characterize the structural and optical properties of reflectin, a cephalopod protein. Throughout her scientific training, LeAnn has been committed to translating science beyond the bench, working in start-up environments and roles at the intersection of science, technology, and business. Away from the lab, LeAnn takes great joy in creative writing, bouldering, curating her Spotify playlists near a body of water, and crafting a good espresso tonic.