Ava Balanon is an undergraduate student studying Chemical Engineering in the biomolecular track. She is interested in pharmaceutical and biotech process development, particularly in the development and production of new vaccines and other biologics, as well as in sustainable energy research aimed at reducing environmental impact. Her work in the lab focuses on analyzing how spatial structure influences the efficiency of plasmid conjugation between bacteria under antibiotic stress.

Ava is a dual-sport athlete at Caltech, so most of her time outside the lab is spent diving or running. During her free time, she enjoys playing video games, dancing, and baking!