Rafael is completing his undergraduate degree in Engineering Science, specializing in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto. His interest in cell and tissue engineering led him to join the ATOMS lab where he is researching microvasculature in endothelium-seeded hydrogel scaffolds. Rafael aims to create CFD simulation models of bioreactors for the analysis of flow and shear stress in microvasculature. These simulations will be used to design a microfluidic device to measure the porosity and permeability of hydrogel scaffolds to produce micro-vessels in-vitro.