Rebecca Pinals

Rebecca L. Pinals, PhD, serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University and the Sarafan Chem-H Institute. She launched her independent laboratory in Fall 2025 and leads a team investigating Alzheimer's disease and blood-brain barrier function through a chemical engineering lens. Her prior work examined nanoparticle-biomolecular interactions, which she now applies to brain research for new therapeutic approaches. Dr. Pinals completed her undergraduate studies in chemical engineering at Brown University, received her PhD in chemical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and conducted postdoctoral research at MIT. She maintains active membership in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the American Chemical Society. Her 23 peer-reviewed publications reflect her contributions, with additional work under revision from her lab. She was selected for the Influential Women 2026 recognition and draws inspiration from her grandmother, a microbiologist and artist who faced dementia.