Lexi Applequist, biomedical engineering Ph.D. researcher at the University of Arkansas and cofounder and CEO of Humimic Biosystems, has been named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Science list for 2026.

Applequist's research through the Mechanobiology and Soft Materials Laboratory (the "Balalab") focuses on improving preclinical drug testing through human-relevant alternatives to animal models. In her latest publication in the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A, Applequist and her team validate pz-PDMS™, a soft, electrically-responsive biomaterial that measures cardiomyocyte contractile strength without imaging - an important advancement for quantifying how beating human heart tissue responds to drug exposure.

This research directly supports the development of Humimic's CoCo Chip™ and NICE Chip™ platforms, which are engineered to surface unsafe or ineffective pharmaceutical drug candidates earlier in the development process, reducing time to market and cost in preclinical testing.

Since beginning her Ph.D. in 2022, Applequist has cofounded Humimic Biosystems LLC with Dr. Kartik Balachandran, secured more than $500K in non-dilutive research and commercialization funding, and placed in global pitch competitions including the Bangkok Business Challenge and the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in Silicon Valley.

Her interdisciplinary leadership spans regulated health technology development, academic research collaboration and advocacy for more equitable and reliable drug development systems.