Rising Star in Biomedical Innovation: U of A Researcher Named to Forbes 30 Under 30

Lexi Applequist, a biomedical engineering Ph.D. researcher at the University of Arkansas and cofounder and CEO of Humimic Biosystems, has earned a spot on the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 Science list for 2026 — a recognition that underscores her groundbreaking work in revolutionizing how drugs are tested before reaching patients.

"Being named to Forbes 30 Under 30 is incredibly meaningful, not only as a personal milestone, but because it represents recognition beyond the traditional academic and scientific community," said Applequist. "It reflects the importance of scientific communication and the ability to translate research into real-world impact. Dr. Kartik Balachandran's mentorship and trust in giving me the autonomy to take this work in new scientific and commercial directions made this possible. This recognition really belongs to an entire team of collaborators and reminds me why I pursued biomedical engineering in the first place: to build technology that helps people and improves access to healthcare."

Working through the University of Arkansas' Mechanobiology and Soft Materials Laboratory, Applequist is focused on improving preclinical drug testing through human-relevant alternatives to animal models. These "organ-on-chip" devices give researchers and drug developers a faster, more accurate way to predict how real human bodies will respond to new therapies without animal testing.

Her latest breakthrough, published in the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A, validates the trademarked pz-PDMS — a soft, electrically responsive biomaterial that measures cardiomyocyte contractile strength without imaging. This innovation helps quantify how beating human heart tissue responds to drug exposure, offering more reliable predictions of drug safety and effectiveness.

Since beginning her Ph.D. in 2022, Applequist has cofounded Humimic Biosystems LLC with Kartik Balachandran, interim associate dean for research and professor of biomedical engineering in the College of Engineering. Together they have secured $95,000 in non-dilutive funding for the company, while Applequist has personally raised over $500,000 to advance both commercialization efforts and her research.

"Lexi's ability to bridge rigorous science with commercial viability is rare at any career stage, let alone as a Ph.D. student," said Balachandran. "She's been instrumental in securing our funding and shaping Humimic's vision from day one."

The company's flagship platforms — the trademarked CoCo Chip (heart muscle model) and NICE Chip (skeletal muscle model) — are engineered to identify unsafe or ineffective drug candidates earlier in development. Humimic Biosystems has also developed and validated additional organ models nearing commercialization: the trademarked DynaMOC for heart valves, AirLOC for nasal airways, and MINT Chip for blood-brain barriers. The company estimates this technology can bring approved drugs to market two years faster and reduce development costs by $250 million per approved drug, while protecting an estimated 300,000 animals from testing annually.

Applequist's work has earned recognition beyond academia as well. She has placed in international pitch competitions including the Bangkok Business Challenge, reached the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in Silicon Valley, and was named 2025 CEO of the Year, Southeast USA by the Dr. Yasemin Yazan LLC Excellence Awards. She has presented research in five countries and completed a research fellowship with a medtech startup in Bengaluru, India, while receiving multiple fellowships from the University of Arkansas, National Science Foundation, and other organizations.

"Lexi Applequist is among the most promising young scientists and entrepreneurs in the nation," said Kim Needy, dean of the College of Engineering. "It is talented, driven individuals like her that define the excellence of this College."