Curriculum Vitae
Ryan Romie Kind
Education
- Expected June 2026
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
Samuel Merritt University, Oakland · Accelerated track
- 2008 – 2010
Master of Science, Biomedical Engineering
University of California, Los Angeles
- 2002 – 2006
Bachelor of Arts, Molecular and Cell Biology
University of California, Berkeley · Minor in Business Administration (Marketing)
Licenses and certifications
- Registered Nurse, California Board of Registered Nursing, anticipated July 2026
- Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers, American Heart Association (expires 6/30/2027)
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), American Heart Association (expires 4/30/2028)
- Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), American Heart Association (expires 4/30/2028)
- 12-Lead ECG, 4 CE credits
- Certified Eye Bank Technician (CEBT), Eye Bank Association of America (2004 – 2006)
Continuing education
- ACEs Aware
- California Mandated Reporter (CDSS, AB1207)
- MISSSEY Human Trafficking Prevention
- Stalking Awareness
- HHRC Supporting Older Adults Experiencing Homelessness
- HHRC Treatment Models and Engagement
ABSN clinical rotations
- May – Jun 2026
Senior Preceptorship · Med/Surg
CPMC Davies, San Francisco · Faculty: Sarah Koster, FNP, MSN, MPH
- Spring 2026
Psychiatric and Mental Health
Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital · Faculty: Aaron Lim, RN (clinical), Lynda Creighton-Wong, PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC, MS, RN (lecture)
- Spring 2026
Community Health
Episcopal Community Services (The Henry, SOMA), San Francisco · Faculty: Sarah Koster, FNP, MSN, MPH
- Spring 2026
Pediatrics
Health Heroes Community Placement, Alameda County · Faculty: Jessica Tellier, MSc, BSN, RN
- Fall 2025
Maternity (Care of the Childbearing Family)
CPMC Van Ness, San Francisco · Faculty: Joe Brunicardi, RN (clinical), Caryn Crespo, MSN, CNM, WHNP-BC, CNL, RN (lecture)
- Fall 2025
Critical Care · ED, ICU, OR
Sutter Summit Medical Center, Oakland · Faculty: Erik Garino, DNP, RN
- Fall 2025
Med-Surg / Telemetry
Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek · Faculty: Raquel Aldridge, RN
- Summer 2025
Med-Surg / Renal
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center (Ashby Campus), Berkeley · Faculty: Pat Henry, RN
Healthcare experience
- Oct 2025 – present
Teaching Assistant, Community Health
Samuel Merritt University · 20 hr/week, under Prof. Sarah Koster, FNP, MSN, MPH
- Fall 2025 – present
Research Collaborator, Connect to Meds Project
Samuel Merritt University · with Dr. Elizabeth Sibson-Tuan, ABSN Program Director
- Jan 2025 – Apr 2026
Behavioral Health Patient Care Coordinator
Well3 · Outpatient behavioral health · 15 hr/week
Prior healthcare-and-design leadership
- 2017 – present
Founder and Principal, The Life Robotic
Concept-to-launch design consultancy and science advisory. Clients include Kaiser Permanente, Museum of the Future (Dubai), Swissnex, and the Gebert Rüf Foundation.
- 2017 – 2018
Producer, Guerilla Science
NSF-funded public-engagement work. Coordinated IRB, federal reporting, and large-scale festival research on audience response.
- 2017 – 2018
Visiting Assistant Professor, Math & Science Department
Pratt Institute, New York · Co-Director, Artist-Scientist Festival Residency
- 2013 – 2017
Director, Health and Biotech Exhibitions
The Tech Interactive · Directed multi-million-dollar interactive health exhibitions including Body Metrics ($3.6M) and BioDesign Studio ($5M). Supervised 50-person cross-functional staff.
- 2009 – 2016
Fellow / Lecturer, UCLA Art|Sci Center + Lab
Coursework at the intersection of bioengineering and art. Co-founder, LA Biohackers community group.
- 2008 – 2010
Graduate Researcher, UCLA Bioengineering
Biomimetic culture platform for bone-tissue remodeling. Therapeutic development for osteoporosis.
- 2006 – 2008
Lab Manager, MIT Biotechnology Process Engineering Center
Microfluidic bioreactor research. Faculty-led investigations. Small-animal surgery. Safety and regulatory compliance.
- 2004 – 2006
R&D Supervisor, Cellular Bioengineering, Inc.
Biopolymer Transplantable Cornea. Award-winning Neural Matrix CCD. Cell-culture-lab operations and FDA / IRB compliance.
Awards and recognitions
- Blooloop Innovation Award, 1st Place, Exhibit category (2024). Awarded to Atelier Brückner for the Museum of the Future "Journey of the Pioneers" complex, of which the HEAL Institute (Romie: Science Advisor) is one pavilion.
- ASTC Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Award (Visitor Experience, 2019). Awarded to The Tech Interactive for the BioTinkering Lab (Romie: Project Director).
- D&AD Wood Pencil (2017). BioDesign Studio. Spatial / Experiential Design category.
- Core77 Design Awards, Runner-Up (2017). BioDesign Studio (Romie: Curator / Project Director, Health and Biotech). Interaction category.
- AAM MUSE Award, Silver (2017). BioDesign Studio. Interpretive Interactive Installations category.
- AAM MUSE Award, Gold (2016). Body Metrics. Interpretive Interactive Installations category.
- R&D 100 Award (team, 2005). Cellular Bioengineering, Inc., Neural Matrix CCD.
Funding
- National Science Foundation Award #1612719, $938,000 (2016 – 2020). Producer / Co-Director, with Pratt Institute as PI.
- Gebert Rüf Stiftung (Scientainment), CHF 220K (2023). Program Manager / Lead, Immersion to Action.
- Brin-Wojcicki Foundation, $2M (2013). Curator and Writer, DIY Genetics Exhibition. (Per Tech Interactive development records.)
- Moore Foundation, $1.5M (2014). Curator and Writer, DIY Genetics Exhibition.
- Johnson Foundation, $1M (2015). Curator and Writer, DIY Genetics Exhibition.
- Kaiser Permanente, $500K (2013). Presenting sponsor, Body Metrics / Human Data Exhibition.
Peer-reviewed publications
- Fan, V. H., Tamama, K., Au, A., Littrell, R., Richardson, L. B., Wright, J. W., Wells, A., & Griffith, L. G. (2007). Tethered epidermal growth factor provides a survival advantage to mesenchymal stem cells. Stem Cells, 25(5), 1241–1251. DOI · PubMed
- Loparev, A., Westendorf, L., Flemings, M., Cho, J., Littrell, R., Scholze, A., & Shaer, O. (2017). BacPack: Exploring the role of tangibles in a museum exhibit for bio-design. Proceedings of TEI '17 (pp. 111–120). ACM.
- Loparev, A., Westendorf, L., Flemings, M., Cho, J., Littrell, R., Scholze, A., & Shaer, O. (2016). BacPack for New Frontiers: A tangible tabletop museum exhibit exploring synthetic biology. Proceedings of ACM ISS '16.
- Okerlund, J., Segreto, E., Grote, C., Westendorf, L., Scholze, A., Littrell, R., & Shaer, O. (2016). SynFlo: A tangible museum exhibit for exploring bio-design. Proceedings of TEI '16 (pp. 141–149). ACM. DOI
- Littrell, R. (2010). A modular microfluidic platform for biology education. Master's thesis, UCLA Biomedical Engineering.
Talks and appearances
- Kind, R. (2025). "Nature responds: Exploring AI's role in human dialogue." Invited panel, Museum of the Future House, SXSW 2025, Austin.
- Kind, R. (2023). "Teaching machines to think human." Podcast guest, Living Untitled ep. 8, with J. J. Boone.
- Littrell, R. (2019). "Science of experience." Artist Salon, Gray Area Foundation for the Arts, San Francisco.
- Littrell, R. (2017). "Guerilla Science." Invited presentation, Learn.Design.Bio Symposium, University of Pennsylvania.
- Littrell, R. (2016). "Why the world needs biological design." Speaker, SXSW Interactive 2016, Austin.
- Littrell, R. (2015). "Lab cultures." Association of Science and Technology Centers Annual Conference, Montréal.
Affiliations and service
- Chair, Community Labs Track, iGEM Foundation
- California Nursing Students' Association, Mental Health Committee
- American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA)
- National Student Nurses' Association (NSNA)
- Society of Nurse Scientists, Innovators, Entrepreneurs & Leaders