Princess Imoukhuede

Early life and education Imoukhuede grew up in Matteson, Illinois. She was involved with track and field as a child, and competed in shot put from the age of eight. By the time she was in eighth grade she had become interested in science, and her parents gave her a chemistry set to play with at home. Imoukhuede attended the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. She was the first African American woman to receive a PhD in bioengineering from Caltech. Currently, Imoukhuede is a professor of bioengineering at the University of Washington as the Hunter and Dorthy Simpson Endowed Chair.

Imoukhuede studies the mechanisms that regulate angiogenic signalling, including tyrosine kinase receptors, VEGF receptors and platelet-derived growth factor receptors. In 2019 Imoukhuede and Sarah K. England partnered to improve the efficacy and safety of oxytocin during labour. Imoukhuede is developing a computational model that could be used to predict the function of oxytocin receptor function. As of 2025, Imoukhuede has been deriving a computational model to find the optimal dosage for oxytocin, especially during pregnancy.

Awards and honours

MIT Class of 1972 Award This award is given for a project that most improves quality of life for people or that benefits the environment. 2008 Commitment to Diversity Award, Caltech 2008 UNCF Merck Postdoctoral Research Fellowship 2009 NIH Loan Repayment Awardee for Clinical Research 2011 Gordon Conference Angiogenesis Poster Award 2013-2015 American Cancer Society, Illinois Division, Basic Research Grant 2015 NIH-NIDDK, Basic Research Award 2017 Rose Award for Teaching Excellence by University of Illinois College of Engineering 2018 IMSA Distinguished Leadership Award Winner 2018 Young Innovator in Nanobiotechnology 2019 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Futures Researcher 2020 Cell Mentor named Imoukhuede as one of 1,000 "inspiring black scientists" This award recognizes members who demonstrate significant leadership in achievements in scholarship, education, and mentorship Imoukhuede was recognized as an Excellent Instructor by the University of Illinois Center for Teaching Excellence include: Subcellular Trafficking, Pentameric Assembly, and Subunit Stoichiometry of Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Containing Fluorescently Labeled α6 and β3 Subunits Quantification and cell-to-cell variation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of VEGF-neutralizing antibodies Sex differences in cancer mechanisms

Patents

Morales, R., Sherin, R.S., Imoukhuede, P.I.U., Burke, D., Gomez, M., Ramirez, D.L., Castaneda, A. (2003). Construction set for building structures (A63H 033/08 ed, U.S. Patent 6,641,453). United States of America: Academy of Applied Science.