Lucas Deakins

Chemical Engineering, Auburn University 

Lucas “Luke” Deakins is from Mobile, Alabama, and graduated summa cum laude and as a University Honors Scholar from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering and a minor in psychology. During his undergraduate studies, Luke conducted research in computational protein design, using machine learning tools to develop novel binding proteins for biosensing applications. He also served as the Vice President of Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, as a Cupola Engineering Ambassador, and as a Camp War Eagle Orientation Counselor, experiences that allowed him to mentor fellow students, engage with prospective engineers, and contribute to the Auburn community.

Alongside his engineering education, Luke gained clinical experience as a medical assistant in dermatology, where he assisted with patient care, surgical procedures, and clinical documentation. He also explored healthcare from a broader perspective through clinical shadowing in both the United States and Italy. Outside of his academic and clinical experiences, Luke has served his community through volunteer work transporting blood products for the American Red Cross and providing health education and outreach with AIDS Alabama South.

Luke chose the EnMed program because of the opportunity to combine his interests in engineering, medicine, and innovation while developing the skills needed to translate unmet clinical needs into practical solutions. Through EnMed, he hopes to become a physician who can identify problems at the bedside and collaborate across engineering, clinical, and industry teams to develop technologies that improve the delivery and quality of healthcare. He looks forward to contributing to the collaborative community at EnMed and throughout the Texas Medical Center.

In his free time, Luke enjoys swimming, tennis, trying new restaurants, and spending time with friends and family. He also enjoys exploring new places and experiences, whether through traveling abroad or discovering everything Houston has to offer.