Laura Faulconer, Ph.D.

Director of Innovation Projects
Center of Innovation for Nanobiotechnology (COIN)

Laura joined COIN before the organization had secured full funding and helped to write the business plan and develop program offerings. She is responsible for building program offerings. Before COIN, Laura wandered into nanotech by way of a small dissertation project on nanomaterials for refraction contrast imaging that led to an internship with Lux in nanotech business intelligence, and subsequently an internship with COIN. Laura has over five year's experience in research ranging from bench science to clinical. While Laura looks like an underclassman, she has the CV of a rocket scientist. Laura completed her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2009. She is an accomplished scholar well-recognized for her dedication to the scientific and civic communities. She’s very type A and at the office every morning by 7 and you will hear her infectious laugh at every local networking event by night. 

Laura has rescued everything from exotic frogs and pit bulls to parrots, geckos and snakes. Her current rescues are Ophelia, Sydney, and Bronti. In her rare free time, Laura loves to renovate old houses and go junk-tiquing = digging through piles of old junk at flea markets and yard sales finding  treasures that might be considered antiques. Laura is a twin, and they graduated from VCU Forensics Science program together in 2004.