Andrew H. Scarpelli

Andrew H. Scarpelli is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), holding a PhD in molecular biology from Northwestern University. He bridges art, science, and community engagement through interdisciplinary teaching and co-founding Chicago's first community biology lab, ChiTownBio. His work emphasizes accessibility in science and speculative futures in biotechnology.

Education: PhD in Molecular Biology, Northwestern University.

Research Interests:

• Integration of biology with art/design practices
• Citizen science and community-driven biotechnology
• Speculative futurism in astrobiology and synthetic biology
• Ethical implications of genetic engineering

Labs/Teams: Co-founder and president of ChiTownBio, a community biology lab fostering public engagement with biotechnology. Courses taught include BioArt Studio, Synthetic Futures: Biodesign Challenge, and Critical Genetics, all emphasizing hands-on lab work and interdisciplinary collaboration.