Steven Keating

Steven Keating is a doctoral candidate at the MIT Media Lab who is developing novel platforms for 3D printing, synthetic biological fabrication, and designed growth of the next generation of products. Curiosity drives his research and also saved his life through the accidental discovery of a baseball-sized cancerous brain tumor found in a voluntary academic scan. With his tumor successfully removed through awake brain surgery in 2014, Steven is an advocate for open patient data and curiosity. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Synthetic Biology, and has background dual degrees in Engineering and Film from Queen’s University. Steven joined Mediated Matter as the first student in 2010 and has since produced numerous peer-reviewed papers, presented keynote talks, and lectured for several MIT Mechanical Engineering and Media Lab courses (2.00b, 2.009, MAS.500, MAS.S64). Past research projects cover a diverse range from building-scale 3D printing, to microfluidics for synthetic biology, and novel fabrication methods to explore his own brain tumor data. Steve has been featured in a short film, "The Open Patient," and a published invited O’Reilly Media book chapter, "Beyond 3D Printing: The New Dimensions of Additive Fabrication," which summarizes the directions of his research. Calgary is his hometown and he is invigorated by creativity, design, and maple syrup.