Experiences

Global Competency

In the 2022 spring semester, I went with my cohort to NYU Abu Dhabi. I was able to participate in bioengineering research, cultural excursions, and major-specific courses.

This experience helped me expand my perspective of different cultures, both on and off campus. The NYU Abu Dhabi campus is very diverse and international, and I was able to meet people from Mexico, Indonesia, India, and more. In addition, I was able to travel to the seven Emirates with the GLASS cohort, where I visited the Buhais Geological Park, Hatta Dam, and Suwaidi Pearls farm. Weekly excursions with NYUAD Global Education Officers immersed us into the local culture with food, street markets, and activities. I also took bioengineering electives, such as Biomaterials and Biomechanics to further my understanding of the professional fields I want to pursue.

Commitment to Service 

During the Fort Greene Park Earth Day Festival, I volunteered at the sustainability clothing swap booth. People were able to donate, swap, or take new clothes.

Creating a space for people to donate, swap, and take clothes created an opportunity for sustainability, as clothes take an incredible amount of labor and energy to manufacture. Seeing many people volunteer and also contribute was very encouraging.

This experience encouraged me to be more sustainable, as well as volunteer more often. In the future, when I have extra clothes or books, I'll look for opportunities around me so I can donate/swap them. I was able to meet and talk with new people in the Brooklyn community. Together, the volunteers made a difference.

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In partnership with Tandon and the Bowery Mission, I also volunteered to package care kits for the Bowery Mission clients. The Bowery Mission is an organization that works with New Yorkers who currently face homelessness and marginalization.

By partnering the school with an organization, we created a system to efficiently pack the bags. People each chose a hygiene item to pack into the bag, and we formed an assembly line. The care packages went to people who needed it, promoting health and reduced inequalities.

My main goal in my career is to increase access to affordable and personalized medicine. By packaging health supplies for communities that need it, I felt a sense of purpose. I hope to continue volunteering with organizations in the future, to remind me of why I chose my career path. Opportunities like this remind me to engage with my communities.

Leadership

I am currently an undergraduate representative for the Biomedical Engineering Society at NYU. In the past, we have organized a Research Poster Event to share current BME and BME-related research, provide an opportunity for students to present their research, and help facilitate connections within the BME and BME-related fields. Most recently, we coordinated a recruitment event to help undergraduate and graduate students gain insight into various career fields, learn about the paths taken, and to provide them with potential career opportunities. 

I got involved because I wanted to connect people of different backgrounds and interests. My relationships with Biomolecular Science students in the year above me were invaluable, as they soon became friends and mentors. I knew that I wanted to be there for incoming and younger students too. Creating a space for people to support each other academically and professionally proved very meaningful to me.

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I have also spoken on multiple panels as an upperclassman offering advice to freshmen in Biomolecular Science/Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. I shared insights and guidance on research and academic matters, providing valuable perspectives to help freshmen navigate their academic journey in the field. This includes but is not limited to: course recommendations, study abroad opportunities, lab research insights, and possible career pathways. 

Being a panel speaker for freshmen has significantly impacted my professional and personal development. Professionally, it honed my communication and mentoring skills, allowing me to share valuable insights with fellow students. Personally, the experience brought a sense of fulfillment as I contributed to the success of my peers, fostering a supportive community. This opportunity has motivated me to continue mentoring and actively engage in collaborative efforts within the academic realm, further shaping my goals and aspirations.

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I am a detail-oriented, driven, and relational leader, always seeking to learn and improve my skills. I am seeking opportunities that will challenge me to continue developing these skills while sharing my passions and helping people. 

Academic Excellence

Through the NYU Abu Dhabi Visiting Student Research Assistantship, I conducted research in the Laboratory for Immuno Bioengineering Research and Applications (LIBRA) with Professor Teo. 

I performed T-cell exhaustion tests on collagen hydrogels to better understand interactions between Antigen-Presenting Cells and T-cells, with an application in T-cell therapy. In addition, I performed serial dilutions with T-cell markers on Jurkat cells, utilizing the cytometer and fluorescence-activated cell sorting.

This relates to the Grand Challenge of Engineering Better Medicines, as I was able to create an artificial antigen presenting cell biosystem, better understand T cell proliferation for cancer therapy applications, and better understand the interactions between immune cells. It also applies to the UN Sustainable Development goals of Good Health & Wellbeing, and Reduced Inequalities. As we get closer to understanding CAR T cell therapy, we get closer to developing personalized and effective treatments. In addition, as we better understand the immune system and cell interactions, we get closer to understanding illnesses and treatment responses.

This was my first research experience, and I was fortunate enough to shadow and conduct research with biomaterials. Through this experience, I learned more about a field that I am now interested in pursuing —  immunology. In addition, the lab focused on microgravity, which is very niche and unique. The researchers in the lab encouraged me to ask questions and learn new laboratory techniques, and the experience confirmed that I would like to continue lab research back in New York during my undergraduate studies, as well as after.

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For my senior thesis,  I worked in the Montclare Lab to express, purify, and characterize phosphotriesterase, an enzyme that detoxifies organophosphates. Throughout the project, I designed experiments, analyzed data, and presented findings directly to our Principal Investigator.

From this opportunity, I have gained a thorough understanding of proteins, developed laboratory skills, and learned to work with people to drive our project forward.

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I was able to succeed in my academics through my time management, work ethic, and passion for the topics I was learning.  At times it was challenging, such as when I started taking advanced undergraduate and graduate courses, but committing myself to the material and asking clarifying questions to my professors was the key. 

I'm currently learning about proteomics in the context of bioinformatics, as well as the pharmaceutical industry. I'm incredibly excited about how the pharmaceutical industry is expanding, innovating, and problem-solving to address both prevalent and rare diseases. 

Professional Development

In the summer of 2022, I was part of the Army Educational Outreach Program and Undergraduate Summer Research Program, developing protein hydrogels and biocatalysts in the Montclare Lab.

I expressed, purified, characterized, and ran specific experiments to optimize mechanical properties and kinetics for two proteins, CEC-DOPA and PTE. I have experience in noncanonical amino acid incorporation, fluorination, metal affinity chromatography, SDS-PAGE, and circular dichroism.

The potential impact of my research is a wet-adhesive hydrogel drug delivery system for patients with impaired wound healing, as well as an optimized biocatalyst for organophosphates. 

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In the summer of 2023, I joined Abbvie's CMC Purification Development team as an experiential intern. My project was focused on investigating the potential of Protein A chromatography membranes and comparing them to the current industry standard Protein A resin columns. I designed and developed purification methods using Unicorn Software, and analyzed and characterized protein samples through both affinity and size-exclusion chromatography using the UV-Vis spectroscopy, AKTA systems, and UPLC/HPLC. I was also able to test anion exchange filters' abilities to remove process- and product-related impurities. 

The applications of Protein A membranes include high throughput screening for cell culture analysis, as well as reduced costs and time for load cycling. 

The process development sector of R&D was very interesting to me -- being able to develop bench-scale processes and see them scaled up to the pilot plant scale (before clinical trials) was an incredible opportunity to observe and be a part of!

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I was able to earn both of these opportunities through consistent support from GLASS. This support involved conversations with GLASS upperclassmen who recommended research labs and companies, as well as class sessions with the Wasserman Center to review resumes and practice interviewing.

In the future, I will seek opportunities in Research & Development in the Pharmaceutical Industry. I am passionate about cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, and look forward to developing therapeutics for these areas!