The projects for Tandon Honors students in the Global Leaders & Scholars in STEM program consists of a culmination of various experiences, research, and interests related to the Tandon Areas of Research Excellence. Scholars are also required to address the NAE Grand Challenges and think about the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals when doing so. At the end of the 3 years in the GLASS Program, students have a better understanding of the impact they can have on changing the world for the better. GLASS students enter the world as globally competent and socially responsible innovators and engineers!

I am committed to developing biomaterials with the overarching goal of increasing access to affordable and personalized medicines.  Access to healthcare and medicine is a human right, and medicine should be effective in treating illness. 

In high school, I took a trip to the Dominican Republic to teach English. We stayed at a center across from a hospital, and one day the hospital parking lot was completely filled with motorcycles. My friend explained that the hospital was offering free walk-in services to people who could not afford healthcare, and I made it my mission to 1) better understand why so many people could not afford healthcare and 2) help develop affordable medicines. I decided to research the lack of access to affordable healthcare in America for my senior year research project, and I subsequently decided to pursue Biomolecular Science and Biotechnology.

In the Spring of 2022, I joined the Laboratory for Immuno Bioengineering Research and Applications while studying abroad at Abu Dhabi. I conducted T-cell exhaustion tests on primary cells, varying stiffnesses and antibody concentration ratios for polyacrylamide hydrogels. In the summer of 2022, I started research at the Montclare lab, where I expressed, purified, and characterized two proteins, CEC-DOPA and PTE. 

In the future, I plan to work in the research industry at companies that develop pharmaceuticals, applying my transferable skills, integrating my mechanoimmunology and protein engineering research experiences, and helping people.