“My parents are both doctors, so I was exposed to the medical field very early in life. This early exposure led to my interest in bioengineering as a gateway to medical school. Throughout college, I have realized that working as a doctor is not the best career fit for me. However, I do share my parents’ passion for improving people’s quality of life. I want to do this through drug development in order to impact the highest number of patients possible
My interest in drug development led me to pursue the Nano & Molecular Engineering (NME) option in BioE. Atoms make up everything, and nanoengineering allows us to interact with the body’s systems at the smallest level. We can understand how small shifts in macromolecules develop into pathologies. Taking advantage of these size scales to prevent diseases as opposed to palliative treatment of disease is what really excites me about this field. This option has given me more exposure to nanoengineering through classes, seminars and presenting my research at the Mary Gates Research Symposium.
My research in Professor Suzie Pun’s lab also relates to nanoengineering through the development of nanoparticles that can deliver doxorubicin to cancer cells and improve the pharmacokinetics of drug release. This project has helped me develop a better understanding of the current research in the nanotechnology field and how it can have a direct impact on specific patient populations.
After graduation, I plan to join a biotechnology company in order to focus on real-world applications of research. I want to transform ideas developed in research labs into marketable products that can help people. Ideally, I hope to work for a few years at a local company to gain experience and further develop my interests. I would then return to school to get a Ph.D. so that I can expand my knowledge and better contribute to industry.”