My Story

From an early age, I was fascinated with anatomy and the human body. Having a grandfather who was an orthopaedic surgeon helped build the curiosity that led me down this path. When I was eight years old for Christmas he got me a Google Encyclopaedia and wrote a simple caption on the inside cover that said "Enjoy this book and learn a lot from it". I remember first opening the book to a section on human anatomy and him going through all the diagrams and pictures with me, explaining everything. That book followed me to school every day and when we had our 15 minutes of reading time, while other kids pulled out The Magic Treehouse or Goosebumps books, I brought out that big silver encyclopaedia and turned immediately to the anatomy section.  

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Now you might be wondering why I decided to study biomedical engineering and not medicine like my grandad. Well, that may be thanks to my dad being a computer chip and software engineer and his passion for creating the foundation of components that would go into a whole plethora of devices and systems. It's also worth noting that initially, my grandad thought of being an engineer before pursuing medicine, so maybe it was fate to combine the passions of both. A realization I would make quite early into my high school experience. By the time I reached high school, through my biology classes, I learned of innovations like CRISPR-Cas 9 and the engineering behind joint replacements and prosthetics. Learning about these topics opened my eyes to the world of biomedical engineering and showed me there could be an intersection between my love for the body and my curiosity for how systems function. This led me to fully commit to the idea of becoming a biomedical engineer, which led to an incredible journey that was university. 

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Throughout my life, my mother and grandad always embodied a sense of adventure that quite quickly passed on to my sister and I. As I prepared for a significant chapter in my life (attending university), I found myself searching for opportunities outside my home state of California. I am sure few people would trade Southern California for New Brunswick, New Jersey, but that one decision would lead to so much that I am thankful for, I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Attending Rutgers University and studying what I dreamed of was challenging, eye-opening, and ultimately the most rewarding experience I could have imagined. Initially it brought the classic challenges that come with moving from a small high school with class sizes of about 30 to larger lectures of about 300 and the pace of learning that much content in 14 week semesters but eventually, I figured it out and began to learn new subjects and skills like SolidWorks and Six Sigma in addition to learning how broad and amazing biomedical engineering is. Learning topics such as biomechanics, biomedical instrumentation, and applications of biomaterials was amazing...until I had to do it online, thanks to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The switch to online learning brought its own set of challenges, but thanks to my persistence, I easily adapted and made those remaining semesters my best academically. 

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Shortly after graduating from Rutgers, I was given a chance for a new adventure. A text from a friend I met at Rutgers who joined as a PhD student at the University of Florida asking if I was interested in becoming a lab tech at that lab led to an interview with her advisor, and me moving again from Southern California (albeit this time to somewhere more similar weather wise). While working as a lab tech, helping to set up this lab, I found a project that interested me and found the opportunity to achieve a goal I had made in undergrad: to pursue a Master's degree. This allowed me to grow as a biomedical engineer massively. I finally had the opportunity to conduct my own research project and apply the knowledge and skills I gained in undergrad, along with challenging myself to develop new skills. In a short time frame, I was able to learn the necessary background knowledge required to understand the challenges with tendon regeneration post-surgical reconstruction, the chemistry involved in synthesizing polymer microspheres, and how to alter the release rate of an NSAID from these particles.  Working on my thesis was challenging and rewarding; not only was I able to satisfy the requirements of a Master's thesis, but I was also able to have my work published in a journal. 

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I now find myself eager to apply the skills and knowledge I have gathered, and still with the curiosity I had as the eight-year-old with that encyclopaedia.  My journey has certainly been a unique ride, and I am excited to see what the next chapter brings.