Research
The research experience that I am proposing is working in Dr. Erin Lavik’s lab here at UMBC. This research experience started April 11, 2019 and I am still currently working in this lab. This summer, I worked between 20-40 hours a week and I have time sheets to show my attendance. Overall, I worked 270 hour this summer and 50 hours between Spring 2019 and Fall 2019. This give a total of 320 hours, making this a gold experience and my time in lab has been documented by my mentor. During the semester, I work about 9 hours a week. I plan on continuing my work in this lab until I graduate next Spring.
In this lab, I work with hemostatic nanoparticles. We are currently working on a project that is trying to find ways to keep the surface charge of the nanoparticles close to neutral so that we can prevent the complement activated related pseudo allergy, which is an allergic reaction the body has to the nanoparticles. The goal of this research is to have these nanoparticles administered to trauma patients at the site of injury to reduce internal bleeding in hopes that it increases their chance of survival.
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Reflection:
Participating in this research experience has allowed me to grow as an undergraduate scientist and as a team player. I have learned more about science since joining this lab, it has broadened my understanding of coursework I have taken. In addition, this project has been able to teach me that while the research itself is exciting and important, the impact it will have if we are successful is even better. I have learned that every small gain is slowly adding up to help us achieve our goals. Furthermore, I was able to learn how to be a team player and work with a group of four others to plan, develop, and create these nanoparticles. Lastly, as a result of this experience I have been able to present at many different conferences including the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students, the Student Undergraduate Research Fest, and I am currently applying to the annual meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society. This research has allowed me to expand my knowledge on the types of biomedical research currently going on. After working in Dr. Lavik’s lab, I have gained a better understanding on the type of biomedical engineering research I would like to do in graduate school. In relation to my chosen grand challenge, this experience has given me insight in the biomedical research field and what current work is being done to help close the disparity gap in healthcare.
Research Objective:
One research learning objective that this experience contributed to was understand how practitioners think within the discipline and view the world around them. My mentor helps me network with others in the biomedical engineering field by putting me in contact with people directly or by inviting me to a talk. Recently, my mentor has offered to introduce me to her colleagues at the Biomedical Engineering Society Conference, this would allow me the opportunity to get to know those at different universities and would help me understand what other type of research is being done elsewhere. As a result of these interactions, I have been able to learn what type of research questions I would like to answer as a graduate student and how I can start working towards those goals now as an undergraduate researcher.
Program Wide Objective(s):
This research experience had contributed to persistence because a lot of times experiments did not work and when that happens, we have to keep modifying our methods and try again. It can be frustrating to have experiments you have worked all day or week on, not work. Therefore, being persistent is one key skill to have. Another learning objective this experience will contribute to is teamwork. I work with a graduate student and two other undergraduate students. For experiments to run smoothly, there must be good teamwork skills in place otherwise things will get very messy and not go as well as they should. The team also extends beyond the graduate student I work directly under. For example, I often collaborate with other undergraduates and graduate students to work more efficiently and thoughtfully. In all, everyone in lab will help figure out the next steps to a project when needed, help create common reagents and tools, and make sure everyone is clear on not only what their own project is, but the overall goal of the lab.
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This poster is from the Summer Undergraduate Research Fest (SURF) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).