Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Student (Summer 2020)

"Currently, I am wrapping up my second year in pursuit of a Bioengineering undergraduate degree from Northeastern University. This past summer I had the honor of participating in a virtual REU experience at CHOP’s Center for Injury Research and Prevention (CIRP). Although original plans for the REU experience had changed due to the onset of the pandemic, the leaders at CIRP quickly developed an online experience that proved to be a fantastic learning, as well as networking experience.

During my summer with CIRP, my peers and I were provided numerous opportunities to engage in networking, learn and develop professional skills, and review current research within the STEM field. Further, every week we met with current graduate students in the field in order to analyze, present, and discuss scholarly research articles pertaining to injury science research. This opportunity enabled me to grow and develop my individual professional skills, including communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.

Lastly, I was presented with the opportunity to hear from various engineers and researchers about their current work, which introduced me to several problems that are looking to be solved in science. Having the opportunity to meet so many professionals helped provide a clearer image for the direction I may want to go within the field of biomedical engineering. I am extremely grateful for the time and energy that the mentors and team at CIRP invested into making this virtual experience a great one amidst the pandemic."