Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. (250 words)
In the summer of 2010, I read an article in the National Geographic magazine describing a process called “de-extinction”, where scientists revived recently extinct species by acquiring viable DNA fragments. In the coming weeks, I pored over articles on de-extinction, uncovering a treasure trove of information on genetics and cell biology.
The following summer, my grandfather passed away from cancer, a life-changing event that drove me towards medical research.
In 2014, I started my internship at Molecular Devices, a biotechnology company. For the first year, I worked on data reporting and learnt to culture cells and use their proprietary imaging systems. During this time, I developed a deep interest in research. I worked long hours, starting after school and leaving long after my mentor. I began to run my own experiments, and within a year, I had acquired the core competencies. Thereafter, I started work on a joint poster publication with my mentor that used 3D imaging to analyze cancer spheroid morphology and submitted it to the SLAS 2016 conference. Through this experience, I became enlightened to the possibilities held within biomedical research, and I began to conduct my own independent research.
I developed a point of care biomedical device that diagnoses degenerative diseases using auto-fluorescent biomarkers and smartphone technology, a similar concept to the poster publication that used optics to analyze cellular structures.
My work at Molecular Devices symbolizes the maturation of a journey started that summer of 2010, leading me to major in Biomedical Engineering.