meet a BE senior – 2020

Favorite Course 20 subject and why?
20.330–Fields, Forces, and Flows in Biological Systems was a class that changed my view of bioengineering. I was constantly amazed by how you can integrate physics to describe bioengineering applications. One of the surprises was that receptor-ligand binding can be viewed as an electric circuit problem! It was truly joyful to see seemingly foreign concepts abide by the same mathematics, and taught me how to think of biology more quantitatively.

What will you miss most about being an undergraduate at MIT?
All my inspiring friends, who made me grow not only academically but also as a person. I am grateful to have been in a community that is so welcoming and supporting. I would also miss midnight trips to IHOP, trying to forget about about psets.

Where will you be next year?
I will be pursuing a PhD in Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University.

Who deserves a shout-out?
I want to thank my friends, my parents, and my grandparents who have supported me throughout the academic journey (Special shoutouts to my course 20 buddies for surviving the countless late night struggles!). I also want to thank my UROP mentors who taught me what research is all about.

Favorite Course 20 subject and why?
20.110–Thermodynamics of Biomolecular Systems and 20.320–Analysis of Biomolecular and Cellular Systems, because exciting math with biological applications, and engaging lectures.

What will you miss most about being an undergraduate at MIT?
Spending time with my friends in Course 20, labs, and various communities.

Where will you be next year?
Harvard, Systems Biology.

Who deserves a shout-out?
Zion Perry, for being my best friend over the past four years, for going through the ups and downs together. Professor Michael Birnbaum, for mentoring me to learn how to do research, and for inspiring lectures in 20.110–Thermodynamics of Biomolecular Systems and 20.230–Immunology which continually sparked my interest in science.

Favorite Course 20 subject and why?
I loved 20.320–Analysis of Biomolecular and Cellular Systems because the subject material was fascinating! Learning how receptor-ligand interactions impact cellular function was complex, intriguing, and something completely new, especially because the class approached the material from an engineering perspective. I enjoyed the final project in which we chose how to perturb a system and interpret the resulting functional change using a MATLAB model.

What will you miss most about being an undergraduate at MIT?
I will miss the people! The Course 20 family has been such a blessing during my time at MIT, and, as a member of the track and field team, I will miss my teammates greatly. In addition, the Course 20 staff have been so friendly, helpful, and caring over the years, which I will also miss.

Where will you be next year?
I’ll be starting my Master’s of Science degree in biomedical engineering at Boston University!

Who deserves a shout-out?
My high school science teacher, Mr. Reis, encouraged me to pursue science and tech at MIT from the very beginning. Without his guidance, support, and help in AP Biology, I would not be where I am today. In addition, my parents have supported all of my goals, whether academic, athletic or otherwise, over the past 22 years. I can’t thank them enough for everything they have done.

Favorite Course 20 subjects and why?
20.320–Analysis of Biomolecular and Cellular Systems was the class that made me feel like an engineer. I learned so much and worked so hard in that class. It was so great to see everything that we learned be integrated into our final project. 20.380–Biological Engineering Design was such a great experience. It was super fun to have an idea, do a lot of research about it, and develop a product. Having an amazing team was also a plus (S/O to Team Mosquito)!!

What will you miss most about being an undergraduate at MIT?
I will really miss all of the people around me. At MIT, everyone is so passionate. It’s incredible! Of course, I will also miss going to class with my Course 20 friends every day and being able to learn from incredible people!

Where will you be next year?
I’ll be starting medical school in the Harvard/MIT MD-PhD Program!

Who deserves a shout-out?
My family and friends who have supported and motivated me over the last 4 years, and of course, the amazing faculty in Course 20 and my mentors, especially my UROP mentors, who have taught me so much!

Favorite Course 20 subject and why?
Controversial choice but 20.320! I met some of my closest friends in the major from this class, and I also loved having Forest White and Dane Wittrup as professors. Though modeling in MATLAB was really difficult, the hours upon hours I spent in office hours helped me to meet new people and learn the material. One of the best feelings at MIT was finally turning in that 20.320 pset at 2am with my pset group.

What will you miss most about being an undergraduate at MIT?
I’m definitely going to miss all of my friends, both within course 20 and outside. I really enjoyed sitting in the student center and talking with friends who cycle through throughout the day, and I have yet to find a job where you can sit in a singular spot for 10 hours, chat with friends, and do nothing productive – let me know if you know of one! The people made MIT both easier and more enjoyable. Finding ways to be happy is definitely a key to success at MIT, and my friends, mentors, classmates, and professors all contributed to my happiness during undergrad.

Where will you be next year?
I will be working at Back Bay Life Science Advisors, a boutique life science focused strategy consulting and investment banking firm. I interned there two summers ago and absolutely loved it. I am looking forward to staying in the Boston area and staying connected to MIT.

Who deserves a shout-out?
My course 20 squad! @ Emily, Allie, Abby, Joe, Andres, and Shea – these guys got me through Course 20! I will miss this them so much, but I’m trying to get them together for a 20.001–Introduction to Professional Success and Leadership in Biological Engineering career panel in the future! Also, my advisor, Angela Koehler – she has been such a great friend and confidant over the past 4 years.

Favorite Course 20 subject and why?
20.320 (Analysis of Biomolecular and Cellular Systems). This class taught me that, as complex a biological system may be, I could distill it into a relatively simple set of principles and equations. Of course, we learned, “All models are wrong, but some are useful.” But modeling systems in computer code made me really feel like an engineer—seeing kinases phosphorylated in “real-time” on those graphs. I loved the class so much that I decided to TA it the following year.

What will you miss most about being an undergraduate at MIT?
I’ll miss the people the most. All of my friends and mentors have been such inspirations to me. Still, I can’t believe that I’ve had the opportunity to get to know such incredibly humbling people for the past four years.

Where will you be next year?
I will be in the U.K. studying and doing research under the Marshall Scholarship.

Who deserves a shout-out?
All of my mentors, of course! You know who you are. I also want to give a special thank you to my father, who is looking down on me. Cám ơn Ba nuôi con lớn lên để cho con được thành công ngày nay.

Favorite Course 20 subject and why?
20.309–Biological Instrumentation and Measurement exposed me to the cross-disciplinary nature of bioengineering and incorporated both theories and hands-on exercises. It was a unique experience to build a microscope from scratch and measure the osmotic shock response of yeast. I still remember the excitement when seeing the cells under the view (and of course the frustration when it refused to focus). Additionally, the friendly staff make the learning experience more enjoyable and rewarding.

What will you miss most about being an undergraduate at MIT?
Magical environment where people are passionate, eager to learn, and have the courage to experiment and fail. Inspiring peers who’ve shown me endless possibilities and encouraged me to interpret the world from new perspectives. Talented friends whom I’ve shared the experience with and received support from throughout the journey.

Where will you be next year?
I will be working in commodities trading at a hedge fund in New York!

Who deserves a shout-out?
The friends who encouraged me to join Course 20, the teammates whom I’ve collaborated with, and the people I’ve met in BE!

Favorite Course 20 subject and why?
20.109–Laboratory Fundamentals in Biological Engineering: This class helped me to begin to understand how to effectively communicate science. Doing the experiments is one thing but knowing how to tell people about it is another feat of its own.

20.309–Instrumentation and Measurement for Biological Systems: Between building a microscope and learning more about MATLAB, I left the class feeling extremely accomplished. I even applied what we learned in class to my UROP! The instructors are super supportive and this was also the class where I got to know more of my fellow Course 20s.

What will you miss most about being an undergraduate at MIT?
I’m going to miss the people and the groups I was a part of, especially my wing in Next House (@3East), with all their quirky, nerdy shenanigans. They all helped to make MIT feel like home away from home.

What will you be next year?
I will be pursuing a PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech/Emory this fall.

Who deserves a shout-out?
Shout-out to my parents and two younger sisters, my extended family who supported me from afar and/or helped me get accustomed to Massachusetts, and the friends and faculty I’ve met during my years at MIT!

Favorite Course 20 subject and why?
20.320–Analysis of Biomolecular and Cellular Systems. This class was the first class we all took together in the major and there was a lot of camaraderie with the 2020s on pset nights and studying for exams. On top of that is was exciting to see how all the fundamental classes we had taken came together for a biological applications and it has been really useful in thinking about simple models.

20.309–Biological Instrumentation and Measurement was also a great experience for me because it was the part of Course 20 I was most uncomfortable with. I never thought I would be able to build a microscope or preform image analysis.The hands on labs and time with Steve, Maxine and Julie really helped me expand my expertise and comfort zone.

And obviously I have to give a shout-out to 20.230–Immunology!

What will you miss most about being an undergraduate at MIT?
The many communities I’ve found here at MIT! From my Course 20 classmates and professors, to my labmates, friends and roommates; I have met so many inspiring people. I’ll always remember the memories from the crazy pace of MIT and time we found to have fun and goof-off.

Where will you be next year?
I’ll be starting my PhD in Immunology at Stanford University!

Who deserves a shout-out?
So many people!! Definitely my lab partner Andrea who worked tirelessly with me through matlab bugs and virus batteries! I also want to say thank you to my PI Prof Dane Wittrup and academic advisor Prof Michael Birnbaum as well as all the Course 20 professors and staff. I’ll miss course 20 so much!!

Favorite Course 20 subject and why?
20.109–Laboratory Fundamentals in Biological Engineering: This was the first time I felt like an actual engineer. I got to do some incredible projects using CRISPRi and even got the chance to create a battery made out of phages. The class was so much fun and the teaching instructors were just the best! I also learned so many valuable skills that helped me become a better scientist, such as making figures, writing meaningful reports, creating project proposals, and feeling more confident in the lab.

What will you miss most about being an undergraduate at MIT?
I will miss the community the most. MIT is an amazing place, but it does not come without its challenges. My friends and faculty mentors were a huge support when things got tough! I will also miss all the great opportunities we get as undergraduates, such as learning in the classroom from leaders in the field to working in a lab almost anywhere in the world through the MISTI program.

Where will you be next year?
I will be pursuing a BME PhD in the Cook Lab at Carnegie Mellon University! Super excited to use and develop the skills I learned at MIT as a Course 20.

Who deserves a shout-out?
A huge shout-out to my family for always encouraging and supporting me! Could not have made it without your love and support. Also want to give a shout-out to my course 20 besties: Nova and Nina, who have made these last 4 years the best ones yet. I am so grateful to have gone on this journey with you :). I am also incredibly grateful to have been a part of such an amazing department. I want to give a special thanks to my advisor, Maxine, as well as my UROP mentors Dr. B Connizzo (future Prof!) and Prof. Grodzinsky.