As an aspiring biomedical engineer, I was looking for an opportunity to be able to expand and learn more beyond the academic environment. I wanted to gain experience in a professional setting where I would be able to apply my skills and knowledge. When I first started my internship, I did not have any expectations as there is not a lot of information about Microvascular Therapeutics, MVT. My only hope was to develop a better understanding of how biomedical engineering could look like within the biotechnology world. In my research lab, I learned the importance of academia for industry and vice versa as innovation cannot happen without having supporting data that shows why a proposed solution should proceed. Overall, my role as research and development intern exposed me to so many technical skills, but also “soft skills” that are essential when working in a continuous-learning and collaborative environment.

Throughout the summer internship, I had great leaders who I was able to ask for guidance. Dr. Meuillet, Dr. Lusk, and Holly were great mentors who provided their support. By seeing how they work, I realized how important it is to communicate and be collaborative. As an engineering student, I know the importance of planning ahead and having alternate solutions to approach problems to ensure that a project advances.

During this internship, I was able to design experiments to refine a manufacturing process for a therapeutic technology. It is designed to be used along with ultrasound to destroy blood clots. Blood clots can have serious effects to the body; thus, my goal was to develop an improved solution that would work better in a clinical setting. I refined the process, observed, collected and processed data, and documented the results to be able to validate the final process. Most importantly, my focus of my project was to generate reliable data that would be essential during future Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discussions. This added a level of significance to my work that I had not previously experienced in an academic or professional setting.

To collect the data, I learned how to operate machines such as the AccuSizer and Brookhaven. I learned how the GC works, but Holly helped me run the machine since I had a lot of experiments to complete.

To learn how to operate the machines, I first observed Holly run some tests related to data she was collecting the first couple days. Then, she trained me to use the machines corresponding to my project tasks.

My project reminded me how research and development is not a linear process. Sometimes, experiments must be repeated to ensure that data is consistent and accurate. Thus, this emphasized the importance of maintaining consistency between experimental runs, data analysis, and data documentation as it allows to fully understand results and determine next steps. Since the data collected will use used in the company’s FDA submission, I ensured my  documentation was organized. This really made me appreciate the work I had completed, and it also emphasized the importance of being careful with data collection, analysis, and documentation. I am honored to have been able to design, conduct the experiments, and analyze data to help with the potential innovation of a product that can save lives.

This internship had traits that I had seen before in my academic career; however, I was also able to gain new and unique skills – I evened learned how to make saline. It also provided an insight about how the biotechnology and biomedical companies operate which is important to understand as I go into industry. I am also glad to see that I was able to apply skills I developed in my classes as well such as generating statistics with R-studios.

This opportunity helped me clarify what I am interested in pursuing next in my career. After graduating with my Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering in May 2027, I will be returning in the fall to complete the Accelerated Master’s Program for Biomedical Engineering at The University of Arizona. It also showed me that I enjoy the process of developing, experimental design, and data analysis as I was able to answer questions and better understand why a process was created a certain way. It also indicated that a current solution may not be the best answer as more tests are performed and analyzed. It also confirmed that I am happy with my career choice as I hope to make an impact in the healthcare community by innovating solutions to better patient care.

Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to intern at MVT as it has allowed me to grow as a professional. It truly has made a difference in my professional and academic career.