Why did you choose LSM?
In high school, I felt that I was pretty involved with research; I spent over a year interning at a cancer research lab but didn’t have much of an interest for the “M” in LSM. In junior year, I got involved with a competition called iGEM. In addition to wet-lab research for research on a potential stroke therapy, I interviewed doctors, patients, regulatory officials, and startup founders. In the process, I learned that creating novel therapies involves much more than the fundamental research. When applying to colleges, I felt that the LSM program provided the opportunity to develop my interest in research while also developing the business acumen to understand how therapies go from lab bench to clinic.
What do you find most rewarding or enjoyable about the LSM program?
Honestly, the community. I have met so many interesting people in the program, and many of them are my closest friends. I truly underestimated how much I would learn from everyone around me in the program; everyone has similar interests in an academic sense but are all inspiring in their own way. We all lift each other up.
Are you doing research currently? If so, where and on what, and what do you like about it?
Right now, I’m involved with research at the Cullen Lab, only a 1-minute walk from the LSM lounge! I’m working on developing a “cardiac patch”, which is a sheet of piezoelectric nanofibers that can support cardiac myocytes. So, when someone suffers a cardiac event that damages their heart, this patch can introduce new cells to the heart that can sync up with the native tissue. I love how this research combines so many different scientific areas, like cells, materials science, and engineering.
What is the favorite thing you’ve done at Penn so far?
During the month of Ramadan, I was able to get involved with organizing and setting up for all the iftars, the dinners that follow a day of fasting. I love seeing how the collective work of our board can bring so many people together to share food and pray together. During that month, I was also able to meet so many other underclassmen and make new friends who I hadn’t known before.
What main extracurricular activities do you do at Penn?
Outside of my classes, I’m very involved with Wharton Undergraduate Healthcare Club, where I lead the incubator program that we host in the spring semester. Additionally, I’m on the board for Muslim Students Association and have been involved with planning events and dinners during Ramadan. I’m also part of the Mixed Martial Arts club.