GRIP, Internships Abroad Internship Experience

GRIP: Engineering Research in Aachen, Germany

As part of the GRIP engineering program in Aachen, I have had the opportunity to work on a research project in a lab affiliated with RWTH Aachen University. The overall program—called UROP International—includes a group of approximately 40 students from the United States and Canada who engage in research in one of RWTH’s many labs, spanning fields ranging from mechanical engineering to psychology. Several weeks ago, our research culminated in a final symposium event to present our findings and results. Having put together both a poster and more in-depth analysis in the form of a short research paper, I was able to reflect on the exciting opportunities of the summer and appreciate the broader role of my efforts within bioengineering.

The lab of which I was a part was located on the lower level of a large university hospital—known as the Uniklinik. The building itself is truly unlike any other I’ve seen: Structurally, it appeared as a large maze with tower-like columns uniformly spaced out across the top. The carpets lining the hallways were a bright striped green, and a model of a green horse stood just within the hospital entrance. Supposedly, dispersing green throughout the winding corridors and hospital room was intended to establish a friendly and uplifting atmosphere and thus improve patient outcomes. Regardless of the purpose, it provided a unique contrast that I will not soon forget.

As an incoming junior in Bioengineering, I spent my time this summer examining the mechanical effects of cells and virus nanoparticles to determine suitability for 3D bioprinting. Two other students in the UROP program also conducted research in the same lab as I did, and it was exciting to see their projects unfold on topics similar and relevant to the one I was studying, but nonetheless distinct and different from each other. My supervisor, a PhD student in the lab, was incredibly supportive in guiding me through learning new concepts and lab procedures, and I am very grateful for her mentorship and for her help in providing me with a more materials-science-focused perspective within the field of bioengineering. Overall, it was truly wonderful to see that while the people, location, and certain protocols were different from the lab of which I am a part back in Philadelphia, the general goals and objectives towards developing tissue engineered treatment remained. This unifying cause for improving patient outcome is inspiring, and I look forward to the rest of my undergraduate studies and research armed with the insights I gained from this past summer.