It is pretty crazy to think about where we are in the semester and how quickly our various projects have progressed. Our Healthcare Innovation and Entrepreneurship team is focused on a need from colorectal resections. We have been fortunate enough to observe procedures at both Baylor St. Lukes and MD Anderson ad get great feedback from physicians. As we begin further developing our design, it has been useful to hear from and see how it could potentially be integrated into Johnson and Johnson’s Center for Device Innovation (https://jnjinnovation.com/cdi).
In our Point of Care Diagnostics class, Eddie, Hannah, and I have been working on optimizing the BiliSpec assay design for mass manufacturing; the device is a diagnostic tool which will be used to combat neonatal jaundice, read more at https://www.rice360.rice.edu/bilispec. The current assay design offers some great benefits and is innovative, but it needs to be optimized for mass manufacturing. Overall, this class has been awesome, and I have enjoyed working on a project which applies to global health.
We were able to travel out to Anaheim as part of the SWE conference. Other than the weather being great, my favorite part was meeting past GMI students whom I had heard about. They were able to talk about not only their current careers throughout the US but also their how their past experience translated to where they are now.
I was able to catch up with a friend who lives in Huntington Beach and hear about why he enjoys living in California so much. The weather coming back to Houston was awesome compared to what I am used to in November. My cousin and I were able to explore some different places in Houston from BBQ to outdoor music scenes.
Overall, I am enjoying how fast everything is moving now, but I am excited to see my friends and family back home (especially my dog). If you are reading this and interested in doing the program next year, please feel free to reach out (amm37@rice.edu)!
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