Epilogue

The final part of the relentless voyage, which my Boston life certainly was, came like a tsunami wave and was over just as quickly.

Time flew by like steam escaping from a kettle of boiling water and from initial eleven weeks that we had to finish our research project, we suddenly had two. Brigham and Women’s Hospital and our lab at Harvard Medical School became my primary home. Nights spent optimizing 3D bioprinting protocol were a usual part of my everyday life. Fortunately, the lab comprised a comfortable couch, a coffee maker, and unlimited supply of Coca-Cola cans. For destressing, we also had a ping pong table.

I was so immersed in research that I have very little memories from this period of time. But in the end, we managed to successfully create a polymer-based implant applicable in surgical reconstruction of human thorax and to finalize the platform for fabrication of tissues based on cell-containing hydrogel scaffolds. The stressful days, however, were not over. On May 2nd we had to present our research at an annual conference held by the biomedical engineering department. The guests were not only the faculty from BU and other Boston schools but also representatives of various companies from biotechnological industry.

Besides all that, we also had to pass final exams from the classes we took during our last semester. No need to state that graduation day was a moment of tremendous relief and feelings of being fulfilled by finishing a long term quest. At the same time, there was this sense of emptiness and loss of purpose, not knowing what to do. Four year war was over. What’s the future battle plan?

As I wrote in my previous post, in my senior year I applied to several PhD programs and attended interviews. Thanks to excellent academic results and rich research experience, I was admitted to a couple of schools. I made my choice based on which university's progam best aligned with my research interests. I wanted to continue researching medical imaging techniques applied in neuroscience. Thus, I decided to accept an offer from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire where I will be studying Engineering Science, concentration in Engineering in Medicine. My research will involve working on selective stimulation of neurons and imaging of action potential utilizing ultrasound waves and piezoelectric nanoparticles.

I am spending this summer traveling with my family and reflecting on my college experience. It is strange to look back and see how much development there has been over the past four years. After high school, I had little vision where I wanted to end up. This vague vision, however, crystalized into very concrete plans in an area which I find fulfilling. Most importantly, though, none of this would have been possible without the support from The Kellner Family Foundation to which I pledge my limitless gratitude.


Epilog
Epilog
Epilog

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