My name is Olivia Zelony and I’m a rising junior studying Biomedical Engineering at Tulane University. As treasurer for Women in Science, I’ve spent many afternoons this past semester on the balcony of the picturesque NCI house, enjoying the camaraderie of my club members as well as the warm weather.
In a couple of weeks, I will begin my internship at Translational Biophotonics Laboratory (TBL), where I will be involved in the research that aims to improve the precision of surgical margins related to tumor removal. This research has the potential to be revolutionary, given the applications of its results.
Tumor extraction is a very intricate and labor-intensive surgery that, more often than not, has to be repeated because the tumor was not fully removed in the original procedure, leaving the patient vulnerable to a recurrence of the cancer. In the TBL, the team is focused on tumor extraction for breast and prostate cancer. However, as the techniques for these two diseases are proven successful, they can be applied to a myriad of other cancers, such as brain and lung where tumor removal is especially difficult.
From this internship, my learning objectives center around developing new skills and gaining insight into the world of Biomedical Engineering from my peers and my Principal Investigator. My focus this summer will be on the mechanical aspects of the project.
In order to contribute, I will be expected to gain proficiency in rapid-prototyping machinery such as laser cutting as well as enhancing my current knowledge about imaging techniques using resources like the literature. I also plan to advance my understanding of the various professional nuances in engineering through my peers and PI. These team members will have professional advice and connections that I cannot extract from textbooks.
Engineering is the only field besides computer science that has not experienced an increase in female enrollment since the early 2000s. Women are disproportionately underrepresented in my field, limiting potential role models and mentors for myself and my fellow female engineers.
My research experience this summer directly correlates with NCI’s mission of enhancing women’s leadership. My internship will help to bolster my career by giving me valuable experience that will set me apart from other candidates in the workforce. I hope to one day be a role model for women interested in the field of engineering, giving them access to a resource that is so scarce presently.
In preparation for my internship, I am currently taking lessons on tools in the MakerSpace that may prove useful in my work this summer. Since I am focused on the mechanical aspects, it is important that I am knowledgable about various types of machinery that could improve the project. I am also reading various articles in the literature related to the topic of tumor extraction to build upon my current understanding.
I am very excited about my internship this summer because it is an opportunity for me to be a real engineer. In my college career thus far, I have only learned about a multitude of subjects but have not had the chance to apply this knowledge. This summer will be transformative since it will be filled with new experiences in an area that I am incredibly passionate about.