Vol. 3 No. 1 September 2004

The BioTECH Quarterly

BMES J&J Research Award winners showcased their research

BMES-Johnson & Johnson Research Prize winners showcased their research at the award ceremony held on May 6, 2004. From left to right (winners’ name in bold): Lili Peng, VP of Special Projects ’03-’04, Max Cohen ’05, Teresa Toole, J&J Representative, Amy Shi ’04, Julie Tse ’06, Woon Teck Yap ’05, Sid Puram ’05, Alexis DeSieno ’05, President.

Max Cohen ’05, Physics, Biology. “Altered kinetics of platelet adhesion with stenting.” HST Biomedical Engineering Center, Prof. Elazer Edelman.

Sid Puram ’05, Biology, Brain & Cognitive Sciences. “Poly beta-amino ester microspheres as a specific and controlled DNA delivery vector.” MIT Chemical Engineering Robert Langer Laboratory, Steven Little.

Amy Shi ’04, Chemical Engineering. “Demonstration of cell density effects on stem cell kinetics symmetry.” MIT BE Division Sherley Laboratory, Prof. James Sherley.

Julie Tse ’06, Chemical Engineering. “Biocompatibility of polymeric microspheres for intraperitoneal drug delivery.” MIT Chemical Engineering Langer Lab, Dr. Daniel Kohane.

Woon Teck Yap ’05, Biology. “Synthesis of novel hydrogel particles for antigen delivery to and activation of dendritic cells.” Biomaterials and Immune System Bioengineering Lab, Prof. Darrell Irvine.

Feedback from BMES-J&J Review Committee

    The overall applicant pool, although not as large as we had hoped, contained breadth in projects, wonderful letters of recommendation, and showed the overall high quality of research conducted by undergraduate students in BME here at MIT. The task of selecting the winners is always difficult, yet the committee after careful review of the applicants is left with astonishment at the overall excellence of the applicant pool.

    The winners specifically . . .

Max Cohen’s deep interest and dedication to his project are immediately apparent in his application. With a background in basic sciences, he nevertheless delves into biomedical engineering-oriented research with extraordinary passion.

Sid Puram’s research is strongly supported by experimental data and results, and his application reflects well on his solid background as a double major in Biology and Brain & Cognitive Sciences.

Amy Shi's application is concise and well-organized, specifically tailored to the BMES-J&J award requirements as a solid representation of research on the interface between biology and engineering.

Julie Tse’s entry stands out with a very strong letter of recommendation, which highlights with vivid details her persistence in research, her record of staying in lab past midnight to carry out time-sensitive experiments.

Woon Teck Yap demonstrates unusual independence in his research, finishing his major in Biology in 3 years, and for his 4th year he is continuing his project in Materials Science & Engineering in the Irvine Lab for the Master of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering (MEBE) Program.

Thanks to the collaborative support of the Division of Biological Engineering at MIT and generous funding from Johnson & Johnson, five of these prizes are granted each year to MIT bioengineering students for outstanding research conducted at the undergraduate and Masters’ (M.Eng./S.M.) degree levels. Each winner receives a cash prize as well as a chance to present his/her research at an MIT BMES general body meeting in the spring.

BMES-J&J Award Application

How: submit an application package, consisting of
1) completed application form
2) 1-page abstract
3) advisor nomination

Semi-finalists will be interviewed by the BMES-J&J Review Committee; finalists will present research at a BMES general body meeting in the spring.

When: applications will be distributed in Fall 2004, and completed entries will be collected in Spring 2005. Contact Jonathan Wu <jonwu@mit.edu>, VP of Special Projects, for further details.

Selection Criteria:
* Quality of the applicant’s written and oral communication skills, as demonstrated by the submitted research abstract and interview performance;
* Overall impact of the research in biomedical engineering, as demonstrated by the faculty advisor nomination and selection committee oversight.