-Burning Question:
When I was thinking about what I wanted to do for my senior project, it forced me to ask the question “What do I want to do with my life for the rest of forever?”
I always knew that I wanted to help in some capacity. I wanted to make the world that I live in better than it is today. So when I was thinking about my internship and the profession that I wanted to immerse myself into for my project...
-Biomedical Engineering Profession:
...I decided on biomedical engineering. These are the individuals who have dedicated their lives to helping others through science and innovation. Every day they develop new techniques, solve problems, and facilitate growth in the medical and engineering field.
-Biomedical Engineers (Artificial Organs):
Biomedical Engineers find themselves being responsible for generating artificial organs and appendages for new transplant initiatives. A Biomedical Engineer’s ability to fabricate organs and parts of the human body is just a fragment of their job description.
-Biomedical Engineers (Prosthetics):
Those who study BME also have the option of pursuing the concentration of prosthetics. Almost every day biomedical engineers are coming up with new ways to improve upon prosthetic limbs for those with disabilities.
Biomedical Engineers (Research):
Mainly biomedical engineers devote their livelihood to research. They find themselves researching cancer and various other diseases in order to help facilitate the discovery of a cure for some of the most detrimental illnesses people in the world face today and could face tomorrow.
-Dr. Kelly:
My mentor Dr. Kimberly Kelly is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Virginia. Dr. Kelly has her PhD in Oncological Sciences from the University of Utah. She is a member of numerous societies dedicated to cancer research and biomedical studies; she has also been the recipient of a plethora of prestigious awards. At this point in her career, her role in the Kelly Lab has expanded past performing actual experiments and into analysis and mainly writing requests for research grants, as well as attending conferences to explain findings from the Kelly Lab.
-Kelly Team:
Dr. Kelly performs much of the lab’s research initiatives with her team of amazing doctors, lab technicians, and BME students.
-Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center
The Robert M Berne Cardiovascular Research Center is the home of the Kelly Lab and several other labs run by UVA affiliates.
-The Kelly Lab:
This is the Kelly lab and Dr. Kelly’s office
-The Kelly Lab:
We did a lot of experiments on lab counter. One of the most difficult techniques we were taught to do is the “Western Blotting” technique. This technique is used to determine specific amino acids in proteins. To do this, we usually had to do an electrophoresis gel at some point, so I was lucky enough that blue ridge taught me how to do that in the 10th grade so thank you Ms. Alford. Although we did pretty much the “grunt” work of the experiments, the actual lab technicians analyzed the results and interpreted what they actually mean.
-The Kelly Lab:
This is the room the other high school interns and I were in when we weren’t conducting experiments or developing film in the dark room, which we did 75% of the time. We came in this room to conduct research on things that Dr. Kelly’s Lab technicians instructed us to look for. Dr. Kelly would also come in when she wasn’t in meetings and talk to us about the BME profession and about college.
-Cardiovascular Regeneration:
Because the Kelly Lab is housed in the Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center, one of their research initiatives is cardiovascular regeneration. This initiative focuses on new ways to regenerate cardiac tissue to help patients that have damaged cardiac muscle and tissue.
-Phage Technology:
Another project for the Kelly Lab is developing new phage display technology, which is an in vitro screening technique that is used to determine proteins and other macromolecules.
-Pancreatic Cancer:
However, the largest research initiative at the Kelly Lab is to identify sustainable biomarkers affiliated with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. This lab alone has made amazing strides in terms of pancreatic cancer research.
-Plectin:
My research paper surrounded the argument for the protein Plectin-1 as a sustainable biomarker for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma in comparison to other proclaimed biomarkers for PDAC. Plectin-1 is a quaternary protein that the Kelly Lab has taken special interest in because it provides for the early detection of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. The recognition of Plectin-1 as a biomarker for allows BME professionals to enhance cancer research. This protein was first recognized and isolated in terms of cancer research in the 1980s, but since then multiple facilities including the Kelly lab have made numerous strides in incorporating the biomarker into earlier diagnosis and furthering the search for a cure for PDAC.
-Survival Rate:
Because the survival rate for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma is so low, less than 6%, the discovery of Plectin has already opened a plethora of doors in terms of cancer research. It is also making strides in facilitating research working towards generating a cure
-Helping Veterans:
When I was considering what I wanted to do for my community service, I knew I wanted to be able to help a specific group of individuals that are often exposed to carcinogens that lead to terminal illnesses, such as Pancreatic Cancer. I thought being able to support those who have bravely fought for our country would be a good way to give back to my community.
-McGuire VA Hospital Community Service Dinner:
So, I decided to raise money for the Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center to help those in their facility who are battling cancer and other terminal illnesses that biomedical engineers are working so hard to find solutions for.
-Veterans with Cancer:
The Hunter Holmes VA Hospital records on average 40,000 veterans coming into their facility on the pretence of cancer treatment. This number is what drove me to continue my project even when it got difficult at some points because I wanted to make a difference for those who have made a difference for me.
-Mrs. EYP:
My community service mentor was Mrs. EYP. Not only is she our government teacher, but she may be one of the most knowledgeable people when it comes to helping those who have served in the armed forces. She was instrumental in getting me in contact with people that wanted to donate to my cause or other individuals that wanted to speak at my Gala Dinner event. I truly appreciated her help throughout the entire project.
-Raffle for the VA Hospital:
Prior to my main community service project, Ms. EYP helped me put together a raffle that took place at a basketball game here at school. She graciously donated her time share to the Massanutten ski resort for a week for me to raffle off. All the proceeds from the raffle were donated to the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Hospital.
-Dinner:
My main community service project was I hosted a gala dinner that incorporated veterans, students, and community members into supporting and honoring those who have served honorably in the armed forces, but now find themselves in Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Hospital. It was an extremely heartfelt event that reached the goals it set out to do.
-Dinner:
My event included American Legion attendees. Our keynote speaker was Mr. Robert Gregory, who is the Adjutant of the American Legion Post 215 right next to our school. He was a vietnam vet, a school teacher, and an author of over 30 books, so when I asked him to speak and attend my dinner, he didn’t hesitate to agree.
-Dinner:
I also wanted to incorporate student participation into the event because I wanted to be able to show that not just adults from the generation of the WWII vets can honor our heroes, but students in the school system now still love and care about those who put their life on the line for us to be where we are today. The two students that participated by speaking were Tori Venable and Brandon Myrick.
-Dinner:
It made me really happy that I was able to include a lot of my friends into this event because they really made it special and that much more amazing.
-Dinner:
Through both the raffle and the gala event $1975 dollars were raised for the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Hospital thanks to generous donations from the community.
-Legacy:
For my legacy, I was able to raise a large lump sum of money for the VA hospital, so the donation from my community service will pay for a veteran’s medical treatment or possibly allow the facility to acquire more equipment that will allow the patient to receive more advanced medical treatment or medication that will allow them to achieve a better quality of life throughout their stay at Hunter Holmes.
-Legacy:
The Dreams for Veterans foundation is an organization that provides those who have served with a final wish, whether it be going on a last family vacation or just flying a family member or friend to their bedside to spend time with one another. It’s a great cause, and this gofundme page will be promoted through the interact club and certain classes in school, for a long time to come, because they already use the gofundme website for community service projects and various other projects, so it’s a great way to keep the giving back to veterans going.
-What I learned:
Through my senior project, I learned that my desire to actively help others has not wavered; however, the way that I have chosen to go about it has. I learned that the environment a BME professional finds themselves in is not a productive one for me because it involves a lot of waiting for hours days even for results that may not even make an impact after all your hard work.
-Future:
I have chosen to attend Virginia Tech and I can see my future being incredibly bright there.
-Advice for BRVGS Students:
My advice for future blue ridge students would be to treat this project as a networking opportunity because you’re going to meet a lot of amazing experts and powerful professionals that have the potential to help you later on in life. Through my time at UVA doing my internship and my community service project, I was able to form a numerous amount of relationships with people from various backgrounds. And meeting them has honestly bettered me as a person.
