Educational Background:
Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.
Bachelor of Science Biomedical Engineering
Expected date of graduation: June, 2004
Research/Educational Interests:
1) Magnetic nanoparticles as a mode of site and target specific
drug delivery
2) Previous work -- synthesis of isoforms of extracellular protein
laminin a-5 and studied how these isoforms
present effects cell-cell motility and/or stable cell attachment
3) Additional interest include sports (e.g. football, crew, track
and field), and world events.
Membership:
As a student at Northwestern, I am a member of the Biomedical Engineering
Society (BMES), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and a
two year member of the Northwestern Crew team.
Career Goals:
My goals for life changes continuously, and with no certain path in
place, I consider myself flexible and opt to tackle challenges as
they arise - always remaining optimistic regarding the end.
Research Background:
During the summer of 2001, I received the opportunity to intern
within the Robert H. Lurie Foundation's CURE program for Cancer
Research. As a participant in this program, I was first introduced
to cancer research at a molecular biological level under the supervision
of Dr. Jonathan Jones of the Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern
University. Here we focused on methods of specifically cleaving
an extracellular protein, Laminin a -5, in ways of developing its
six known existent isoforms. It was hypothesized that certain isoforms
of the Laminin a -5 protein present in the extracellular matrix
fostered either stable cell adhesion or cell migration. Experiences
encountered during this 8 week project sparked my curiosity and
initial excitement for academic research.
Continuing along the same path with an eager interest
to save the world from cancer, during the summer of 2003 as a participant
in the Minorities in Nanotechnology (MIN) Program funded by the
National Sciences Foundation (NSF) , I received the opportunity
to approach the Cancer epidemic with a completely new light. Using
an array of Nanotechnological techniques, we have begun to search
for therapeutic methods using magnetic nanoparticles as the means
for diagnosing, imaging, and treating the disease. The use of magnetic
nanoparticles offers novel approaches in someday irradicating cancer
at the disease state with unspeakable site and target specificity.
Group Leader
