Enhancing the learning experience in biomedical engineering and biotechnology for undergraduate students by developing in them a deep understanding of the scientific research process

Principal Investigator
Dr. Mehdi Salek and Prof. Linda Griffith, Biological Engineering
Fund: Alumni Class Funds
Funding Period: AY2024
Department/Lab/Center: Biological Engineering
Educational Initiative: NEET

We are proposing this project for Living Machines, one of the four threads in NEET that focuses on the application of engineering principles to problems in health and medical sciences, through biotechnology innovations. Integration of research in education is important in particular for biomedical/biotech community. We propose to develop this research-based learning environment with additional components (as described below) for our undergraduate students to enhance their learning experience: a) Develop a mentorship network with mentors at both MIT and industry in our relevant tracks as mentioned above, b) Peer reviews for undergraduate research, c) Travel grants for undergraduate students, and d) Research expenses for undergrad students working on multidisciplinary projects (developed between at least two labs).