Career objectives: I hope to pursue a PhD in a Chemistry field and to work in research and development of genetic therapeutics.
Research: Currently, I work on developing glycosaminoglycan-mimetic polymer brushes to sequester growth factors to promote mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) self-renewal. These were synthesized using Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization to create substrates with varying sulfation degrees to determine if sulfation, along with brush thickness, will impact growth factor sequestration, MSC adhesion, proliferation and multipotency. I will perform enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to determine how sulfation degree impacted brushes’ capacity to bind IL-10. I will continue on this project to further fine tune the brushes for effective mesenchymal stem cell proliferation.