Hannah B
- Research Program Mentor

MS at Tufts University

Expertise

Biomedical Engineering

Bio

I have always had a passion for biology and math and for me that transformed into becoming a biomedical engineer! I am very passionate about cancer research and after my undergraduate studies I decided I wanted to deepen my knowledge in the subject, so I am now pursuing my PhD at Tufts University. At Tufts, I am studying triple-negative breast cancer, more specifically the effects chemotherapy and obesity have on the secretion of collagen IV and VI in the tumor microenvironment. In my free time, I love to stay active! I love to go to the gym and just be outside in general either going on a run, walk or bike ride. I also enjoy reading, going to the beach and relaxing. Fun fact about me is that I speak fluent Portuguese, my parents are Brazilian and we moved from the US to Brazil when I was 9 years old and I lived there ever since, until I came back for undergrad.

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

The Understanding of a New and Upcoming Treatment: Immunotherapy

Immunotherapies have been growing in the past few years as alternative treatments for many types of cancer. These treatments work by stimulating the patient's immune system to fight the disease, however it is not always effective. There are many types of therapies and drugs available and being tested in clinical trials. For this project, pick one of a few types of immunotherapy and deeply understand the mechanism of action and what is the current effectiveness against the cancer it treats.

Health Care in the World is not the Same

Health inequality is a problem that affects different populations in the entire world. This problem causes individuals to face worse health outcomes compared to those who can access all resources. This inequality can source from disparities in health care access relating to cost or location, ethnic and racial motives, as well as many others. For this project, there could be many potential outcomes. One could be a detailed review and understanding of these disparities. Another could be a review and proposed solution to one of the situations. A certain medical device that is very necessary and has a high cost could be analyzed and a lower cost alternative created, either in SolidWorks, Creo or just a drawn design.

Coding skills

Beginner MATLAB knowledge

Languages I know

Portuguese, fluent

Teaching experience

I have participated in a few programs where small projects were conducted with high schoolers and middle schoolers. I was also a teaching assistant for 2 years during my undergraduate education.