Shaka X
CAS’18 | Biology
Temporary Research Assistant
CCD: Tell us about your internship experience. What were your responsibilities?
Shaka: I worked with the Wyss Institute’s Programmable Nano Materials platform, researching injectable therapeutics and non-invasive treatments. This involved manufacturing gels and scaffolds to determine their chemical and mechanical properties using instruments that involve confocal and fluorescent microscopy, texture analysis, GPC, mass spectrometry, rheology, tissue culture, and NMR. The long term goals for the project were to advance work on vaccines and cure vascular malformations, as well as gain a better understanding of how the materials we use behave under different stimuli.
CCD: What was the best thing about your experience?
Shaka: The best thing about about my summer experience was meeting lots of people in the research community and getting insight to what a job in a research lab would entail. I met a lot of amazing people who have given me advice on what I should do following graduation from BU. I met some BU alumni that have told me about what they wish they did or didn’t do before they graduated. Hopefully the advice they have given me will make my BU experience that much better.
CCD: What advice would you give students based on your experience?
Shaka: Meet as many people as you can, and to ask lots of questions. Talking to people and asking questions will not only provide you with more information, but will also get you more involved in the community and help you find what interests you. I am still not fully sure on what it is I want to do with my future, but at least I’ve gained more information on what certain options would entail for my future down the road.
BU + Beyond 