My journey with "Engineering in Translational Science" Group was remarkable with specialized conglomerate of cultural diversity, research background, and diverse capabilities. From hydrogel synthesis to artificial liver platforms and lipid bilayers; to complex liposomal formulations for therapeutic and innate immune response evaluations; spike tethered plant derived particulates for drug delivery systems, and more. Enormous efforts and strategic directions by Professor Namjoon Cho was evident by the committed progress in translating research into products. I had fantastic colleagues who were innovative, dynamic, and supportive in research and lab management activities. I realized the role of identification, micro-collaboration, andeffective management skills needed to lead toward successful research portfolios and eventually in translating science into products. Unique and boundless opportunity provided by Professor Cho helped me in setting and understanding next generation biomaterials for drug delivery, scaffolds, and sensor applications leading to process inventions and unique publications. The systematic platform in academics as well as commercial was ideal in preparing for my new leadership roles in academic and corporate world. 

Senior Research Fellow (2014-2016)

I remember walking into my first ETS (then TSG) morning meeting feeling nervous and excited. Looking around at the unfamiliar faces, I noticed a great diversity in the members, differences in culture, academic expertise, and life experiences, but all wore a welcoming smile. It didn’t take long for them to be my bosom friends, mentors, inspirations, and collaborators. Three years later, I look back and can see how much I have grown as a professional and a person. Professionally, Professor Cho not only imparted knowledge about the tissue engineering field and the creativity and fundamentals required to develop future state-of-the-art technologies, but also shared his network and resources so that I was able to interact with world renown scientists. I was able to hone my research and communications skills, as well as managerial skills through exposure to different projects.

Personally, what I found most remarkable about ETS was the open support system formed by the group members. The interdisciplinary backgrounds of the individuals made it easier for me to overcome research problems as suggestions and different perspectives were voiced. Each member had an inspirational drive to learn more and tactfully attack the scientific problem they were facing. Equally important was my increased understanding of the world through conversation, including topics of politics and the culture found in 8+ countries represented. And I will never forget lunch times, coffee breaks, and out of campus meetups filled with laughter and merriment. I look forward to seeing how ETS thrives and where my fellow friends and colleagues will be in the future. I should probably take their autographs now! Thank you Professor Cho and all members of the ETS for an unforgettable three years!

Master of Engineering 2016

I can say that my time at the Engineering in Translational Science group was a wonderful and fulfilling experience. During my summer stay at Singapore, I was exposed to the cutting-edge of chemical engineering research. With the careful mentorship from Josh and Professor Cho, I was able to come up with a project, carry out the experiments with the members of ETS and eventually write a manuscript for publication. I was also exposed to various other projects during my time at Singapore, which made me a much more holistic researcher. Nevertheless, the lab’s laid-back culture meant that I could travel and see Singapore throughout my stay, which made the experience very memorable.

It is hard to put the whole experience into words. All of the members of ETS are very welcoming and helpful; I felt connected to the group throughout my stay in Singapore. As for the research experience, I found the mentorship from Josh and Professor Cho to be extremely rewarding and helpful. Their expertise in the field meant that I could rely on them for support when I had questions about my topic as well as the experimentation. It is hard to know what the whole experience is like unless you experience it yourself. The care and attention in this group showed their level of dedication and discipline towards coming up with solutions to a variety of research problems. As a result, I hope that I can get to work closely with ETS in the coming future. 

Research Intern (May - August 2016)

When I arrived at NTU for my six month research internship, I did not expect to work with sunflower pollen. A special feature of my undergraduate program at Northeastern University is the 2-3 cooperative education experiences we go on, of which my internship in Professor Cho's ETS lab was my second. I had hoped to gain experience in academic research before applying to graduate school this fall, My work with Mike, a Ph.D. student, who is enthusiastic about using natural materials in medical research enabled me to develop my goals for my professional career. I gained new and highly useful laboratory skills while working on developing novel sunflower pollen hydrogels. I also began work on a series of review papers on natural treatments for neglected tropical diseases. One of these papers, for the treatment of Chlamydiaceae infections, a family of bacteria that includes species responsible for the leading cause of childhood blindness, respiratory and reproductive disorders with cross-species pathocgenicity, and the primary cause of the decline in koala populations, was recently published, and I am continuing to work with Mike on additional papers.

I also greatly enjoyed working with the members of ETS, and learned important information regarding applying to graduate school, as well as pursuing a doctorate and career in academia afterwards from Professor Cho, Mike, and Josh. I am looking forward to seeing where the research at ETS goes in the future. Thank you to everyone who made my six months with ETS fantastic!

Research Intern (Jan - July 2016)

Although it was for a short period of 6 weeks, interning at TSG has given me insights into a lot of things. First of all, I would like to thank Professor Cho for giving me this great opportunity to spend my summer meaningfully with the group. It was a warm welcome from the start. Not only research and technical knowledge, the internship has also allowed me to meet an awesome group of people who work in tandem to reach their respective goals. You can feel their passion driving them into deeper realms of research topics, trying to raise the bars, for the better of humanity.As I was under the tissue engineering group, I have gained invaluable experiences and guidance from the passionate research fellows, PHD students and other interns who are ever willing to teach me, and patiently guide me with everything they know. Coming from an engineering school, I have little experience with biology labs, especially those regarding handling biological specimen and lab research instruments. However, their patience and kindness touched me deeply. It was because of them that I have mastered some of the basic skills in tissue engineering as well as getting to know how to operate some of the instruments inside the lab. This also led me to realize how intricate an actual research is and how designing an experiment all on your own requires a lot of consideration from different aspects.The overall experience cannot be described with words. Rather, it is more of the people that made my stay with the group a really enjoyable one. The spirit of this really committed and caring group is indeed worthy of learning. They never fail to call any of the members for lunch and will always help out one another when needed. Believe me; they can make you feel like you have known them for years, and not merely an intern who came to work for a short period of time.Truthfully, after I left the group, what will remain in my heart will not only be the technical knowledge that they have kindly offered, but more so the heart-warming help and guidance they have bestowed upon me. I hope that I will have the chance to return to this awesome group soon and work with them again. The good-byes are always the hardest to say and I would say bidding good-bye to this group has been one of my hardest ever.

Research Intern (May - June 2014)

I couldn’t imagine I would get so many colorful and exciting experiences, and learn insightful knowledge and skills on so many aspects of sciences, during one month with TSG members in NTU. However, that is what happened and what I never forget.Discussing and cooperating with TSG members is really enjoyable, within the very friendly and active lab atmosphere. Emphasis on combination of fundamental research and high-end applications, and efficient organization with clear awareness of personal responsibilities, contribute to TSG’s leading position on material sciences research.Internship ends, but the research continues. I’m currently working with Josh on research projects. Hope to return TSG in the near future!

Research Intern (June - July 2013)

I never expected the two months at TSG lab to pass by so quickly. First and foremost, I am most grateful to Professor Cho for accepting me into the group as a research intern even though I have nothing much to offer other than my eagerness to learn. Next, I am also thankful for the opportunity to interact with the various members in the group, from the PhD students to the senior research fellow who had so much valuable advice to offer and share with me.Being able to be physically there in the lab gave me a better perspective of what research is all about. When I began my internship, I had this misconception that working in the laboratory is all about performing experiments and obtaining experimental results. With these results, one will then proceed to write and hopefully publish papers. I also used to think that this is what PhD students do in their entire four years. While it is true that most of them work very long hours and even weekends, I come to realize that there is more to doing research. As my mentor Josh shared with me, research is also about reading, planning and analyzing. Reading literature papers for the most current update in that particular field, planning so that the right experiments can be performed with the highest efficiency and analyzing the results so that future directions for research can be explored.Not only did I have a change in perspective of research, I have a clearer understanding of how a research group works and caught a glimpse of the various equipment in operation. During my time in the lab, I also had the opportunity to assist the group members in other non-research related matters. I helped organize the TSG website and the course curriculum for one of the undergraduate courses. Having gone through so much different experiences over the short period of two months, I am highly convinced that research is one option that I hope to pursue upon graduation. If not for the chance to experience it in person at TSG lab, I would have remained delusional about research and postgraduate studies. To conclude, I need to emphasize that I had one of the best summer interning at TSG and I hope to be back helping out in the lab soon!

Research Intern (June - July 2013)

This past summer I was able to be a part of the Translational Science Group headed by Professor Nam-Joon Cho at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. I was, am, and will ever be grateful that I was given the opportunity to be a research intern here. This group is filled with a wonderful variety of people from discipline to personality and I feel as I have learned something from each one of them. This is the one great strength I saw in while being a part of this group this summer: diversity of discipline. There are so many different facets to analyzing a scientific phenomenon and this team embraces that. I attend an accredited liberal arts school in the United States so this concept of diversity of academic discipline is emphasized greatly. It was wonderful to work in a similar environment.I had done an internship before coming to Singapore where I conducted a research project that was heavily based on lab work and having a principal investigator give me instructions. During this summer internship, I learned the other side of conducting a research project: starting an entire research project with just an idea. There is so much pivotal planning, reading, and preparation that goes into initiating a project. It taught me to think critically about new ideas and to organize and focus my thoughts, something I was poor in before.In short, I truly and genuinely appreciate this internship. It has taught me many things and I do hope to be able to partake in it again!

Research Intern (June- July 2013)

I have an amazing experience twice in NTU, Singapore.As the first time, I joined REU program. In REU program, I met the field of material science at the first time. I had never imagined about the wonderful area like material science before I came to Singapore. I had thought my major doesn’t fit me so, I was losing my interest in biology but, after I had an experience of material science, I decided to change my major from biology to material science. My first team is Ali professor’s team. For a few days, I was reading papers about polymers and I learnt from my mentor how to make biocompatible tissue which is mimicked with squid beak and how to measure strength of tissue. As the second chance is professor Cho’s lab. I found international internship program which permits students to do internship in other countries by admitting 15 credits as major points in our university so, I contacted with prof. Cho personally. Fortunately, he allowed me to do internship in his group so, I could do it. What I thanked most is to meet great group people. Dr. Choi taught me how to set up experiment and how to do experiments by using QCM-D which can measure changes of frequency and dissipation and Dr. Goh helped me a lot about interpreting the experimental data in many papers. There were no people who didn’t smile all the time and are not kind. There are other things which I learnt. At the first, I joined Yoga three times a week by Mike’s leading whenever I had the free time. It is very healthful for me. Secondly, journal club which is the good program that is for ph.D students to present in front of other people about what individuals read helped me improve my English presentation skills. To finalize, I want to emphasize I had a good experience again. I hope I could join in prof. Cho’s group as ph.D student again.

Research Intern (June - July 2013)

I will never forget the wonderful experience that I had during the past six months in TSG group. First of all, I am really thankful to Professor Cho for giving me this opportunity and to all of the group members for helping me in many ways.

I think I was really fortunate to have internship in the TSG group. It was my first time to have a research lab experience, so there were many difficulties in order to learn new skills. However, all of the senior group members were glad to help me to learn new techniques and give me many useful pieces of advice. I was so touched by their help and quickly learned many things in a short time. TSG had a natural atmosphere to share ideas and discuss about problems together. This made me feel how enjoyable it can be to explore biomedical problems. Also, I can’t say how thankful I feel to Professor Cho. His passion for leading the group and caring for group members make all of the group members focus on research with a passion and work harder. And, his advice changed my life goal and broadened my views.

Through my internship in the TSG group, I feel strongly I want to perform research there after I graduate. I hope to get chance to continue my research there again and see all of the group members soon.

Research Intern (June - July 2013)