Currently I am an undergraduate student at Harvard University (expected graduation in 2010). I am concentrating (majoring) in biomedical engineering with a secondary (minor) in health care policy. My main interest is translational biomedical research, or translating medical science into innovative engineering solutions. I hope to experience both the industrial and academic settings in accomplishing this goal.
Early Years. Though I am Indian by ethnicity, I had the good fortune of growing up in Namibia and South Africa. I was fortunate because this gave me a unique perspective of life outside of the United States, especially during a time of great change in South Africa (apartheid had just been abolished). We lived near Durban and since both of my parents worked, I often followed my dad to the hospital in which he practiced. It is there that I developed my interest in medicine because many of my childhood friends growing up were patients in the pediatric ward. My family moved to Florida's Space Coast in 1995, where we have lived since. Seeing space shuttle launches in my backyard cultivated within me a deep interest in science and engineering. To that end, my major academic activities revolved (and still revolve) around science research, engineering, and math. I decided early on that I want to combine my interests in science/engineering with my interest in medicine in order to (as cliche as this sounds) save lives.
Back to the specifics: I was a member of Gemini Elementary's Class of 2000 and then West Shore Junior/Senior High School's Class of 2006. Florida is a great place to grow up, despite the unfortunate ranking of its education system. It cultivated the "work hard/play hard" mentality within me. For example, after AP exams or competitions my friends and I often headed straight for the beach or I went kayaking in the Indian River Lagoon. After spending some time laying on the beach or watching manatees and dolphins, I was more than ready to dive straight into my work again. A lot of this work is detailed in the Research, Organizations and Curriculum Vitae sections of my homepage. The Personal Interests section discusses what I do for fun, like kayaking and scuba diving. Please contact me if you would like to know more about my background.
