Canutillo High School senior April Ruiz stood beside her poster, her heart pounding with excitement and nerves, as she prepared to present her biomedical research at the annual meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) in Seattle, Washington. The meeting hosted top researchers, field experts and student researchers from throughout the country, creating an intimidating yet exhilarating atmosphere.
Ruiz’s research, which she had worked tirelessly on for months along with her CHS teacher Ernesto Villanueva, focused on nuclear deformation of inkjet-bioprinted human dermal fibroblast. They conducted research examining cells as they went through the stress of a printer, specifically noting the impact to their nucleus.
Conducting this research was nothing new for Ruiz, but rather a continuation of what she started over a year ago when she participated in her first research opportunity in the lab of The University of Texas at El Paso professor and researcher Dr. Thomas Boland through Project Ace. The $1.35 million, five year interdisciplinary program is a partnership with CHS and aims to get more underrepresented high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds to get interested in college degrees in engineering as well as biomedical and behavioral sciences.
“Dr. Boland's lab has a great environment and I really enjoyed the research the first summer I did the internship, so I applied to participate again this past summer,” Ruiz said. “I was accepted and was able to continue my research on the effects of fibroblasts from inkjet bioprinting. When I attended BMES last year, I was only an honorable mention, but this year I was a top ten finalist, so I was even more excited to share my research.”
As Ruiz began her presentation, her voice trembled momentarily, but her passion and knowledge quickly took over. She walked the judges through her presentation, explaining her methodology, results, and the potential implications for healthcare. Her poster was a testament to her dedication, displaying intricate data, charts and images that captured the essence of her work. Throughout her presentation, she was able to field questions from the judges with confidence, demonstrating her in-depth understanding of the subject matter.
“I am incredibly proud of April for all the hard work and dedication she has demonstrated towards her research,” said Villanueva. “She had a great showing at last year’s BMES presentation and she took what she learned and applied it to her ongoing research and came back stronger this year making it to the top ten amongst student researchers from across the nation.”
Ruiz’s success at the annual meeting serves as a testament to the incredible potential of young scientists and the importance of nurturing their talents. This experience solidified her desire to continue her journey in the world of biomedical research and continue making a significant impact on the field.
Overall, Ruiz said she had a great experience presenting and meeting new people from all over the country who shared her passion for research and seeing how other projects correlate with her research.
“I was also able to learn about other research related to mine. I made some great connections and truly felt a part of the biomedical engineering community,” Ruiz said. “I have gained both research skills and presentation skills that I will be able to utilize in my future. I would like to thank Project ACE for allowing me to take part in an amazing opportunity and for sponsoring my trip to present at BMES. I would encourage others to apply for their internship because it is a great experience where you get to work with amazing mentors and professors.”
After graduation, Ruiz plans to attend college next fall to pursue a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering and take part in undergraduate research. She hopes to attend medical school and become a pediatrician.