Ashley Hicks is on the biomaterials track in the department and her current research focuses on treating craniomaxillofacial defects. |
Image: Texas A&M Engineering
Ashley Hicks is a fifth-year student in the biomaterials track of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University. Halfway through her sophomore year, she participated in a yearlong co-op for Johnson & Johnson.
Q: What was your co-op experience like?
A: I worked in the business excellence department, which involved responsibilities related to industrial engineering. I used my biomedical engineering background as part of the manufacturing team to help redesign processes safely and effectively. The particular site I worked at manufactured needles and sutures. I had a very limited background because I was only a sophomore, but they wanted somebody who had a general understanding of the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to help monitor processes on the manufacturing floor and improve them in ways that were FDA compliant as well as more efficient.
Q: What do you think you got out of the co-op?
A: That co-op changed my life. It bestowed upon me confidence in my ability to adapt to an environment and to something that I didn't think I was going to be able to do. I learned so much about FDA regulations, about auditing and industrial distribution, that opened my eyes to the realm of medical device manufacturing. One thing that I was told over and over again that I won't forget is that when biomedical engineers design something in a lab, they don't always think about how easy that's going to be to manufacture and reproduce on a grand scale. That's something that needs to be taken into consideration.
Q: Have there been any standout classes for you?
A: BMEN 344, which is Biological Responses to Medical Devices. Dr. Daniel Alge taught that; it’s a materials-oriented course. That is one of the most interesting classes I've ever taken. I felt like it really tied everything together that I've learned from Introduction to materials and general chemistry, as well as physiology. It was a very integrative course.
Q: You do research as part of your Engineering Honors work. Can you talk about your project?
A: I work in Dr. Melissa Grunlan’s lab. My undergraduate thesis work involves exploring alternative polymer architectures for use in shape memory polymer tissue scaffolds to hopefully lower their melt transition temperature. We use this material to treat craniomaxillofacial defects. For instance, if you have a tumor removed or suffer some sort of traumatic head injury, instead of auto grafting, which has a higher risk of graft resorption, we can use a synthetic material that we can heat up and press fit into the shape of your defect. Upon cooling, it will regain its initial rigidity. The material itself is bioactive, which will encourage cells to attach and form bone through the pores of the scaffold as it is slowly degraded by the body.
Q: What are your plans after graduation?
A: The next step for me will be pursuing my Ph.D. in biomedical engineering. Ideally, my end goal is to run my own research lab. I don't know if that's going to be through industry, starting my own company or working for a university. I want to be able to decide the direction of the research that I'm doing and be my own boss in that sense.
Q: What advice would you give to prospective biomedical students?
A: Work on building a good network of students and colleagues, because there is a lot of teamwork required for this major. Also, the quicker you learn to be a team player in situations that are out of your control, the more successful you will be.
Q: What was your co-op experience like?
A: I worked in the business excellence department, which involved responsibilities related to industrial engineering. I used my biomedical engineering background as part of the manufacturing team to help redesign processes safely and effectively. The particular site I worked at manufactured needles and sutures. I had a very limited background because I was only a sophomore, but they wanted somebody who had a general understanding of the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to help monitor processes on the manufacturing floor and improve them in ways that were FDA compliant as well as more efficient.
Q: What do you think you got out of the co-op?
A: That co-op changed my life. It bestowed upon me confidence in my ability to adapt to an environment and to something that I didn't think I was going to be able to do. I learned so much about FDA regulations, about auditing and industrial distribution, that opened my eyes to the realm of medical device manufacturing. One thing that I was told over and over again that I won't forget is that when biomedical engineers design something in a lab, they don't always think about how easy that's going to be to manufacture and reproduce on a grand scale. That's something that needs to be taken into consideration.
Q: Have there been any standout classes for you?
A: BMEN 344, which is Biological Responses to Medical Devices. Dr. Daniel Alge taught that; it’s a materials-oriented course. That is one of the most interesting classes I've ever taken. I felt like it really tied everything together that I've learned from Introduction to materials and general chemistry, as well as physiology. It was a very integrative course.
Q: You do research as part of your Engineering Honors work. Can you talk about your project?
A: I work in Dr. Melissa Grunlan’s lab. My undergraduate thesis work involves exploring alternative polymer architectures for use in shape memory polymer tissue scaffolds to hopefully lower their melt transition temperature. We use this material to treat craniomaxillofacial defects. For instance, if you have a tumor removed or suffer some sort of traumatic head injury, instead of auto grafting, which has a higher risk of graft resorption, we can use a synthetic material that we can heat up and press fit into the shape of your defect. Upon cooling, it will regain its initial rigidity. The material itself is bioactive, which will encourage cells to attach and form bone through the pores of the scaffold as it is slowly degraded by the body.
Q: What are your plans after graduation?
A: The next step for me will be pursuing my Ph.D. in biomedical engineering. Ideally, my end goal is to run my own research lab. I don't know if that's going to be through industry, starting my own company or working for a university. I want to be able to decide the direction of the research that I'm doing and be my own boss in that sense.
Q: What advice would you give to prospective biomedical students?
A: Work on building a good network of students and colleagues, because there is a lot of teamwork required for this major. Also, the quicker you learn to be a team player in situations that are out of your control, the more successful you will be.