Bubacar Ndoye: Assisting Bone Tissue Repair and Regeneration using Colloidal Gel Tissue Scaffolds

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This project involved testing bone tissue regenerative responses with Colloidal gels. Bubacar gained valuable lab experience through this opportunity. Here is what Bubacar had to say about the experience:

What I Did:

My summer research project was on assisting bone tissue repair and regeneration using polyurethane colloidal gel tissue scaffolds. The project's goal was first to evaluate what properties of tissue scaffolds make them desirable for bone repair and regeneration; then to archive multiple colloidal gel structure properties to determine if they would make effective tissue scaffolds. 

What I Learned:

The experiences I gained from participating in this project involved further developing collaborative relationships, a deeper understanding of diverse viewpoints, and how to exchange information and perspectives effectively. When deciding on specific competencies to focus on at the beginning of my project, I chose a competency that I felt represented one of my strengths and one that represented a weakness. The competency that represented my strength was teamwork. I was confident in my ability to work effectively towards a common goal, but I felt that I still had room to improve and wanted to master the skill. The competency that was an opportunity for me was communication; I speak only as much as required of me, so I don't often generate many opportunities to exchange ideas, perspectives, or information. I was able to further build collaborative relationships and effectively communicate by being more willing to reach out to my mentors and peers. I began to openly discuss lab methodologies and research findings with my lab mates, embracing new approaches and perspectives. In the future, I plan to bring along these newly improved teamwork and communication competencies and look to hone the other competencies that I didn't have the opportunity to dedicate time to during this project experience. All these competencies, if honed, will not only help me land a job in research and development but will also be crucial and required skills throughout my future career.