Researching Healthy Innovations

Sharyland High School senior Amanda Guerra and South Texas Science Academy junior Jazmin Garza spent part of their 2023 summer vacation getting a glimpse of college life and high-tech research labs through the Precise Advanced Technologies and Health Systems for Underserved Populations (PATHS-UP) Young Scholars initiative.

During the three-week immersive experience, Guerra and Garza were part of a small and select group of students working with top researchers and graduate assistants on leading-edge biomedical engineering projects with the potential to improve the health of people living in underserved communities.

Both high school students believe the experience opened their eyes to what their future may hold.

“I entered this program as an eager applicant, hungry for knowledge,” Garza explained. “Now that I have received a taste of what it means to perform research at the university level within the engineering department, I am left with an ambitious need for furthering this experience and integrating it into my future career.”

Following PATHS-UP

PATHS-UP Engineering Research Center (ERC) is a National Science Foundation-funded initiative that involves Texas A&M University, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, the University of California-Los Angeles, Rice University and Florida International. This multi-faceted research effort focuses on creating groundbreaking medical research that will improve health in underserved communities.

“PATHS-UP ERC’s work not only improves healthcare access with robust technologies and systems, but also integrates engineering research and education with technological innovation to transform the nation's prosperity, health and security,” said Dr. Soaram Kim, a Texas A&M assistant professor in electrical and computer engineering and one of the participating researchers.

Through this project, researchers create leading-edge and affordable technologies and systems to address chronic conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease in underserved communities such as those in the Rio Grande Valley. These innovative technologies are designed to improve health care access, enhance quality of life and reduce health care costs.

Additionally, PATHS-UP includes a K-12 component designed to recruit and prepare the next generation of researchers, scientists and engineers. Texas A&M Engineering’s Spark! PK-12 Engineering Education Outreach is tasked with leading these efforts by bringing talented high school students and dedicated K-12 STEM teachers to campus to work in researchers’ labs and with Texas A&M Engineering’s Spark! staff.  

“PATHS-UP connects passionate high school students and educators to Texas A&M University’s engineering research,” said Spark! program specialist Morgan Krauss, who worked closely with the participating high school students and K-12 teachers. “Through immersive lab experiences and collaborative engagement with Spark! MakerU's professional development, these teachers are igniting curiosity and fostering the growth of a new generation of innovators."

Creating this type of educational pipeline to the workforce is important because of the projected growth of STEM-related work in the future. The U.S. Department of Labor projected that the number of individuals working in STEM professions—which was nearly 10 million in 2021—will grow by over 10% by 2031. This growth in the STEM workforce is more than two times faster than the total for all occupations.

“To help this STEM growth, the Spark! team seeks to ignite a passion for an engineering mindset in the PK-12 community,” said Spark! Director Shelly Tornquist. “PATHS-UP is one of the many programs we run.”

The Spark! team is an integral part of this pipeline. “The SPARK! staff play an indispensable role in creating and maintaining connections between researchers, students and teachers. They don't just make initial introductions; they help sustain these relationships over the long term,” said Dr. Samuel Mabbott, who is one of Texas A&M’s researchers working with PATHS-UP ERC. “This is crucial for the continued development and exchange of knowledge, both short-term and long-term. In doing so, they are indirectly but significantly contributing to the improvement of K-12 STEM education and inspiring future generations of researchers.”

Spending Summer in the Lab

By participating in PATHS-UP Young Scholars Initiative, Garza and Guerra had the chance to experience college life by living in a dorm, explore potential health care technology careers, and acquire experience in engineering research, scientific writing and communication. All expenses were covered by the PATHS-UP ERC.

Guerra was assigned to work in Mabbott’s lab, where she learned more about point-of-care assays that are being designed to identify and predict health issues among individuals with cardiac muscle damage or myocardial infarctions.

“Working with Dr. Mabbott has opened my eyes to the different possibilities and pathways of careers within the biomedical engineering field,” she said.

Garza’s interest in electronics was a good match to work in Dr. Hatice Koydemir’s research lab. The high school student learned about the fabrication of screen-printed electrodes for electrochemical biosensors, which measure body reactions and can be integrated into noninvasive medical devices.

“I was able to discover through this program that electronics is not just applicable in electrical engineering, but also in a field such as biomedical engineering,” Garza explained. “My time during the PATHS-UP Young Scholars program positively impacted me academically through learning highly advanced scientific terminology and content, as well as real-life lessons about always being in a learning mode.”

The researchers were impressed by the students’ work. “The young scholars who joined our program were extraordinary advocates for their communities and their educational systems. They came into our research environment full of enthusiasm and adapted quickly,” said Mabbott, who is an assistant professor in biomedical engineering. “As the summer progressed, it was refreshing and encouraging to see them gain a deeper understanding of the technologies we're working on. We aim to nurture them to become the next generation of researchers who will be focused on improving health care outcomes.”

Both students also appreciated the chance to create connections and develop career skills.

“I have great confidence that this program has opened doors for me by connecting me with professionals who can continue to act as mentors to me and my fellow PATHS-UP members,” Guerra said. “I also believe that this experience will also help me in my future career by preparing me to work in research labs as well as enhance my soft skills like communication and time management.”

Improving K-12 STEM Education

The teachers were equally as pleased by their experiences. Saldivar and Pealer spent most of their time in the research lab and then worked with the Spark! team to develop lessons and activities based on the research’s foundational concepts.

Saldivar worked with Koydemir, who is an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and Weiming Xu, a doctoral student.

“We did a hands-on activity to design a 3D-printed smartphone-based microscope. We had to adjust and make the lens-holder portion from laser-cut acrylic, but the case was 3D printed,” said Saldivar, who teaches science at Rio Hondo Elementary. “In my classroom, this will be given to the students as a four-day maker challenge. They will go through the engineering design process. In addition, my after-school program will design the 3D case and build six iPad microscopes, which will be used for outdoor investigations in the classroom for all grade levels.”

Pealer’s experience with Kim and Dr. Jung Bing Ahn was equally impactful.

“My research consisted of synthesizing carbon dot solution with ferric ion as a pollutant,” said the teacher who works at Dr. Abrahm Cano Freshman Academy. “I intend to implement my research by applying it to my biology curriculum with alignment to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).  Students will participate in engineering and design practices to develop a prototype for the cell cycle checkpoints.”

The Texas A&M researchers were impressed with the teachers’ and students’ enthusiasm for working in the lab. “They were eager to learn more and always wanted to try something more. They had enough of a strong background to conduct the experiments and completed them very well — and sometimes I learned from them,” Kim said, adding that the project he worked on with Pealer resulted in the preparation of a manuscript that has been submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.

Both K-12 teachers were optimistic that they will be able to use their PATHS experience to open their students’ eyes to STEM concepts and opportunities.

“I hope they begin developing a passion for engineering,” Saldivar said. “We have seen first-hand how so many areas of science and technology are intertwined. I hope that my sharing the information will spark something in my students and give them direction in their future endeavors.”

After completing the three-week program, the teachers and high school students expressed appreciation for Texas A&M Engineering’s commitment to supporting K-12 students and STEM teachers.

“This is truly a great experience, and I wish every high school student had this amazing opportunity to conduct research at one of the best institutions in the country,” Guerra said. “I believe that being surrounded by the Aggie community has influenced me to enroll here, and I am super excited to see what's to come in my future.”