WPI Provides High School Students Biomedical Engineering Experience

WPI Provides High School Students Biomedical Engineering Experience

Getting an early start in a field can shape a person's path in life. That's the premise of MeDHigh, a Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) summer program that hosted seven high school students from Worcester for four weeks in June and July. During the free program, the students participated in a hands-on experience that explores the design and production of medical devices for global health and provides professional development opportunities. The program seeks to encourage high school students - including those from groups that are underrepresented in the life sciences industry - to consider STEM education and careers.

"The goal of this program is to get high school students up to speed on professional development and give them a taste of what they could be working on in the biotechnology industry," said Solomon Mensah, assistant professor in the Biomedical Engineering Departmentand the director/founder of MeDHigh. Mensah, who grew up in Ghana and is affiliated with The Global School and WPI's master of science in global healthprogram, said he was inspired to create this summer program to address, among other things, underrepresentation in the life sciences workforce. "I came to biotechnology late in my academic career. I want people to find out as soon as possible that biotech and medical device development is a potential career path."

During the program, students worked in teams to design a product to address real-world biomedical challenges. They used engineering principles and techniques and learned the product development process including needs finding, stakeholder analysis, and the creation of design specifications. Along the way, they were guided by Mensah; by Dirk Albrecht, associate professor of biomedical engineering and of biology and biotechnology; and technical director/co-founder of MeDHigh; by the program's implementation director Priscilla Nkwantabisa; and by program facilitators Richmond Nyamekeh and Kayla Amegbe.

The group was split into three teams. Each team created its own device and delivered a presentation about their work product on the final day of the summer program. The three projects aimed to address a significant need in under-resourced regions: a drone to deliver simple medical supplies to remote areas, a water filter to provide drinkable water for people with low incomes, and a solar-powered device to sterilize equipment for obstetrics and gynecology in places where electricity is unavailable.

"This program has opened my eyes and helped me figure out ways to solve problems," said Jessica Chijioke, a junior at Worcester Technical High School, whose team used PVC pipe, a mesh plate, sand, pebbles, activated carbon, and ceramic balls to create a water filter, and used pH test strips to evaluate the system's effectiveness. "It was challenging to make the products work, and not just be for display."

For Darrien Hubert, a junior at Worcester Technical High School, the close collaboration with professors Mensah and Albrecht was especially valuable. They urged his team to consider transporting lighter materials with the drone to address the impact of weight on battery life. "This program teaches you to keep an open mind and not to be stuck on your original idea, because then you won't be open to brainstorming," said Hubert. "The professors always try to help you in situations where you think you won't be able to figure things out."

MeDHigh gives students the chance to practice what they'll do when things don't go as planned. "A big part of engineering is handling failure and also troubleshooting," said Albrecht. "That's how students learn and build better devices. But troubleshooting isn't often taught or described-it's a systematic process to turn 'It doesn't work' into 'I know whyit didn't work, and I know what to do next.'"

Interspersed with days in the laboratory filled with wiring, plotting out product design, and testing configurations were days focused on building professional skills. The participants received assistance building resumes from the program's leaders, heard from guest speakers in the biotech industry, and visited life sciences facilities including labs at WPI and Northeastern University. A goal of the program is to prepare students for internship opportunities next summer.

"They're teaching us professionalism and how you should present yourself and things you could use in the business world," saidAndres Perez Luiz, a junior at Worcester Technical High School. "I'm going to take all of that away with me because it's very useful for my future and in the world in general."

The curriculum for MeDHigh, now in its second year, was developed by Mensah and Albrecht, with support from Abigail Holmes '24 biomedical engineering (BS) and operations and supply chain analytics (MS). Student participants receive a stipend and all the supplies they need, and are provided breakfast and lunch daily when on campus.

The program is funded by the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, with WPI providing the program and lab spaces. "Engaging Massachusetts high school students is a key strategy for the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center as we aim to develop students' interests and skillsets, increase awareness of life sciences careers, and build a diverse STEM workforce pipeline," said Massachusetts Life Sciences Center Vice President of Education and Workforce Programs Ryan Mudawar. "We are grateful to have WPI as a partner on this endeavor to continue to grow our Central Massachusetts life sciences cluster and extend our global leadership as the life sciences hub."

Mensah said a survey of this year's MeDHigh participants found the program raised students' awareness of life sciences as a possible career path. "Some of them were not even thinking about that when they entered the program," said Mensah. "In just a few weeks, their mindset has completely changed."

Program facilitator Richmond Nyamekeh, a graduate student in operations and supply chain analytics, echoed the sentiment and said the students are considering how the career path could benefit others, "They're making something that could help in the medical field and for people in underdeveloped countries. They're learning that when they grow up, they can make great impacts in the community and in the world at large."

After four weeks focused on developing a medical equipment sterilization device, Douglas Amagyei, a sophomore at Doherty Memorial High School, said he's grateful for the hands-on nature of MeDHigh. "I've never had an experience before where I could work on and build my own projects. After this program, I'm thinking of going into biomedical engineering because I've seen what we are capable of doing and I realize this is life-saving work that could truly change lives and help people."