Meet Rohan Chawla! Rohan is a 4th-year Bioengineering major and one of the current academic chairs of the 2022-2023 school year!

How have you been involved with BMES?

I’ve been a member of BMES since freshman year, and I’ve been involved in a lot of ways! I was a member of Build Team my first year and Design Team the next year. I was also a Committee Member in my second year, as part of the Community Outreach Committee. I was then Community Outreach Chair last year, and now I’m one of the Academic Chairs!

What are your primary responsibilities as academic chair this year?

As an academic chair, my main goal is to connect undergrads with the resources they need to succeed, both as students and future professionals. This mainly involves hosting workshops and panels for students to ask questions and speak to experts in areas like resume development and class planning. I am also in charge of maintaining our club’s alumni network, and oversee our club’s alumni mentorship program.

Favorite BMES memory?

Hmm, this is pretty hard, but I would probably have to say BMES Bake-Off last year. It was super fun to not only make super yummy deserts but also eat everyone else’s food and hear all the commentary from the MCs. One of the best events of the year, and I highly recommend all members go!

One class that you enjoyed and would recommend?

I used to say BE 175, but now that it’s required, I guess everyone has to take it and it doesn’t count. I personally really liked learning about how really complex biological data can be analyzed and all the different inferences it is possible to make, as well as Dr. Meyer’s teaching style. Outside of that class, the other BE class I really enjoyed was BE C147: Applied Tissue Engineering. The class is super interesting, and you get to learn about the industrial applications of tissue engineering and all the cool products out there that use actual cells and tissues to treat people. Dr. Tawil is also such a great guy, and there are so many cool guest speakers! Outside of BE, I would definitely recommend taking Ling 1, which I thought was super cool and taught me a lot about how languages and words work.

If you have had a research or internship experience, what was the most valuable aspect  of the experience for you?

I’ve done both research and an internship! I’ve been a member of Dr. Kamei’s lab since my freshman year and I was a Digital Sciences Intern at Genentech last summer. In terms of research, I would probably say that the most valuable part of my experience was learning how to tackle open-ended problems with basically no prior experience in that area. So much of research is learning things on the fly, and systematically attacking problems that you usually have never dealt with before. But, it is definitely super rewarding, and it can be so fun to see the tangible impacts of all the concepts you learn in your classes. For my internship, I thought it was super cool to learn more about the industrial applications of our degree, and how pharmaceutical companies actually work. There are so many different steps involved in discovering, testing and manufacturing a drug, and it’s so rewarding to be able to have a hand in that process. It was also super informative to learn about all the different roles outside of bioengineering that exist in biotech, and how different technologies are involved in improving current standards of practice.

If you could instantly become an expert in something, what would it be?

Hmm, another hard question. I would honestly love to be super good at surfing. Even though I went to high school in SoCal, I’ve never learned how. And I feel like it seems so fun + you look super cool :) 

Meet Neha Iyer! Neha is a 4th-year Bioengineering major as well as one of our Industry Chairs for the 2021-2022 school year — read on to learn more about her!

How long have you been involved with BMES?

I've been on BMES since I was a freshman! I first got involved through build team which was a great experience to build my technical experience. Then I was a publicity chair, and now an industry chair for the last two years!

What are your primary responsibilities as Industry Chair?

As industry chairs, we organize large events like the annual Biotech Career Fair and Science Vendor Expo. We also hold smaller events like professional development workshops and company infosessions. Our goal is to foster company ties and help students access resources to get an industry internship or job.

Which family are you in?

Guanine!

Favorite BMES memory?

I loved the Holiday Party - that was so so so fun. The activities were great!
My favorite BMES even is the Holiday Party because it's a fun chance for everyone to get dressed up, play games, celebrate the holiday season, and hang out with each other. 

What do you like to do in your free time?

Pretend to be a coffee connoisseur, trick my friends into watching horror movies with me, read into co-star horoscopes

Meet Kelly Tamura! Kelly is a 1st-year Bioengineering major as well as one of our new Mentorship Heads for the 2021-2022 school year — read on to learn more about her!

How'd you hear about BMES?

I got an email about the first general meeting and I decided to check it out!

How long have you been involved with BMES?

This year I was a permanent member on the BMES cell team and I was apart of the Adenine family. I had so much fun meeting all the other bioengineers that I decided I wanted to be more involved for this upcoming term. 

What are your primary responsibilities as a Mentorship Head?

Making dope social events for members to get to know each other!

To what are you most looking forward about your position?

I'm really excited to meet a ton of new people - I think that's the greatest.

What's one thing you've learned from BMES this year?

I'm starting to learn from the past mentorship heads about how to create a fun community so that has been cool.

Which family are you in?

Adenine!

Favorite BMES memory?

I loved the Holiday Party - that was so so so fun. The activities were great!

Favorite class you've taken at UCLA?

Bioengineering 10! I loved reading the articles and hearing researchers talk. It was very inspiring!

What do you like to do in your free time?

I love listening to music and doing anything active (one of my favs is looking like an absolute fool playing tennis).

Describe yourself as a Care Bear.

I'd be an orange Care Bear (my fav color) with a planet or something celestial as my belly badge, and I'd like the power of teleportation.

Anything else you'd like to share?

​Cream cheese frosting ruins red velvet cake and I stand by that.

You've seen the BMES Board Spotlights; now get ready to be introduced to some of the Bioengineering faculty here at UCLA! Meet Dr. Aaron Meyer, a member of the Bioengineering department as well as the Bioinformatics IDP. Read on to learn more about him!

Background?

I was a UCLA undergraduate student (graduated 2009). Then went to MIT Biological Engineering for my graduate education.

Overview of Research?

We build computational models of how cells respond and communicate in our bodies. Some of this is in cancer, where we've been exploring how we can model and overcome cell-to-cell heterogeneity in tumors. We as a community usually build models of the "average" cell, which is completely inaccurate in cancer. Tumors are especially hard to treat because they are essentially complex communities of cells that can adapt and respond. Especially since coming to UCLA, though, most of our work has been looking at the immune system, which is similarly an adaptable collection of cells. We build models of, for example, how antibodies interact with our immune cells to coordinate immune responses. We've also had the opportunity to work with others at UCLA who are performing large-scale studies of people's immune responses to viral infection, bacterial infection, organ transplant, etc, and we help make sense of this incredibly complex data. It's been extremely rewarding because (1) there is just so much data available, and a real need to be able to find patterns and make sense of it; (2) we get to work with experts in so many different areas of science and medicine; and (3) what we find has such an immediate potential to help people.

What courses do you teach?

• BE 167L: Bioengineering laboratory. This is exactly what it sounds like! It's a fun course to teach but has been a challenge during the pandemic (since it's usually so hands-on).
• BE 175/275: Machine learning in BioE. We cover all sorts of data analysis techniques. This is teaching the sort of stuff I think about all day, every day. With both courses, it's rewarding to see how students go on to use the material. They both cover material that bioengineers will DEFINITELY use.

What are your hobbies?

First, cycling. I try to go at least once a week and get in ~20–50 miles. It's time to get out, decompress, and sometimes think about something without distractions. It's also a great way to explore, and LA is a wonderful place for it. Currently, I'm preparing for a ride across Iowa with a friend this summer. Second, science fiction in all and any forms.

If you could tell your undergraduate self anything, what would it be?

Read even more! Read more science, scientific articles, fiction, non-fiction. It's a source of ideas, and so much of what I do now is written communication.

If you had a theorem or special number named after you, what would be the first thing you do to celebrate this?

​A big slice of cake. :-)

Meet Simon Ng! Simon is a 4th-year Bioengineering major (with an Environmental Engineering minor) as well as one of our Industry Co-Chairs — read on to learn more about him!

How'd you hear about BMES?

My freshman year buddies!

How long have you been involved with BMES?

As a wee freshman, I felt like a BMES outsider since I hadn't joined a family (awww, saaadness). But 2nd year I swooped into a BMES family and joined Design Team, where we built an awesome automated pill dispenser! With my newfound BMES buddies and big league hacker / maker confidence, I spent my 3rd year leading my own Design Team! Now, as a wee senior, I'm wilding out as an Industry Co-Chair getting you those job opportunities and getting the club that BREAD!

What are your primary responsibilities as Industry Co-Chair?

Responsibilities of an Industry Co-Chair:

1. Get you internship and job opportunities with the FINEST companies in med tech, biotech, pharma, consulting, etc.
   
2. Maximize BMES clout (and $$$$) via industry connections and sponsors

What do you enjoy most about your position?

My Co-Chairs and committee! We've worked really well together planning BIG events like the Biotech Career Fair and Science Vendor Expo, and we just flow with ease through logistics for infosessions and other industry meetings.

What's one thing you've learned from being Industry Co-Chair?

Re-read emails before sending to check details (date, time zone, company name, links, etc)

Which family are you in?

Cytosine - some nucleotides have 2 hydrogen bonds. Cytosine has 3. Not saying we're better than Adenine or Thymine, buuut like, it's p obvious who's the best.

Favorite BMES memory?

BioE Ball 2020 was not only a great time, it was one of the last big in-person events I did with BMES! Tearz, but good memories

Favorite class you've taken at UCLA?

ChemE 126: Viruses and Biotechnology
Viruses can be super devastating. But they're also the basis of so much of modern biotechnology, and they likely played a critical role in the development of life as we know it (ex. syncytin is a protein critical to human placenta development. The syncytin gene came from ancient viruses via horizontal gene transfer! So, uh, thanks ancient viruses for helping me be birthed?!)

What do you like to do in your free time?

Get outside! Backpacking! Trying to go climbing more too, so, uh, if you have climbing gear, hmu.

Describe yourself as a Care Bear.

IDK what Care Bears are. However:

1. I would be green, the color of chlorophyll (and USD$)
   
2. Belly badge is rainbow, cuz rainbows look pretty awesome
   
3. Why does my belly badge have to give me powers? Perhaps my belly badge exists not for me or you, but for itself.

Anything else you'd like to share?

They ask me, "Simon, should I study abroad?"
I respond, "I'm so glad you asked! YES! Study abroad is super fun, a great way to experience another culture, and, if finessed correctly, can totally count for major classes as well as GEs! Contact my guy Erkki Right NOW to get your courses mushed around to make room for study abroad. You won't regret it."

Meet Anya Bekhtel! Anya is a 4th-year Bioengineering major and one of our Cell Team Project Managers — read on to learn more about her!

How'd you hear about BMES?

Before I started college, I was looking at the list of engineering clubs to figure out what orgs I wanted to join and found BMES! I then got to talk to some of the current board members when I went to the Enormous Activities Fair the Fall Quarter of my freshman year.

How long have you been involved with BMES?

I've been involved in BMES since my first year, largely through technical projects! I joined EKG Build Team my first year where I learned the basics of circuitry and coding, then expanded on those skills through Robotic Hand Design Team my second year. I've also been involved in mentorship and love passing on advice and talking about my experiences with first year BioE's trying to figure college out :)

What are your primary responsibilities as Cell Team Project Manager (PM)?

As Cell Team Project Manager, I help underclassmen gain confidence in their wet lab skills and get prepared to join a research lab. This year, we have modified the curriculum to include presentations on lab techniques, worksheets to practice lab skills, lab protocol walkthroughs, and journal clubs.

What do you enjoy most about your position?

I love having the opportunity to connect with all the underclassmen and help them be better prepared for their time at UCLA :)

What's one thing you've learned from being in your position?

To be VERY creative. The task of turning a lab-based technical project into something worthwhile in a completely remote learning environment was a little daunting at first. But it's been such a privilege to work closely with Justin Chen (the other Cell Team PM) and find ways to pass on what we know virtually and get students prepared for research.

Which family are you in?

Guanine!

Favorite BMES memory?

Technical Project Presentations at the end of my sophomore year. The structure was kind of like Capstone Symposium, and it gave me the opportunity to talk about my work to my friends and wander around to learn about the cool projects the other technical teams had been working on. 

Favorite class you've taken at UCLA?

BE 188 (Biomedical Instruments) with Dr. Gu. Half of the class involved lab experiments and learning about different sensors, which the other hand was lecture on different instrumentation techniques. The class gave me a good basis on the different types of imaging techniques available to physicians and what the limitations are with the current technology. I also really liked the content in Dr. Kasko's Introduction to Biomaterials course (BE CM178) and Biochem 153A.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I'm a big coffee fan, and love trying new coffee shops in LA. In the last year, I've gotten into cooking and yoga, and rediscovered my love of reading and embroidery.

Describe yourself as a Care Bear.

I would want to be a purple Care Bear with a flowers belly badge that allows me to keep my plants alive! I'm really not good with house plants :/

Anything else you'd like to share?

If you read this far I hope you have a lovely day and get some time to recharge <3 

Meet Linnet Chang, a 4th-year Bioengineering major as well as our one and only President. Read on to learn more about her!

How' d you hear about BMES?

I heard about BMES as a wee child (a senior in high school) during the BE Open House. I loved how approachable and helpful everyone was and getting to participate in the hilarious, informational, and infamous BEngo (and of course, the free Subway lunches).

How long have you been involved with BMES?

I've been involved with BMES since my first year through Build Team, community outreach events, and mentorship family events (s/o to Greg, Ryan, Cole, Nicole, Meagan, and Veronica for making my first year experience amazing). These experiences really shaped my trajectory in BMES, since I went on to serve as both as Community Outreach and Mentorship Chair and received an opportunity to co-teach a summer E96 class on EKGs!

What are your primary responsibilities as president?

My main responsibilities are to guide the direction the club grows in and to help support all of the chairs with their event-planning.

What do you enjoy most about your position?

I really enjoy the unique perspective I get to have on the organization. It's a very different experience taking a birds-eye view of event logistics than being immersed in the work myself, which is kind of a liberating process to just observe how moving parts of the club fit together. It's also very heartwarming to see everyone succeed and push the boundaries of their positions to put on better and larger events than we've had before!

What's one thing you've learned from being president?

Learning how to lead a team effectively was really challenging, and something I'm constantly trying to get better at. Really thankful to have had such a great board to work with this year, since I've gotten such a meaningful opportunity to develop strong virtual collaboration skills and a deep-rooted trust in others' work and my own beliefs.

What's your favorite BMES event?

One of my favorite events is BE Ball! It's a great excuse to get dolled up and to snack on delectable finger food while dancing with all of your BEst buds.

Favorite class you've taken at UCLA?

I am a big fan of BE C175 and a creative writing class called Essays in Journalism. 175 changed my perspective on what being a bioengineer is, since I think that in the first few years of college, it's easy to interpret bioengineering as synonymous to device work or tissue engineering only. 175 instead focuses on computational modeling and applying that to other fields like pharmaceuticals or physiology! I've also loved the creative writing class since a part of me has always dreamed of being an English major, and it has exposed me to a new style of writing and viewing my own life.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I enjoy playing my guitar, baking desserts, writing/reading, and playing Stardew Valley!

Describe yourself as a Care Bear.

​I'd like to be a baby blue colored Care Bear, with a sunflower belly badge! I hope that my belly badge gives me the power to instinctively know when a good candid photo op is about to happen so I can snap it for the memories.

Meet Thamira Skandakumar! Thamira is a 4th-year Bioengineering major and our very own External Vice President (EVP). Read on to learn more about her!

How'd you hear about BMES?

Mandy Hung was my MentorSEAS mentor, and as president, she convinced me to join the club. During GM, I learned that freshmen could be committee members and decided to apply to be more involved. And that’s how it all began folks(:

How long have you been involved with BMES?

I have been a part of BMES since my freshman year of college. I first joined as a regular member and that same year, I became a member of the Industry Committee. Freshman year, I stayed heavily involved in BMES through the EKG build team as well as Euracil, the greatest BMES family to ever exist. Sophomore year, I became industry chair and was a part of the BMES Design team. I then transitioned to be Mentorship Coordinator my junior year and I am now the External Vice President.

What are your primary responsibilities as EVP?

The primary responsibility of the External Vice President is to manage all external affairs of the organization and support all chairs with funding for large-scale events. I oversee industry, academic and community outreach chairs in event planning and communications. I also collaborate with the Treasurer to manage the Finance Committee to create budgets for all chairs, track BMES expenditures and acquire funding for all major events. Lastly, I coordinate collaborations between BMES and other engineering organizations as well as communicate with company representatives for the acquisition of financial and participatory sponsorships.

What do you enjoy most about your position?

My favorite part of this position is that I get to be a part of the planning process for most industry related events. I love getting to be involved in discussing logistics and communicating with company representatives. I also love learning about the ins and outs of the bioengineering engineering world and what the industry has to offer.

What's one thing you've learned from being EVP?

How to think on my feet~

I'm definitely grateful that this position has helped me get better at decision making. I have dealt with a lot of last minute situations where decisions have had to be made on the spot, either in relation to finances or industry related events. In the beginning I felt like I had a lot of pressure on me and didn't want to affect the club negatively in any way. But after getting more exposure to these time-sensitive related situations, not only has it been easier, but it has shown me that I'm not necessarily alone and that I have other members of BMES I can discuss things with to do what's best for the club.

Favorite BMES memory?

Definitely BMES Ball 2020. As someone who loves dancing, any event where I can get dolled up and be up on my feet for hours on end puts me in a good mood. And it was definitely better because I was surrounded by some of my favorite people on this planet (insert simp emoji here). And how could I forget the yummy samiches and live DJ?!?! My friends and I ended that night at Parsa’s apartment and just chilled with some good ol’ Westwood Hangry Moon’s. Truly one one the best nights I had before the pandemic took our lives away /:

Favorite class you've taken at UCLA?

Music History 68: The Beatles. 

This class is easily the best class I’ve taken at UCLA. We spent the majority of class listening to The Beatles' albums and watching some of their films.  Our take home midterms/finals required us to analyze one of their albums for its relation to history and musicality. As a past music nerd, this class brought me utmost happiness so I definitely recommend this class to anyone who enjoys listening to music and wants an easy A.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I love to dance, rave to EDM, work out and hang out with friends (socially distanced of course)! Since the pandemic, I have found a new love for enjoying some personal time, binge watching New Girl, and going on walks ~ the normal things you can do during a pandemic.

Describe yourself as a Care Bear.

I'd be a light blue/turquoise Care Bear. My belly badge would probably be a lightning bolt so that I could recharge whenever. I mean like who doesn’t love a good nap but is sleep really that essential?

Anything else you'd like to share?

​hi(: if u made it to the end, I hope you have a wonderful day <3