Pursuing a Career as a Bioengineering Researcher One Step at a Time
Through a range of experiential learning opportunities and project-based coursework, Poulami Mondal, MS’23, PhD’28, bioengineering, not only earned her master’s degree but also found her career path and is continuing her studies for a PhD.
For Poulami Mondal, MS’23, bioengineering, the master’s degree program at Northeastern not only afforded her a transformative education through project-based courses, work experience, and leadership development, but it also gave her the time and resources she needed to determine if a PhD program was the path for her.
Today, she is confident in her choice to pursue a PhD in bioengineering. Her goal is to eventually work as a bioengineering researcher focused on drug delivery systems and therapeutics for cancer patients. “My approach may take me longer than some people, but each experience I have helps to prepare me for the next step,” Mondal says.
Mondal has taken a methodical approach to education since 2013 when she began a biomedical engineering undergraduate program in India. She followed that with four years working in the biomedical devices industry to gain professional experience and evaluate options for a master’s degree.
Her industry experience proved useful; it helped her shift her path away from biomedical devices to bioengineering. After making that decision, she created a detailed spreadsheet to examine the pros and cons of advanced degree bioengineering programs at several universities, including Northeastern. While she was excited to learn about Northeastern’s rigorous academic program and student resources, it was the co-op program and location that moved it to the top of her list.
“Northeastern enabled me to do a co-op during my master’s program while studying in Boston, the biggest bioengineering hub in the United States,” Mondal says.
She selected the coursework track with a concentration in molecular, cell, and tissue engineering. She chose Design of Medical Devices, Stem Cell Engineering, Biomaterials, and Nanomedicine Research Techniques as her elective courses. “I found that all of these courses were helpful in different ways, and I believe each one served as a building block for my research and understanding,” Mondal says.
To prepare for a co-op, Mondal took advantage of available resources to find a job that was a good fit. She completed the co-op introduction course, and she worked with co-op advisors to polish her interview skills. “I can remember reaching out to co-op advisors before interviews for help and they were always happy to jump on a phone call with me,” she says.
She secured a job as a co-op researcher at Jounce Therapeutics, which has since been acquired. At the time, the company focused on the discovery and development of novel cancer immunotherapies and predictive biomarkers. Mondal supported researchers in the protein production group, who were developing and testing assays.
“I didn’t have a background in this research, and I learned so much,” Mondal says. “They were very patient with me and were willing to teach me at each step of the process.”
After completing her co-op, she consulted with bioengineering faculty members and peers and eventually decided to pursue a PhD program. While Northeastern was her top choice, she applied to PhD programs at other universities for due diligence and felt thrilled when she was accepted as a PhD student in the bioengineering department. She now works under Tao Sun, assistant professor of bioengineering, in the Sun Ultrasound and Neuroengineering (SUN) Lab.
“My research is focused on ultrasound and drug delivery,” says Mondal. “I am making focused ultrasound activated nanoparticles that can be used as drug carriers.”
The research could lead to safer and more effective use of drugs to combat cancers by precisely targeting the cancer site in the body and releasing a drug only to that site. This approach aims to also reduce side effects that result when drugs like chemotherapy are administered throughout the body.
As a doctoral student, Mondal joined the Northeastern Student Government Association to help build her leadership skills, taking on a president role on the Bioengineering Graduate Student Council and serving as its representative to the college-wide student council. She gained experience in organizing career-building workshops with industry members and alumni, and social events to build a stronger community in the Department of Bioengineering.
Mondal anticipates completing her PhD in 2028. She says this gives her time to pursue research opportunities such as authoring papers. “I am glad that I chose smaller steps, and I feel this has made me much more prepared to be in this field for the long haul,” Mondal says.