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Name: Asais Camila Uzcategui
Hometown: Miami, FL
Major: Materials Science & Engineering, PhD Student
Advisor: Stephanie Bryant & Robert McLeod

I was born in Valencia, Venezuela but moved to South Florida when I was eight years old. The transition between cultures led me to develop a distinct sensitivity concerning social issues, and a regard for solidarity. After immigrating, I was at a stage of cognitive development in which I was questioning not only the cultural, but also the physical realm around me. I developed a passion to quantitatively understand how social factors that differentiate people’s health translate to the biological level. Growing up in a single-mother household, learning a second language, and challenging myself in the physical sciences made me further interested in the social and biochemical factors that influence people’s lives. Since then, I have focused on doing research that contributes to society’s health care needs, while engaging underserved communities to advance their understanding of the overarching consequences of science.

My Path to Materials Science & Engineering

When I started undergrad, I was determined to understand the minutia that drives social and medical phenomena. I considered medical school, and subsequently founded a  chapter at my university. GlobeMed’s mission is to bring awareness to global health and empower students by giving them a chance to work with a nonprofit, non-governmental organization (NGO) through long-term partnerships. We partnered with , a Guatemalan indigenous organization dedicated to improving the lives of at-risk children in the city of Quetzaltenango, known locally as Xela (SHAY-la). The GlobeMed project at FIU raised funds for the establishment of a medical clinic alongside the EDELAC school. After having a chance to work there, I realized that although the medical clinic was staffed with medical doctors and nurses, they did not have the tools necessary to treat patients. My decision to pursue a materials science doctoral degree, with a focus on biomaterials was driven by this need.

My research at Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ in the Bryant and McLeod research labs focuses on the osteochondral (OC), or bone-cartilage, interface, which does not naturally heal when damaged and leads to osteoarthritis (OA), the most common cause of chronic disability in adults over 65. Our approach is to use 3D printed biomimetic scaffolds for bone and cartilage tissue regeneration. If successful, the advent of this technology will enable low-cost fabrication of osteochodral regenerative implants customized to the specific needs and tissues of the patient.

Why Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder?

I decided to attend Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ because of the interdisciplinary nature of the Materials Science and Engineering program and the faculty’s research expertise. I love the research opportunities I have at Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ. I love that Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ is very progressive in their ideas and actions. I love that they are very inclusive and strive to make changes where necessary. I also love that they offer many resources to their graduate students such as the graduate student advisory board, special events, as well as organizations like . I love that they are striving to become a more diverse campus and that they support initiatives such as the SMART program, Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Cafe, and the new SACNAS chapter, among others. I also love that they were vocal about supporting Dreamers and other political issues that affect students.