Page 11 - My FlipBook

classmates played cricket in school,
he created balls for the game from
the knots in trees. “You had to be
innovative!” he said. The one trait,
he says, that he sees in people who
become successful scientists is a
curious mind. He mentors young
scientists at every level of education,
noting that one of the coauthors on
a recent paper was a high school
student.
No single path leads to a career
in biomedical engineering—there Like so many researchers in
biomedical engineering, Khalid
are many. But it’s easy to detect a Shah of Brigham and Women’s
common theme among the scientists Hospital in Boston sees curiosity
as a key trait in the people who are
who are attracted to the field. They successful in his field.
are curious, persistent, and open to
new ideas. They are often idealistic,
holding firm to a dream that they can truly make their world a better place.
As Vunjak-Novakovic put it, “Aim high. Think big. Dream big
dreams. Because you don’t want to work on something that will only
incrementally change things. Find something that you love to do.
And never give up . . . you need to be very persistent, as stubborn as
a mule, in order to succeed.” Career options have changed greatly
over the past ten years, she said. You could choose from just a few
options: doctor, scientist, or engineer. She says, “Today, you can design
your professional life. I think this new generation is great and brave,
and they should not be scared of exploring something completely
unconventional. . . . In ten or twenty years, we cannot predict how the
world will look. You need to be smart and flexible, be brave and give
yourself permission to explore something unique. Today is the best time
to be in the biomedical sciences and engineering.”

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BODY 2.0 CAREERS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING