Edward G
- Research Program Mentor

PhD candidate at Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Expertise

Engineering, Biology, Pharmacology, Mathematics, Physics

Bio

My name is Edward Guzman and I am a student in Bioengineering at Harvard University joint with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). My field of study revolves around engineering, biology, and nanomedicine. I am particularly interested in making vaccines more effective at treating lung diseases, such as for lung cancer. For the past five years, I have worked on a research project that aims to create vaccines more selectively to lung cells. I will soon be graduating from Harvard & MIT and I hope to work in the pharmaceutical industry afterwards to continue to help advance treatments for lung diseases. In my spare time, I like to play soccer and practice boxing as well as to enjoy the company of friends and family. I am passionate about helping young people achieve their career goals and I hope I can be a good mentor to you!

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Gene Vaccines

Gene vaccines are among the leading candidates against COVID-19, but how do these vaccines work? In this project we will answer this question by reviewing principles from molecular biology and biochemistry to fully understand how gene vaccines function. We will also talk about the immune system to learn how vaccines are designed and fabricated. We will conclude this project by covering the testing procedures that vaccines go through in order to be approved for medical use. By the end of this project, you will know the process of vaccine design, fabrication, and function so that you are prepared to conduct research at the university level.

Anatomy of the lung

Lungs are vital for human existence, but how do they really work? In this project we will answer this question by talking about the anatomy of the lung. We will learn about the components that make up the lung, including the cells and their properties, as well as how oxygen is processed at the lung. We will conclude this project by analyzing common lung diseases and the strategies that have been developed to treat to those diseases. At the end of this project, you will have a fundamental knowledge of how the lung functions and a better understanding of lung diseases, such as COVID-19, that you will be able to communicate more eloquently with medical doctors.

Coding skills

MatLab

Languages I know

Spanish

Teaching experience

I was a teacher assistant for an undergraduate course at Harvard University titled "Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer." I was responsible for hosting weekly review sessions to teach the concepts covered in class in a simplified form. I also hosted weekly office hours where I helped students with their homework and/or answer any questions the students had about the course. I have taught 4 undergraduate students at MIT the basic principles of biology research. Each student spent at least a whole semester with me learning research techniques and skills. My main responsibility was to teach students how to conduct research in a laboratory setting and gain perspective from scientific literature. After learning basic research techniques, each student had their own research project and I was responsible for mentoring and advising their project and progress.

Credentials

Work experience

California Institute of Technology (Caltech) (2011 - 2014)

Research Assistant

Education

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona)

BS Bachelor of Science (2014)

Aerospace Engineering

Harvard University

MS Master of Science (2016)

Bioengineering

Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

PhD Doctor of Philosophy candidate