Written By: Austin Bernard John Anthony (Class of 2028)
Wells International School, along with Mahidol University under the student exchange program, gave internship opportunities to selected students for biomedical engineering. The last time Wells last participated in this program was in 2019, and this year’s group, a new generation of science-minded high school students, took this opportunity with great creativity, curiosity, and determination.
This summer, our students got the opportunity to work directly with the professors as well as graduate students from the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University. The intrigued high school students gave 4 weeks of their time at this internship; some in the Artificial Intelligence of Medicine (AIM) Lab, and some in the BioSensors Lab.
From building robots with Arduino boards to rehab games to learning about DNA to analyzing blood samples, the experience gave insight into what it looks like to study in the compelling world of biomedical engineering. It wasn’t just about science and technology; it was about learning together as a team, finding possible solutions, and exploring what future possibilities in science as well as engineering look like.
Wells International School would like to thank both professors, Prof. Panrasee and Prof. Benchaporn Lertanantawong, advisors, and the overall Biomedical Engineering Department for welcoming Wells once again to another amazing experience here at Mahidol University.
Below are our student reflections, which showcase fascinating and transformative experiences:
Austin
“During my internship at the Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (AIM) Lab, I was able to explore projects at my own pace by starting with an easier project. My first project I developed was Catching the Fruits, where the player uses facial movements to catch the fruits (gain points) and avoid candy (lose points) through AITHAIGEN features. My second project was where I created my own wake-up timer, which includes a buzzer, a temperature-activated fan, and an LCD. The wiring was the challenging part; however, it was a great project. In my last project, I used the Arduino Board R4 by creating a robot that uses motor components, a buzzer, a servo motor, and an ultrasonic sensor. Although I couldn’t connect the board with Unity due to limitations in connections, I successfully linked it with AITHAIGEN. Overall, it was a great internship and helped me get more confident in my skills.“
Annie
“My internship at Mahidol University was an incredibly insightful experience, exposing me to new aspects of biomedical engineering. I got to intern at the AIM Lab, where they apply artificial intelligence to improve medical applications and help patients more effectively. I had the opportunity to work on developing a game designed to help patients who are recovering from wrist injuries and require wrist rehabilitation. This project helped me gain hands-on experience in blending healthcare and technology while also strengthening my problem-solving skills, coding in C# scripting, and research abilities. I have gained valuable insight into how AI as well as innovative tools are used to support patient recovery. Overall, this internship has strengthened my passion and curiosity for biomedical engineering, and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from such an experienced team. It motivated me to continue exploring the possibilities where technology and healthcare intersect.“
Veer
“This biomedical engineering experience at the BioSensors Lab, Mahidol University, gave me hands-on experience in biomedical engineering and developed my lab and research skills. In the first week, we learned how to use tools such as pipettes and build a strong foundation for future experiments. The second week, we worked with cultured blood samples by using a certain tool called a nanodrop spectrophotometer to analyze data, which was more complex and time-consuming than I had expected. After that, we started to explore how genetics affects drug response, pharmacogenomics, and gel electrophoresis, which is to check DNA quality, and this all gave me a lot of interest as well as technical skill sets. This internship gave me the outlook of what university life is and confirmed my passion for biomedical engineering. Overall, a great and valuable experience; recommending this to all.”
Kirsten
“I have enjoyed working with my AIM Lab advisors and seeing other projects. The lab assistants were very kind, letting us experiment with Arduino kits. I was really inspired by robotics and AI, which are applied in biology, and it gave me a real insight into university life. Before the internship, we had a small idea of what to expect, unlike the other lab, which received topics to understand before. I asked about programming languages, but I later on learned C# coding language and game development was more related to Python… Creating a rehabilitation game was rewarding; however, I spent too much time researching. Overall, the experience was enjoyable and eye-opening.”
Mayu
“This biomedical engineering experience in the BioSensors Lab is something that I am truly grateful for. The affordability of this internship, in addition to the new information we obtain, makes it truly valuable in my opinion. The people of my lab were incredibly nice, with each of them going out of their way to help the students out in any way possible. Additionally, they always informed us of any upcoming events, detailing them out in paragraphs through social media, which is really helpful. Their tools and equipment in the BioSensors lab are very advanced, and I had never seen them, as I was only a high school student. This exposure, I believe, will help us easily grasp future topics either in the sciences during my last year of high school or perhaps during university if I decide to take a similar route to what we are learning now.”
Ashmi
“After going to Mahidol University for almost two weeks, I can confidently say that I am learning a lot every day. The Biosensors Lab is quite interesting. We often do lab experiments and learn how to analyze them too. The professor’s assistants were very friendly and willing to help with anything. Whether it was helping us with lab work or finding the 7-11 on campus, they are always ready to help us! Moreover, I admire their knowledge and how they are dedicating so much of their time to us even when they were busy. We met the professor once, and she is a really warm person. After a bit of trial and error, I have found multiple ways to go to and return from Mahidol, and I feel that gives me a new experience as well. I’m quite glad for this opportunity and hope to learn more in the future.”
Alan
“Regarding the Mahidol internship. It was a really fun experience, as I was able to explore new things that I never explored before, such as coding. I was in the AIM Lab, which was supposed to be a biomedical lab but was more focused on coding. I was able to kind of create a game that relates to the medical field by creating a Flappy Bird game that operates through heartbeat. If the heartbeat is entered, it would go to a y coordinate, and the game continues. However, I was not able to finish it till the end. Overall, I felt that it was a great experience.”