Elizabeth Weiss, '18

Why did you choose Cornell?

I chose Cornell because it not only had a strong engineering department, but also a wide range of other liberal arts, humanities, and sciences departments. The beautiful campus was also a draw.

Why did you choose to major in biomedical engineering at Cornell?

I really value having relevant applications that are interesting to me presented with course material, and I felt BME was best suited for offering me that.

What opportunities has the major given you so far?

The major helped me explore other areas of BME which led me to realize I would like to pursue my future PhD research in imaging, something I never would have considered as a freshman.

What was your favorite class at Cornell BME and why?

BME3030 was my favorite. It combined practical application of signals along with the freedom to develop and execute a short project that would test my analytical skills. It was also just a ton of fun trying to get everything to work!

Are you affiliated with any research group or faculty? If so, what research are you working on?

I am in the Fischbach lab investigating the effect of primary breast tumor on bone microenvironment for promotion of bone metastasis.

What clubs/organizations do you participate in at Cornell (BME-associated or not)?

BMES, Rawlings Cornell Research Scholar program, Hans Bethe House Council

What is something that surprised you about the major/experience?

I was surprised at how impactful it was for me to experience the different subfields of BME.

What’s next?

I will be matriculating into a MD/PhD program at Northwestern with the plan of attaining my PhD in BME.

Do you have any advice for other students considering research in Biomedical Engineering?

I recommend remaining open minded in the first two years to really get a feel for the different concentrations. I also recommend getting to know some of the faculty, they are great resources and also just great people.

While at Cornell, what did you do for fun?

I mostly did informal things like hang out with friends and workout, but I recently took up rock climbing and do that regularly.

Favorite memory?

My favorite memory is watching Disney movies between physiology and signals in Philips sophomore year.