Achievement

For 6 months during the 2009 - 2010 reporting period, Erika Cooley took part in an IGERT supported internship in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Erika worked under the mentorship of Professor Stanislav Emelianov in the Ultrasound Imaging Research and Therapeutics Laboratory, where she began development of a novel nanometer-sized contrast agent for photoacoustic imaging. Professor Emelianov is one of the leading experts in the field of photoacoustic imaging, which allowed Erika to gain invaluable experience that will support her PhD research. Furthermore, the internship allowed Erika to develop professional relationships with scientists and engineers with diverse educational, research, and cultural backgrounds. Such interactions provided unique insights into research methodology and problem solving approaches.