"This summer I worked at Flextrapower, a startup developing flexible material with embedded graphene sensors for the purpose of health monitoring. As part of my role, I developed multiple provisional patents to secure Flextrapower’s intellectual property within the United States. This was essential for the progress of the organization, as they are currently in the process of creating many novel devices. For many startups securing intellectual property through the United States Patent and Trademark Office, this is an essential step to expand the company moving forward. I also worked on the design and fabrication of the Flextrapower smart insole. The smart insole allows for the early detection of foot ulcers in diabetic patients by incorporating thermal sensors to monitor different regions of the foot. These insoles will be used in a future pilot study. I’m glad that my background in biomedical engineering and patent law could contribute to the goals of the company.

The biomedical MS curriculum at Columbia greatly contributed to my work at Flextrapower. Through the BME program, I have taken numerous courses in design, innovation, and entrepreneurship in biotech. These courses not only increased my knowledge in engineering patent law, but also introduced me to numerous resources to pursue a career in biotech law, such as Columbia Technology Ventures. Columbia BME also provided me with the opportunity to meet other startup CEOs. Learning about a wide variety of startups in an interdisciplinary field helped prepare me for my work at Flextrapower this summer. Additionally, the biomedical engineering curriculum quickly introduces future engineers to the concept of rapid prototyping and validation and verification testing through multiple year-long projects. These projects significantly helped me when working on the fabrication of the smart insoles.

Although my internship was quite productive, some of the challenges of working remotely at a new company were also present. Because my internship was virtual, it was sometimes difficult to get the sense of community from a company that would naturally occur in person. Towards the end of my time at Flextrapower, I had the opportunity to meet some of my fellow colleagues in person. This was a great opportunity to meet new people, gain new perspectives, and work on some of the projects together. I look forward to maintaining these relationships after my internship.

This experience has helped shape my future endeavors greatly. Before working with Flextrapower, I was only somewhat familiar with what a potential career in the field of patent law could look like. After this summer, I feel confident that this is the career path I want to pursue in the future. Working directly with the CEO of the company has helped me understand the nuances of the field and some of the behind-the-scenes work that interns are not always introduced to when starting at a company. Understanding how to navigate these experiences has positively shaped me. I’m looking forward to taking what I have learned at Flextrapower and transitioning these lessons to the next phase in my career."