Hello Everyone!
My name is Ellena Jeon, a rising junior from Baker College, majoring in Bioengineering.
Yesterday, I landed in Nairobi, Kenya after about 18 hours of traveling! Before leaving my family, I felt a bit nervous about living alone on an entirely different continent, especially in one I had never set foot in before. But this morning, I woke up to the sound of birds chirping, the soft morning light, and beautiful weather—so refreshing compared to the Houston heat. I opened the windows to let the soothing highland breeze in, and this settled my nerves. This quiet moment quickly turned into a growing sense of excitement for everything I’m about to experience here.
As an aspiring physician with a strong interest in design and innovation, being in Nairobi is so meaningful. It allows me to directly engage with healthcare challenges in a new cultural and clinical context, and to learn from diverse perspectives. I want to learn more about building solutions that are not only technically advanced but also culturally grounded. This summer is an opportunity to learn, listen, and grow as both a future engineer and a clinician.
This summer, I will be getting feedback on 2 projects: the Endometrial Biopsy (EMB) Trainer and the Gastroschisis Bag. The EMB trainer aims to improve how healthcare providers are trained to perform uterine biopsies. We want to specifically improve solid sample compatibility and explore local manufacturing options to ensure its accessibility and sustainability. The second project, the gastroschisis bag, is used to protect the exposed intestines of newborns with this congenital condition. The low cost prototype that we have takes about 15 minutes to create with only 2 materials. We hope to find sterilization packaging options as well as gain feedback from clinicians with this project.
Beyond the projects, some personal goals I have for this summer are:
- Deepen my technical and design skills like woodworking, 3D modeling, and soldering through hands-on workshops at Kenyatta University.
- Connect with a diverse group of people, and keep an open mind when encountering different cultures, professions, and healthcare systems.
- Exploring Kenya and everything that Nairobi has to offer! So far, the city is lush, vibrant, and lively.
I will be working with the Kenyatta University’s Centre for Design, Innovation, and Engineering (CDIE) and participating in their Medical Device Innovation Summer Program for the first 3 weeks, where I will be learning hands-on skills, conducting needs finding and observing at Kiambu and Thika Hospital. After that, we will continue to identify personal projects, work on host projects, and gain feedback on the devices with the remaining time until the end of July.
Thanks for reading and see you next time,
Ellena