Spotlight in SWE
This segment seeks to spotlight a member of Yale SWE community and share their story.
This week, we are following Rira Choi, a Co-Chair of the SWE Diversity Committee and a 1st year PhD student in the BME department. Her research focuses on vascular biomechanics and dynamics.
What has your experience been like as a 1st year PhD student so far?
Starting a new role, whether as a first year grad student or at a new job, is always a nerve-racking experience. There is also that anxiety coming from being hyper-aware of my identity as a WOC, as I enter a male dominated-field - both my mentor and most experimentalist postdocs in my lab are men. But I was excited to find a community of fellow women in STEM, like SWE. It’s so inspiring to see women supporting and uplifting each other in STEM. I am so glad to have found this community in my first semester as a PhD student at Yale.
What is your research topic?
For my Master’s degree, I studied active properties of rat pulmonary arteries using a number of techniques including wire myography. At Yale, I’ve started to look at biomechanical properties of aorta, and how the aortic phenotypes can be affected with complications such as immunodeficiency.
Why a PhD in Engineering?
During my undergraduate studies, there were only a couple of women professors in the department, and it was incredibly inspiring to take lectures led by them. I had the privilege of working with one of the women professors for my Master’s degree, and she was more than an academic mentor to me. My experience has shown me how important representation is to students especially in a field that has historically excluded women. I want to be able to inspire future students in Engineering, the way my mentors did for me.
Any favorite moments in Science/Research?
Recently I proposed an idea to my PI to use different female animal models to look at the effect of pregnancy on blood pressure regulation in the pregnant body. Researching pregnancy as a factor adds a lot of complexities to the project design, and consequently has definitely been understudied. I think it is absolutely crucial that we look more into the effect of pregnancy on our circulatory system, and it was so exciting to receive warm feedback and support from my PI. The conversation I had with my PI on that day is hands-down one of my favorite moments in my time conducting research.
Favorite books - what do you think is important to read?
For anyone pursuing a PhD degree, I think it’s safe to say that we spend most of our time reading materials that are related to our field of research. So personally, it’s really important to me that I save some time to read non-work-related books for pleasure. This Spring, I read ‘On The Origin of Species and Other Stories,’ which is a science fiction novel by a Korean author, and it definitely ranks high on my list of favorite books. I also love the magical realism genre. Ursula K. Le Guin is also one of my favorite magical realism authors, and I would recommend ‘The Lathe of Heaven’ for anyone interested in checking out her works.
Any advice for younger women in STEM?
It’s so easy to let our work consume us - especially when you feel like your voices aren’t heard or when you are part of a marginalized group. It’s so important to find an interest you feel passionate about outside of STEM. Mine is sharing music. I was a dj and a host for a radio show for my undergrad, and it allowed me to make so many connections and friendships.
Announcement
There is a series of lectures about anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion in the FAS. We invite you to attend an in-person presentation by Marinda Monfilston from the Office of Diversity & Inclusion at Yale on November 15th, 9 am. Coffee and refreshments will be available from 8:30 to 9am.