Bianca’s summer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
International PhD student Bianca Hazt is currently doing her summer internship at the Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT) in Boston!
Bianca is supervised by Professor Anwesha Sarkar, from the School of Food Science and Nutrition and co-supervised by Professor Daniel Read and Dr Oliver Harlen from the School of Mathematics, and Professor Wilson Poon from University of Edinburgh, with an advisor from Reckitt. Her PhD is funded by the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Soft Matter for Formulation and Industrial Innovation (SOFI2 CDT).
Her interdisciplinary research aims to understand the mucoadhesive performance of proteinaceous structures, considering different biomimetic environments using a multiscale experimental approach.
At MIT, she is working in the Non-Newtonian Fluid Dynamics (NNF) research group at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, led by Professor Gareth McKinley, to understand the extensional behaviour of the complex proteinaceous structures.
Bianca says “I am using techniques such as CaBER and DoS to investigate the extensional rheological properties of mucin-based materials. Beyond learning new experimental methods, the opportunity to engage with a different research culture is truly enriching. It encourages fresh perspectives and makes the experience intellectually stimulating!"
As an international student, Bianca has had an interesting journey.
“Travelling from Brazil to Leeds for an interdisciplinary PhD combining concepts from food colloid science, colloid chemistry and polymer physics has been truly a rewarding experience.
“Now, getting this unique opportunity to travel to MIT, USA to do my PhD research has been a dream come true and I am thankful to EPSRC SOFI2 CDT for supporting my PhD and internship abroad providing a truly international exposure and incredibly grateful for my supervisors for supporting me in every step of this exciting international career journey.”
We are very proud of Bianca and look forward to hearing all about her fascinating work at MIT.
