Farnoosh Saeedinejad is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in Biomedical Engineering from Iran. Her first language is Farsi, so Saeedinejad knew her choice to pursue a doctoral degree would be an opportunity to develop and challenge herself.

Currently, Saeedinejad researches effective drug delivery methods in the Self-Assembled Functional Nanomaterials Labunder Dr. Mu-Ping Nieh. She is also an Orientation Representative with International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS).

Saeedinejad wants to pursue a career in industry when she graduates, because she wants to see the impact of her work. In order to better prepare for her career and develop a network in her new country, she joined JLLA’s first cohort in 2018.

“When I first heard about JLLA, I thought that it was a good opportunity to get out of my comfort zone,” said Saeedinejad. “Having gone through the curriculum, I can say I learned about myself and how I interact best with others.”

JLLA gave Saeedinejad the space for growth and a safe environment to learn through practicing and attending workshops.

“I don’t see myself as a natural leader, but acknowledging that and pushing myself to work towards that goal made a huge difference.”