Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Receives Fellowship to Washington University School of Medicine

Photo by Katie Chevrier

Anna Arnaud

Anna Arnaud, a senior biomedical engineering major in the Honors College, was awarded a fellowship that will fully cover her expenses at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where she plans to begin school in the fall. Arnaud was one of 12 students to receive the Mr. and Mrs. Spencer T. Olin Fellowship for Women in Graduate Study, at Washington University. The Fellowship is worth approximately $225,000.

Arnaud believes that her education in the biomedical engineering program has played a crucial role in helping her receive this opportunity. "Coming into college, all I knew was that I wanted to go to medical school," she said. "I decided to major in engineering because I thought it would add a unique touch to my experiences. While I was in the Freshman Engineering Program, I learned that biomedical engineering would be offered for the first time when I was a sophomore. Because the department was new, I was able to have my own research project."

For her honors thesis, Arnaud researched ways to promote muscle regeneration after volumetric skeletal muscle loss under the supervision of Jeff Wolchok, assistant professor of biomedical engineering. She also spent three years on a traumatic brain injury research project and had the opportunity to present this research at the annual BMES Conference on Cell and Molecular Bioengineering in January 2014. Arnaud has been participating in research since her freshman year.

"My research in biomedical engineering has given me a unique perspective on the fusion of medicine and engineering technology, and I feel like I've been prepared well to do research in medical school," Arnaud said. "Also, my one on one research with Professor Wolchok has been crucial. He knew that fully investing in research would help me to accomplish my goals, and I'm very grateful for that."

Going into medical school, Arnaud has some ideas of the areas she is interested in. "I think I would like to focus on neuroscience or psychiatry," she said. "I spent a couple years volunteering with the Arkansas Crisis Hotline answering phone calls, and that began my interest in this area. Biomedical engineering has introduced new brain scanning techniques that we can use to develop more effective psychiatric and neurological treatment for brain injuries and disorders."