Jiin H.

During my undergraduate studies in molecular biotechnology, I worked with techniques spanning gene editing, protein chemistry, and immunology; from CRISPR silencing in cancer cells to nanobody purification to flow cytometry analysis. But it wasn't until I started my graduate program and learned about the full drug development pipeline that I understood where I wanted to focus: preclinical research, where in vivo studies and translational science move therapeutic candidates toward the clinic. I'm a biotechnology graduate student at Northeastern University with a foundation built across three educational systems. Growing up in Korea's structured academic environment taught me discipline and rigor. My undergraduate years at Ghent University Global Campus, including a semester studying in Belgium home campus, trained me to approach problems independently, collaborate with international teams, and embrace the "Dare to think" mindset that defines how I work today. In Boston, I'm discovering how biotechnology connects to industry impact, regulatory pathways, and the many disciplines beyond the lab that bring treatments to patients. My hands-on experience includes molecular cloning and plasmid purification, recombinant protein expression in both bacterial and yeast systems, qRT-PCR and gene expression analysis, immunoassays including sandwich ELISA and Western blots, and mammalian cell culture with flow cytometry. Through this work, I've learned something important about myself: I thrive in research environments where projects are dynamic and results are tangible; where I can see progress through clear milestones.