Hello everybody, and welcome back to my blog!

This first week has been absolutely amazing!

Every morning we wake up to a view of the ocean, and our walk to campus is surrounded by vibrant trees. The UNAPEC campus is beautiful! I especially love how there are so many trees on campus, and the sunlight filters through them, making everything feel alive and colorful.

This week, we’ve been primarily based at UNAPEC, where we met the faculty and students. We’ve been paired with two amazing electrical engineering students, Darien and Ezeul, who are helping us implement electrical features into our medical training devices. They are absolutely brilliant, and we are learning so much from them! 

For my project, we’re developing a sensor that alerts trainees if they’re about to penetrate the uterus — a serious complication that can happen during real procedures. Our clinical mentors told us that uterine perforation can sometimes lead to intestinal injury, so this is something we want to simulate and prevent during training.

We’re using something called the eddy current effect to detect proximity between the metal curette (the tool used for the biopsy) and a sensor. Essentially, when a conductor (like our metal tool) moves through a changing magnetic field, it induces circular electric currents (“eddy currents”) which, in turn, make the conductor slightly magnetic. We’re harnessing this effect so that when the curette gets too close to the sensor, it triggers a blinking light or a beeping sound that will notify trainees that they’ve gone too far in our model. 

Currently, we’re building the prototype with an Arduino, breadboard, and a wire coil that senses the tool’s movement. When it gets close enough, the light blinks. I’ve always wanted to get more comfortable with circuits and electrical engineering, so this has been an incredible opportunity to learn from Darien and Ezeul.

As well, to give everyone a feel for the procedure, I had the team try taking a “biopsy” from an orange using the curette. Clinicians told us that an orange’s pulp texture is surprisingly similar to that of the human endometrium, and they weren’t kidding. When my Rice team first tried it, we were shocked by how much it did feel like flesh (a bit unsettling, might I say). It’s hard to describe the texture until you feel it yourself, which made it very fun to see their reactions and descriptions. 

Now that the team understands the texture I’m aiming to recreate, I’m really looking forward to getting clinical feedback here and improving the realism of our silicone uterus model. We have silicon and access to a 3D printer, so I hope to make a new mold in the coming weeks! 

The first half of the week was packed with prototyping and Arduino work, but we also got a tour of UNAPEC’s engineering labs, and they had so many facilities! We’ve been spending a lot of time in their library and grabbing lunch at the cafeteria (which has delicious food at mind-blowingly affordable prices). Also, very important: there are campus cats! One of them, a yellow tabby, is named Cheese. Love, love, love. 

 

We also met Dr. George L. Suazo, who’s a doctor affiliated with DOFMI, and we got to show him our prototypes. He’ll be guiding us on hospital visits and bringing us to biomedical engineering conferences! Dylan and I are so excited. Our first hospital visit is on Tuesday, where we’ll meet Dr. Floren and begin gathering clinical feedback. I’m especially thrilled to see OB/GYNs test our prototype and hear their thoughts on its realism.

I also learned from George that cervical and uterine cancers are on the rise in the Dominican Republic, in part due to limited training for screening procedures. Early pregnancies in teenage girls are more common here, increasing their risk for these cancers. I’m looking forward to learn how they train for screening procedures and to tailor our model to better meet their needs.

After hours, we’ve been venturing into the city. We had dinner at Capuccino, which is famous for its desserts (yes, they lived up to the hype), and then tried El Lenazo, where I finally got to try mofongo (something I’ve been waiting to try), and it was absolutely delicious! The ambiance was beautiful, too.

As someone who is half Puerto Rican, I’ve always felt somewhat disconnected from that part of my identity. Being here in the Dominican Republic, which shares so much culturally with Puerto Rico, has been surprisingly grounding. Hearing and speaking Spanish, picking up familiar slang from my dad’s side, and being surrounded by salsa and merengue bring back so many memories. Growing up, my dad always had music playing in the house, and now I find myself smiling every time I hear a song I recognize in a restaurant or on the street.

This week was mostly focused on prototyping, but this weekend we’re planning to explore more of the city. Our goal: visit the Colonial Zone and hopefully make it to a beach (as we must, obviously).

Also: birding update! So far, I’ve only seen the common pigeon… but I’m officially on the lookout for the elusive green today. Wish me luck T^T. 

I’m so excited for the weeks ahead — from hospital visits to new prototypes to exploring more of this beautiful country. Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for the next update! 🌞

~ Valerie

 

Hello everyone!  

 

To whoever is reading this—welcome to my blog! 

This is just the beginning, and so much is in store for y’all, but first let’s start with some introductions—Hello! My name is Valerie Valentin, and I’m a rising sophomore from Lovett College majoring in Bioengineering with a minor in Global Health Technologies. My love for medicine started at a young age, and over time, it grew into a passion for innovative medical technology. This curiosity is what led me to take the introductory Global Health course at Rice, as I wanted to explore how medicine and technology intersect in a global context and the impact they have.

After exploring global health disparities and the process of needs assessment in underserved settings, I enrolled in Global Health Technologies 360, and, hands down, it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Through that course, I had the most amazing opportunity to create an additional attachment for the LUCIA, Rice360’s Low-cost Universal Cervical Instructional Apparatus. This training model is used to teach healthcare trainees how to screen for cervical cancer, one of the most prevalent yet preventable cancers, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Together with my amazing team (huge shoutout to Lauren Walcott, Saumya Chauhan, Grace Haddad, and Jewel Moore-Young) and under the guidance of Dr. Jenny Karns-Plante and clinical mentors Dr. Mila Salcedo and Dr. Parisa Fallah, we formed Team Uterus Universal. Our goal? To tackle the rising burden of uterine cancer by designing a functional uterus and cervix attachment for LUCIA that would train users to perform endometrial biopsies, which is the current standard for uterine cancer screening.

Over one semester, I honed my CAD design skills, learned how to collaborate and communicate effectively in a team, and applied a global health lens to the engineering design process. The experience was truly meaningful, especially because of my deep-rooted passion for gynecology. It reminded me why I love the intersection of engineering and medicine so much, as well as for innovation. 

Now, I’m incredibly excited to take this passion abroad as a Rice360 Summer Intern in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic!

This summer, I’ll be working with Dylan Yoon alongside UNAPEC and the Dominican Foundation for Mothers & Infants (DOFMI). One of our main projects will involve designing a sensor for the Kangaroo Mother Care system, which is a method used with premature infants where skin-to-skin contact between the baby and mother helps regulate the baby’s temperature, breathing, and overall health. Our role is to help develop a sensor that monitors vital signs and physiological responses during skin-to-skin contact, so clinicians can better understand and evaluate its benefits.

We’ll also be conducting needs assessments in local hospitals under the mentorship of Dr. George Suazo, identifying challenges mothers and newborns face during hospital stays. I’m really looking forward to contributing to solutions that can improve care experiences for both moms and babies!

I’m also very excited to have the chance to present my partner’s and my previous projects, receive direct feedback, and observe physicians interacting with our LUCIA uterus model! I’m especially thrilled to see how our prototype performs in a real-world context and to support Dylan as he evaluates his own project—a device that quantifies breastfeeding metrics by measuring pressure data.

My goal for this internship is to truly make the most of every opportunity that comes my way—whether it’s learning new skills in electronics, gaining crucial context for solutions designed for LMICs, helping others through needs finding, or observing how physicians stay calm and collected during critical and high-stress moments.

Beyond my interest in more technical aspects, I’m also very passionate about exploring different cultures and trying all sorts of new cuisines (I’m especially excited for the tostones!). I also want to fully immerse myself in Dominican culture—from practicing my Spanish to trying new foods and visiting local landmarks and cultural sites (suggestions always welcome!). I’m also an avid birder, so get ready for some wonderful bird photos in the upcoming blogs!

I know I’ll be stepping out of my comfort zone on this trip, as I’ve never been in a foreign country where I didn’t know anyone, but I’m genuinely excited to learn, grow, and embrace everything this summer has in store.

Here’s to designing for impact, learning from others, and making health more equitable one prototype at a time!

Thanks for following along! See you in the next blog 😀

– Valerie 💙