Meet our third cohort of Co-Op students of various majors whose yearlong positions at Catalent, Excellos and Thermo Fisher Scientific span areas including process engineering, quality control, informatics project management, and cell therapy, antibody and gel manufacturing.
I'm a senior undergraduate, assisting Thermo Fisher with software development and data analytics using primarily Structured Query Language (SQL), Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), and C#. I chose a career path in technology out of my interest in creativity and problem-solving, as well as for its stability. Some of my accomplishments include being on Provost Honors, earning 1st place at a school speech and debate tournament, and being an active volunteer for the San Diego Science Alliance. My hobbies include singing, video games, exercise and spending time with my dogs outside.
I'm a third-year student and assist at Catalent by creating solutions and running samples. I've worked in the Hao Lab at UC San Diego and served as an instructional assistant for courses such as human physiology and organic chemistry.
I'm a second-year student conducting experiments at Catalent to assess the feasibility and efficacy of various oral drug formulations. I perform bulk tapped density analysis to determine properties of active pharmaceutical ingredients and blends. I’m proficient in precise measurement and blending of pharmaceutical excipients and ingredients, and I create optimal formulations for oral drug delivery. At Catalent, I gain hands-on experience in tablet and capsule manufacturing processes, including large-scale capsule profiling and tablet compression. I also execute disintegration testing to evaluate the solubility properties of oral drug formulations.
I'm a fourth-year student conducting various tests on select gels received from manufacturing at Thermo Fisher to ensure product quality and consistency. I find the idea of manipulating life on the cellular and molecular levels fascinating. I enjoy playing guitar, working out, and creating content for my social media accounts.
I'm a fourth-year student who analyzes data and runs routine experiments at Catalent for tablet formulation. I previously worked at BASF as a summer intern. My passions revolve around anything chemistry-related. I aspire to utilize my knowledge to understand the universe better and tackle prevalent problems. Outside of academics, I enjoy volunteering for Tzu Chi and singing in my a capella group, the Trebles.
I'm a fourth-year student who assists the Process Engineering team at Catalent with the research, development, and optimization of early-phase oral solid dosage formulations. My responsibilities span from performing laboratory characterization tests to operating on large, complex equipment, all while adhering to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards and collaborating with engineers, scientists, and other teams. I'm passionate about helping and supporting others through my work, whether it's with my team, peers, or beyond. I aspire to carry my strong work ethic and amiable personality into whichever career I pursue.
Connect with Kathryn Kertis on LinkedIn or at kkertis@ucsd.edu.
I'm a fourth-year student on the Cell Therapy team at Excellos, where I assist in the manufacturing process by running samples to determine the usability of blood packs. Additionally, I support the Excellos process engineer with equipment management and validation tasks.
Connect with Vivi Nguyen at ntn005@ucsd.edu.
I'm a fourth-year student working at Thermo Fisher in antibody purification. My main responsibility involves purifying and isolating IgG antibodies from various supernatant cultures. I'm passionate about the wide variety of applications in the life sciences industry, and my goal in the Co-Op Program is to learn more about the industry and establish skills that will be applicable in the future. I enjoy swimming with friends and traveling home to Taiwan to see family.
I'm a third-year student who creates antibody products at Thermo Fisher for use in medical and biological research applications. Outside of my studies, I lead co-curricular clubs at UC San Diego that align with my philosophy and passion for boxing. I hold medical professionals in high regard and firmly believe in the power of the biotechnology industry to enhance the human condition.
Connect with Raymond Rogers on LinkedIn or at rlrogers@ucsd.edu.
As a fourth-year student, I support chemists at Catalent, making solutions and running tests on drug products using cGMP procedures. I was the valedictorian at my high school and earned the title of Seventh College Student of the Year in 2022 at UC San Diego. I enjoy traveling, going to the beach, and spending time with friends and family.
Connect with Ryan Sassower on LinkedIn or at rsassowe@ucsd.edu.
I'm a fourth-year student who assists with common solution preparations, dissolutions, and HPLC tasks at Catalent. I'm responsible for testing water content, friability, hardness, and disintegration times of samples. My aspiration is to work in biotech or research and development for medicine because I'm passionate about helping improve the health of others. I enjoy doing gymnastics, reading fantasy novels, and attending music festivals.
Connect with Ashley Sedgewick on LinkedIn or at absedgwick@ucsd.edu.
I'm a third-year student who assists the Process Engineering team at Catalent. I run various tests, including characterization, and I'm involved in the spray drying process. I always love trying new things and am very passionate about whatever I do. In my free time, I enjoy rock climbing, working out, and playing soccer.
Connect with Andrei Sheydayi on LinkedIn or at asheydayi@ucsd.edu.
I'm a third-year student who supports developmental activities at Catalent. My responsibilities include preparing buffers, reagents, and assays, calibrating instruments, setting up HPLC/UPLC, performing physical characterization, and conducting dissolution tests. I ensure good documentation practices by recording experiments contemporaneously. Under the supervision of a pharmaceutical chemist, I troubleshoot and run assays. Additionally, I conduct physical characterization of molecules, including polarized light microscopy and powder X-ray diffraction.