Fischell Institute Intern Spotlight: Sidney Redwood

Sidney Redwood is an incoming junior studying bioengineering. This summer, she is an intern in Fischell Institute Fellow Greg Payne's research group.

Redwood grew up hearing about how fantastic the A. James Clark School of Engineering was from family and friends. "With three nurses in my immediate family and one engineer, I have always been surrounded by science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)," she said. "Ever since I could remember, science and nursing were the main discussion topics at the dinner table."

Conversations with her older brother, a United States Military Academy West Point mechanical engineering graduate, helped her realize that bioengineering is the perfect intersection of engineering. She discovered her passion for developing innovative medical procedures and devices, as well as for understanding the business aspects of the healthcare industry.

Redwood said her internship experience working with Payne has been an honor and a privilege. Ever since she stepped into the building on her first day, she has felt comfortable and welcomed.

"I applied for the internship to explore the research realm of engineering because it never crossed my mind in the past. I feel extremely fortunate and blessed to be one of six chosen interns out of 110 applicants," she said.

Throughout the internship, Redwood said she felt independent and trusted with her research project's contents while being supported enough to ask questions or for help when needed. She hopes to take away a new set of skills that she can use in any job she has in the future, while also gaining mentors.

Her research summer project involves the use of serum samples from a past clinical study to discern a correlation between oxidative stress and gluten intolerance/allergy in people with schizophrenia.

"I enjoy that my project is more on the clinical side because although I am not directly working with the patients from the study, I am using serum from their blood samples to prove our hypothesis," Redwood explained.

After graduation, Redwood plans to earn her MBA. She would also like to work in medical device sales or create prosthetics for wounded warriors in a military hospital.

Redwood advises those interested in pursuing a degree in engineering to learn at least one programming language.

"Coding is an important skill to have in your back pocket,” she explained. "Although it is not necessary in every engineering job, I wish I had learned the basics of coding before college so I could easily apply those skills to my projects as soon as I entered my college career."

Outside of the lab, she enjoys weightlifting, reading, soccer, and cooking.

Published August 25, 2023