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Medhini Sosale, a junior studying bioengineering, was selected as a recipient of the Goldwater Scholarship. The award, established by Congress in 1986 in honor of U.S. Sen. Barry M. Goldwater, fosters and encourages outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering.
Since her freshman year at Mason, Sosale has worked rigorously on multiple neurological research endeavors. In her first year of her undergraduate study, Sosale began working with bioengineering professor Juan Cebral, who introduced her to new areas of bioengineering and computational research.
In Fall 2021, Sosale worked with bioengineering associate professor Parag Chitnis who is experimenting with ultrasound technology to deliver drugs. In his lab, Sosale studied the blood-brain barrier of rat brains, which in both humans and in rats, is a protective boundary that keeps bacteria, fungi, parasites, and other organisms from penetrating the brain.
Dr. Jan Allbeck, the Associate Dean of the Honors College, who helped Sosale prepare her application for the Goldwater Scholarship says of Sosale, “Medhini is both a learner and a doer. Outside of the classroom, she's been done research in multiple labs on campus and participated in several environmental justice organizations that have helped shape her research interests.”
Students like Sosale encapsulate Mason’s spirit of innovative and engaging undergraduate scholarship. Next year, the Goldwater Scholarship, which provides up to $7,500 as a stipend to its recipients will allow Sosale to continue her research, and help propel her academic career forward. Aspiring to pursue a PhD in conservation biology or a related field, Sosale is in good company amongst other Goldwater recipients, many of whom, like Jackie Luu, Karen Therrien, Rebecca Beuschel, also hail from Mason’s Honors College.