Graduate Student Spotlight: Rita Matta

Graduate Member Spotlight

Rita Matta

Ph.D.

Biomedical Engineering

2021

Yale University

 

Rita is an all-around rockstar in SWE, and currently co-leads the Yale GradSWE group. Rita has taken the lead for collaboration with other diversity groups at Yale in order to promote diversity and inclusion. She has also planned professional development events and career panels to prep members for navigating life after graduate school and building career/academic networks.

 

Prior to Yale, Rita spent her summer vacations as an R&D intern at Covidien and Medtronic. Here, she was introduced to the field of industry, working in a biology and chemistry based group, and building her professional and research skills. Through these experiences and by working under a strong female PhD manager, Rita was aspired to pursue a PhD as well.

 

This fervor for promoting women in STEM continued at Yale where Rita has enjoyed attending local and societal SWE conferences. In 2017, Rita was awarded first place for her poster at the Region F Conference.

 

Rita is passionate about her bioengineering based thesis work, where she works with biomaterials to promote tissue repair post injury, highlighting the integration of cell biology and material chemistry. Additionally, Rita is inspired by her Principal Investigator, who is an admirable female mentor and motivator for Rita’s academic and professional success. Primarily, Rita focuses on observation of neural stem cell and vascular cell interactions and how the two processes, coupled, can be used to promote functional and sensory recovery post brain injury.

 

After graduation, Rita aspires to work in industry to connect engineers and biologists, integrating various fields similarly to how her mentors have inspired her to in the past and present.

 

Outside of lab, Rita enjoys outdoor activities including hiking, running, and traveling. She loves her cat, experiments with cooking, and enjoys quality time with friends.