On February 4, 2023, I had the opportunity to attend the Bristol-Myers Squibb facility tour in Summit, New Jersey. The visit was nothing short of enlightening, as I gained a comprehensive insight into the inner workings of drug development in the lab. The tour was a showcase of the cutting-edge techniques employed by the laboratory, from drug testing technology to virtual reality employee training. Furthermore, I was offered a glimpse into the current research being undertaken at the facility through several poster presentations.
As an avid learner of biotechnology, I have had the privilege of acquiring knowledge through a variety of camps and courses dedicated to the subject. However, visiting the Bristol-Myers Squibb facility provided me with an opportunity to witness firsthand how my theoretical learnings are actualized in the real world. The visit was a culmination of the knowledge and skills I have acquired over the years, and the experience was nothing short of exhilarating. Observing the practical applications of various techniques I have learned was truly awe-inspiring and demonstrated the significance of hands-on learning.
Overall, the Bristol-Myers Squibb facility tour was a truly enriching experience that left me with a deep understanding of the complexities and advancements in pharmaceutical research.
Written by Sumuk Anand
2022-2023 Scholar
Sumuk Anand is a senior at Princeton High School. He has ranked highly in geography and history competitions such as the National Geography Bee, US Geography Olympiad, International Geography Bee and National History Bowl. His extended interest in geography has led to interdisciplinary studies in geography and science. He has been conducting research for several years in the pursuit of finding sustainable solutions for the biodegradation of plant-based plastic alternatives. With his findings, he has presented at the Rutgers Junior Humanities and Sciences Symposium and has won regional science fairs, such as the Bergen SciChallenge, which qualified him for Broadcom Masters. He has three publications on National Center for Biotechnology Information’s GenBank sequence database for the analysis of three novel Landoltia Punctata sequences. In school, he is an officer for the UNICEF club and an active member of the History Bowl team. He is a two-time national semifinalist for North South Foundation’s Panacea Challenge, focusing on diversity and inclusion. He has actively volunteered to teach elementary school students in various areas such as STEM, geography, Taekwondo, and chess. Sumuk aspires to pursue a career in the fields of Environmental Science, Biotechnology and Computer Science to help solve global environmental issues.