LFA student Bao Le ‘25 recently published her research paper in the “International Journal of Social Science and Economic Research.” The article presents a comparative analysis between two aortic valve replacement methods: Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) and Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement (SAVR). The article explores the respective innovations and advantages of the methods and the implications for patients with aortic valve disorders.                  

Le got her inspiration from the Anatomy and Physiology event during the Science Olympiad last year. With the cardiovascular system as one of the essential topics, she explored the significance of it with her partner Jerry Ren ‘24 and was fascinated by the complexity of the topic. Curiosity led me to dive deeper into the field and eventually conduct this research.With this curiosity and determination, Le not only won first place in the event, but also started crafting her research. 

During the summer break, Le worked on the project while interning at a stem cell biotech company in Singapore. Starting from collecting and analyzing studies and articles on innovations in valve replacement, she was encouraged by her professor to turn these findings into a formal research paper. With the support and guidance from Dr. Xavier Portillo, Le finished writing and revising in three and a half months before peer review was conducted, and the paper was finally published.

Le said this experience opened up more opportunities for her. After the publication, she was invited to present her study at a conference hosted by the University of California, Santa Barbara. At the conference, Le enhanced her determination to walk further on the road of medical treatments and biology and got the opportunity to encounter talented students who are just as passionate about biology as he is.

Le will be entering college this fall. She is looking forward to the opportunity to expand more on her current knowledge in medical engineering and hopes to join the global effort in the future to create a better healthcare system that is accessible to more people.