Lorenzo Aragón is a part of this year’s scheme and is working on using computer imaging analyses of a coloured dye that presents near-infrared light, to guide surgeons during bowel perfusion in new-born babies and children.
Decision-making during surgery for this disease is incredibly important, but current methods aren’t reliable. Alongside Stefano Giuliano, a consultant surgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital and Zhehua Mao, a research fellow, this project aimed to use the coloured dye (Indocyanine Green fluorescence (ICG)) as a guide for conditions like necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), where tissue dies in the bowel, volvulus, and atresia.
Lorenzo had the opportunity to witness a surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital and see how surgeons work in real-time. This was Stefano and Zhehua’s first time supervising an IHE Summer Studentship and their collaboration and experience has been key throughout this project.
Lorenzo Aragón, UCL biomedical engineering student
How this project gave you an insight into the clinical world, and the skills you’ve had the chance to develop.
Despite studying an undergraduate Biomedical Engineering degree, under this project I had my first ever clinical shadowing experience. This exposure made medical technology that I could only mentally conjure from lecture notes and pictures feel tangible and understand how what we learn has real use. While having previous exposure to code and computer vision, this project has given me the opportunity to make a substantial product with these skills.
How has it been working with Stefano, Zhehua and the team?
Between a technical and clinical team, working under a genuinely cross-disciplinary team has grounded me on both the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of the project. Both teams have been very supportive and been guiding my work throughout.
What would you say to other UCL Engineering students about the studentship?
Being able to contribute to this project has been rewarding; applying the theory taught to us in lectures into something substantial with real impact and the potential to help others is hugely satisfying.
Zhehua Mao, research fellow specialising in artificial intelligence (AI) and surgical robotics at the UCL Hawkes Institute
How has it been supervising a summer student for the first time? How has this enhanced your work and the progress of the project?
Supervising a summer student on this interdisciplinary project has been a truly rewarding experience. While I’ve previously worked with interns, this studentship offered a unique opportunity to support an undergraduate as they engaged with a real-world challenge at the intersection of clinical medicine and computer vision.
It has also been an important learning experience for me as an early-career researcher, not only in developing mentorship skills, but also in refining how I communicate complex ideas and guide independent exploration. Having a student like Lorenzo involved brought fresh energy to the team and helped accelerate the project by allowing us to test ideas from a new perspective. This experience has strengthened both the progress of our work and my own growth as a future academic supervisor.
Stefano Giuliani, Consultant Neonatal and Paediatric Surgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital, Clinical Co-Director at the UCL Hawkes Institute
Working with undergraduate students is always a stimulating experience. Their open-mindedness and ability to think outside the box often lead to fresh questions and ideas that challenge our assumptions and inspire new directions.
