Meet Roy Ram Klein, a 2017 AJA graduate and current junior at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. On the pre-med track, Roy is studying biomedical engineering with a focus on biomaterials, cellular, and tissue engineering. From volunteering as an EMT in Israel to conducting spinal cord injury research, Roy combines a passion for medicine and innovation to drive meaningful change.
Read our Q&A with him below:
What are you currently doing?
Following my graduation from AJA in 2017, I went to Vandegrift High School and graduated in 2021. After high school, I did a gap year in Israel through Young Judaea’s “Year Course” program, where I volunteered as an EMT. I am currently a junior at the University of Wisconsin – Madison studying biomedical engineering with a focus in biomaterials, cellular, and tissue engineering. I am also on the pre-med track. I am working at a research lab in the UW department of Neurological Surgery studying ways to maximize functional recovery post spinal cord injury in rat models. I am working on two academic papers right now. One is a comparative anatomy paper focusing on the brachial plexus nerve in rats and humans, and uses gross anatomy and histological data to explore the perplexities of translational studies as it applies to brachial plexus injuries. The other focuses on the findings of a project my lab conducted studying the effects of anti-inflammatory cytokines injected post-spinal cord injury. I am also working on a biomedical engineering design project in a class right now creating a biomaterial to be used as a bone graft in the treatment of aneurysmal bone cysts and a bioreactor simulating physiological conditions to test this biomaterial.
What accomplishment are you most proud of from the last 2-3 years?
In the last 2-3 years, I am most proud of my work in my research lab. I have had the honor of representing my lab by speaking at various symposiums and poster sessions. I am also extremely proud of my time as an EMT in Israel. This was definitely the most grueling yet fulfilling job I’ve ever had, and I cherish those memories deeply.
What are your goals for the next few years?
G-d willing in the next few years I will get into medical school and be on my way to becoming a physician. I also have a few personal projects in mind in the field of biomedical engineering that I would love to put some serious effort into when time is less scarce. Beyond my school-related goals, I would love to travel more and see the world before medical school.
What are the 1-2 most important things you learned from your experience at AJA?
The most important skills I developed at AJA are learning to ask questions and pushing boundaries. These skills work hand in hand together and followed me through high school and into college. I feel that given the small class sizes at AJA, asking questions was never a daunting task. The individualized attention I got was bar none and as such, I developed what is probably the trait that defines me most until today: chutzpah. Having the courage to ask questions and pushing the academic confines allows me to get the most out of my higher education. This “intellectual chutzpah” allows me to develop close relationships with my professors even at a university with 50,000 undergraduates and 600-person lectures.
The individualized attention I got [at AJA] was bar none and as such, I developed what is probably the trait that defines me most until today: chutzpah.
What was your favorite assignment or learning experience at AJA and why?
In middle school Project Lead the Way, we were tasked with creating a prosthetic arm. We went through the engineering design process, learning all about prosthetics, how they work, and their underlying mechanisms. This was my first experience working in an engineering team, documenting every step of the way in a design journal, and prototyping. I fell in love with the engineering process and working in a team to achieve a shared goal. I was particularly drawn to the intersection of engineering with medicine and ended up pursuing it in my further studies.
What advice do you have for current AJA students about life after AJA?
My advice to current students would be to cherish your time at AJA. My best friends to this day are my friends from AJA. Explore your passions at AJA and appreciate the opportunities this school gives you. I know that by the time 8th grade rolls around everyone is ready to head to high school and explore what life is like at a school 20x bigger, but AJA will always be a unique time in your life where you made your best friends. At some point you will turn around, look at the path you have paved for yourself and thank your parents for the work they put in to be able to send you to AJA.
