Hayden's Outreach

Working with Jessica Lee

Jessica Lee, a freshman undergraduate Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering student, began working in The Wilson Lab in August 2021. Jessica's project is focused on determining optimal storage conditions for the preservation of exosomes and other extracellular vesicles. Thus far, Hayden has taught Jessica technical skills including aseptic cell culture, ultracentrifugation, and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). Additionally, Hayden has taught Jessica the key aspects of reading scientific literature, which will become more useful as Jessica's project becomes increasingly independent. Jessica's project will explore parameters such as cell type, storage buffer, storage temperature, and storage container.

Working with Mina Aziz

Mina Aziz, a junior undergraduate Biochemistry and Neuroscience double-major, started working in The Wilson Lab as a high school student in January 2018. He rejoined the lab as an REU student in the summer of 2021, and is currently working on a project to investigate the scalability of flash nanoprecipitation as a nanoparticle formulation method. At the conclusion of his REU, Mina presented a poster summarizing his research to students and faculty of the Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (VINSE). So far, Hayden has taught Mina how to organize data, design and execute experiments, analyze the results, and evaluate relevant literature. He has also taught Mina technical skills in polymer synthesis, fluorescence-based assays, nanoparticle formulation, and particle characterization via DLS and TEM. Mina has continued working in The Wilson Lab under the mentorship of Payton Stone, as Hayden has begun focusing on other projects.

Working with The School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt (SSMV)

In the summer of 2021, Hayden began volunteering with The School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt (SSMV), a magnet program for local high school students in the Nashville area with an interest in STEM. As part of an annual SSMV "Stress Day", Hayden co-taught a lesson on stress-strain relationships as they pertain to engineering. In this lesson, Hayden introduced the concepts of engineering stress and strain, and demonstrated the importance of stress-strain analysis by providing real-world examples of the consequences faced when stress is inadequately accounted for. During the lesson, Hayden led a hands-on activity in which students measured and plotted their own stress-strain curve. He also provided a small group of senior SSMV students with a tour of The Wilson Lab, and answered specific questions regarding scientific research. Hayden is planning to continuing to work with the SSMV in the future by mentoring SSMV students in the lab to provide them with hands-on experience.

Working with The Vanderbilt Student Volunteers for Science (VSVS)

In the spring of 2021, Hayden began volunteering with The Vanderbilt Student Volunteers for Science (VSVS), a program where Vanderbilt students lead STEM-related lessons at middle schools in the Nashville area. Through The VSVS, Hayden created and presented two lessons with interactive demonstrations related to electrical circuits. Hayden introduced concepts including the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance, as well as the difference between series and parallel circuits. Hayden plans to continue working with The VSVS in the future as he continues his studies at Vanderbilt University.

Working with The Glencliff High School Outreach Committee

In the fall of 2020, during his first semester at Vanderbilt University, Hayden joined the Glencliff High School Outreach Committee, a program within the Biomedical Engineering (BME) department where BME students teach STEM-related lessons at Glencliff High School - a local metro-Nashville high school. As a member of the Glencliff HS Outreach Committee, Hayden created and presented five lessons with interactive demonstrations covering topics including cancer, optics, tissue culture, computer programming, and MRI. Although this program was originally conducted virtually, it has since returned to an in-person format. Hayden continues to develop and present a lesson plan each month.

Working with The Elementary Education (EE) Outreach Committee

In the fall of 2020, Hayden joined the Elementary Education (EE) Outreach Committee, a program sponsored by the Biomedical Engineering (BME) department. Conducted virtually and asynchronously, the EE committee is responsible for developing and disseminating STEM-related lesson plans to the families of elementary school students in the greater Nashville area. As a member of the EE Outreach Committee, Hayden created and recorded 8 presentations covering topics such as chemistry, physics, and biology. Hayden continues to develop and present a new presentation each month.