Meet 2024 OURI SURF Fellow Nicolás Salas

As part of Florida Atlantic University’s ongoing commitment to broadening research opportunities for its students, the Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry annually offers a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. SURF projects are 10-week, intensive summer immersion research experiences for FAU undergraduate students and faculty mentors that is open to all colleges and disciplines.

Junior Nicolás Salas, a Neuroscience and Behavior major, aims to find a mechanism to facilitate the transport of chemical sensors through hydrophobic and hydrophilic solutions. If he discovers a method, it could facilitate drug administration and possibly reuptake or recycle drugs. He is working with faculty mentor, Renjie Wang, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, on the project titled, “Micelles as a thermoreversible transport for chemical sensors.”

“Dr. Wang has helped me feel more confident about my research and get out of my comfort zone,” stated Salas. “Moreover, she has taught me some research methods that I not seen in my classes.”

Thanks to funding from the SURF program, Salas was able to purchase many necessary tools for his research and other academic endeavors. Also, as an international student, Salas was especially grateful for the additional support.