Ariana’s Summer 2025 Research Internship at NTHU, Hsinchu, Taiwan
December 2, 2025 By Ariana Jiang (Edit)
Read below about Ariana Jiang’s Summer 2025 as a research intern at NTHU in Hsinchu, Taiwan
It was June 23rd. Check-in day. The day I was most looking forward to during my boring summer at home but also the most anxious for. The thought of being 6500 miles away from home, let alone for two whole months, was nerve-racking. I stepped onto NTHU campus feeling very lost, wondering how I would be able to navigate myself in this unfamiliar place.
Fast forward to August 15th. Bittersweetly saying goodbye to my lab and to the new friends I made, eating my last meal at the school cafeteria, and drinking my last $3 USD boba. From anxiously solo traveling for the first time to making some of the best memories, this was my summer at National Tsinghua University in Hsinchu, Taiwan.
I had the opportunity to be a research intern at the Tissue Engineering & Biomaterials Laboratory, supervised by Professor Chieh-Cheng Huang. Past research done in the lab has shown that mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) spheroid-derived three-dimensional (3D) decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) is a promising solution for treating traumatic brain injury (TBI) and promoting tissue regeneration. However, there are other therapeutic potentials for dECM that have yet to be explored. Wound repair is a major concern in the healthcare field due to the challenge of ensuring healing is not only effective but also rapid.
To address this issue, I investigated the effect of dECM on in vitro cultured NIH/3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblasts to evaluate whether dECM enhances cell migration, an important process in wound healing. I performed a scratch assay and observed scratch closure, or migration, at 0, 24, and 48 hours. Image analysis revealed increased cell migration compared to controls. These findings highlight the broader therapeutic potential of dECM in wound repair and support its future potential in in vivo applications, including surgery and regenerative medicine.
Over the course of two months, I gained hands-on experience with mammalian cell culture, 3D cell culture systems, ECM preparation, and quantitative imaging analysis. From coming into the lab on weekends to subculture my cells, to riding the high speed rail to visit my mentor’s childhood home, my experience working at the lab was overwhelmingly fun and fulfilling. I still remember my first Friday there when the PhD and masters students at the lab invited me to join them for card games; they taught me how to play Big Two and I taught them Spoons. “If the lab manager comes in, we’ll just say we’re teaching Ariana culture!” Luckily, we were not caught haha. During my time there, I even got to watch not one, but two, master thesis defenses. One of the judges was a UC Berkeley Bioengineering alumni back in 2001!
Outside of the lab, I got to explore local areas of Hsinchu, including bustling night markets and local temples. The program also took us on tours to the Tsing Hua Open-pool Reactor (THOR)—Taiwan’s first operational nuclear reactor—the TSMC Museum of Innovation, and Industrial Technology Research Institute. It was very exciting to learn more about Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, as well as getting to speak to engineers in the industry.
On the weekends, I got to explore different regions of Taiwan with fellow students I met in the program, including Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung. From biking around Taiwan’s biggest lake—Sun Moon Lake—to eating hotpot where the former mayor of Kaohsiung once dined (and popularized it), to trying chicken butt for the first time at a night market, to involuntary feeding myself to mosquitoes, I made so many lasting memories. One of the highlights of the program was getting to meet students from around the world, like Australia, Germany, Vietnam, and Japan. We made lasting connections as we studiously worked on our research reports in the library until it closed and practiced to one another before presentation day.
I want to thank the CCH Lab for hosting me this past summer as well as the NTHU 2025 Summer Research Program for not only giving me the opportunity to gain research experience but also a chance to explore life in Taiwan outside the lab. Last but not least, I want to express my gratitude for the GLOBE Discovery Scholarship which allowed me to embrace this opportunity financially, covering the flight cost and other day-to-day expenses. Summer 2025 was truly an unforgettable experience, and I hope it isn’t the last time I go abroad to do research/study!