A passion for technology combined with a love for giving back

Mohammad Elias Alattas, Undergraduate Student

Hometown: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia  
Degree Program: B.S. in biomedical engineering '24, concentrating in biomaterials and drug delivery (BMDD)
Mohammad Elias Alattas on LinkedIn

Why Cornell biomedical engineering?

My love for giving has always been a characteristic of my personality, and healthcare is a field that I believe should be centered around providing people with thoughtful care. I have also always had a passion for technology as well as a curious fixation with figuring out how things work and coming up with practical solutions to problems. Hence, biomedical engineering (BME) stood out to me as the ideal combination between my passion for technology and problem solving as well as healthcare and health solutions. Since high school I knew that Cornell Engineering would be the ideal place for me to achieve my goals. I recall learning about some of the distinguished faculty members and researchers in the department while working on my undergraduate application, and I was eager to pursue the
opportunity to work with them. I am grateful to have had the chance to learn from them when I got here. I chose to concentrate in biomaterials and drug delivery (BMDD) because of an intro to materials science class I took with Professor Robert Van Dover during my freshman fall. At that point, I had never even heard of materials science, but I’m glad I was able to further develop that interest through biomedical engineering.

Highlights of your time at Cornell?

My most memorable Cornell experiences were the late nights I spent in Olin and Uris libraries with my close friends and navigating the college experience together. Also getting food together in Collegetown after we finished our assignments. These experiences always reminded me that we’re all in this together, and we’ll always support each other. 

What’s the next step for you?

This summer I plan to return home to kickstart my career at PwC Middle East as a consulting intern. A career in healthcare strategy has been my goal ever since my internship last summer at The Health Management Academy in Washington, D.C. My experiences here at Cornell have broadened my perspective and given me a holistic view of how I can contribute to advancing healthcare. I hope to combine my technical background with my experiences in consulting to open a biotechnology start-up back home in Saudi Arabia.

If you could talk to your freshman-year self now, what would you say?

I would tell my freshman self to always aim higher and never settle. Cornell has helped me develop personally, academically and professionally, so I could always strive for greatness. I now understand that I shouldn’t limit myself when it comes to achieving my dreams.

Anything else?

I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me throughout my undergraduate career, specifically my peers, faculty, and staff at the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering.