Meet Your TRAC Mentors

Raheel Sarwar

Class of 2027

Major and/or minor: Biomedical Engineering

Hometown: Grafton, Massachusetts

What are your goals after finishing your undergrad? My goal is to pursue a PhD in the field of computational biophysics, making simulation and computational approaches more predictive of drug discovery success. After my PhD, I hope to work in the biopharmaceutical sector as a machine learning scientist or engineer.
If you could share a meal with any 4 individuals, living or dead, who would they be? Cristiano Ronaldo (GOAT), Isaac Newton, Shah Rukh Khan, and Barack Obama.
On a scale of 1-10, how funny would you say you are? I would say a solid 8. When I am not working or studying, I like to joke around with friends and family.
If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why? I would love to live in Madrid, Spain. I grew up watching my favorite soccer team Real Madrid on the TV, and being able to watch the games from the Santiago Bernabéu would be great. There is also a nice work-life balance there and vibrant cultural scene.
What is one piece of advice you wish you were given or known about starting at a new university? Don’t be afraid to ask for help early on and keep an open mind about your path. Transferring to BU was a major transition, especially when it came to navigating my academic and career goals. I initially entered on a pre-med track, but after realizing clinical hospital work wasn’t for me, I discovered a genuine passion for research. Reaching out to professors, peers, and advisors made all the difference in helping me pivot, find clarity, and build my place here.