Christopher Alba

RET Christopher Alba Santana, physics teacher at Revere High School, has participated in multiple summer research programs at BU Photonics:

Chris conducted laboratory research in 2021, 2023, and 2024 with Professors Will Boley, Tommaso Ranzani, and Tom Bifano (described below).
A committed and passionate STEM educator, Chris was tapped to manage summer research programs for first year undergraduates in summers 2022 and 2025.

Chris believes that doing research helps him stay informed and connected with current science and helps him better prepare his students to become scientists and engineers.

Summer 2025 Program Coordinator

Chris managed the CELL-MET Undergraduate Research Mentorship Program, providing skills training and professional development for a cohort of seven first generation BU students.

Summer 2024 RET

In the Summer of 2024, Chris worked in the Bifano Lab with PI Thomas Bifano and Graduate Mentor Francisco Sanchez on the project “High Throughput Calcium Imaging for Beating Heart Tissue Characterization.” Chris collaborated with REU Sebastian Martinez to build a microscope system to manage high throughput constraints. The microscope will eventually be able to distinguish between healthy and diseased heart cells.

Summer 2023 RET

In summer 2023, Christopher worked with Professor Tom Ranzani and Graduate Mentor Jacob Rogatinsky in the Ranzani Lab. He assisted with development of a multifunctional robotic platform for beating heart surgery. Chris assisted in redesigning and fabricating the platform’s stabilization component as well as testing the device’s mechanical and functional properties.

Summer 2022 Program Coordinator

Chris led BU’s Explorations in Science and Engineering program, helping prepare five Class of 2022 Boston Public School graduates for undergraduate programs in STEM. Chris managed the students’ hands on technical training in photolithography, 3-D printing, and electronics. Technical training was complemented by workshops in science communication, research, and data analysis. Participants gained practical foundational knowledge to help prepare them for undergraduate STEM programs.

Summer 2021 RET

Name? Teaching? Lab?

Christopher Alba is a physics teacher at Revere High School working in Will Boley’s lab.

Advice for future RETs?

Christopher says that future RETs shouldn’t worry if their lab is not related to a teacher’s personal area of expertise, since mentors are helpful. Often times, he would break down the lab’s larger idea and focus on how his contribution would help the larger goal.