Developing testing and analytics solutions to validate far-UVC technology for personal infection protection.

Coming soon!

Consultant engineer specializing in mechanical testing, robotics, automation, fluidics, RF systems, circuits, analytical method development, computer vision, machine learning/AI, big data, analysis, and general prototype development. If you have a problem and there is no off-the-shelf solution, that is where I shine.Non-technical areas of expertise include Codes of Federal Regulation for finished pharmaceuticals, biologics, medical devices. I am well versed in ISO 9001 and 13485, as well as GMP and Quality systems more broadly.

Managed ex-vivo and behavioral pre-clinical screening pipelines. Created custom robotic automation platforms for characterizing active muscle properties in ex-vivo and in-vivo pre-clinical screens. Developed custom AI-based approaches to automating histological analyses. Built custom instrumentation and analysis platforms to record levels of voluntary movement in freely moving rodents.Outcomes: Edgewise received a $50 million series-B, and went public ~ 1 year later on the strength of pre-clinical data. I also recently learned that all of the robotic automation and custom instrumentation I created during my time there is still in use with zero issues (~3+ years later).

Robotics and Misc. Engineering: Developed custom robotic treadmill controlled via real-time computer vision based behavioral analysis. Developed a custom high speed (250Hz) color-based 3D multi-camera motion capture system to capture rapid behavioral data in fast-running mice. Developed AI/ML approaches to marker-based and markerless kinematic analyses in rodents. Developed high power implantable optical neural drivers and interfaces capable of microsecond-scale control.Viral Engineering and Intervention Development: Developed novel expression constructs for targeted expression of various DREADDs and Optogenetic tools. Used DREADDs-based approaches to non-invasive spinal cord stimulation and demonstrated enhanced recovery when DREADDs-based modulation was applied post-SCI in a rodent model.Outcomes: Awarded 2 grants with a total value of $1.25 million over 3 years. Submitted an RO1 which was unsuccessful initially, but funded about 6 months after leaving the Spence lab.

Robotics/Controls Engineering: Prototypes and implemented various real-time EMG based controllers in a pneumatic (air-powered) ankle exoskeleton. Developed novel robotic systems to interface with living biological tissue and simulate their in-vivo environment. Developed strategies for artificial open- and closed-loop control of biological muscle via direct nerve interface. Developed a novel musculoskeletal modelling framework that predicted human behavior and adaptation to exoskeleton assistance without human data or the need for optimization routines standard in similar methods.Biological and Clinical: Performed surgical techniques to isolate, instrument, and control skeletal muscle via a direct nerve interface. Worked with stroke survivors to identify effective neural + mechanical controllers for ankle-assist exoskeletons. Routinely ran experiments in gait lab including motion capture, instrumented treadmill, B-mode ultrasound for directly observing muscle-level mechanics, and indirect calorimetry.Misc Projects: Won a small pilot grant to explore the use of focused ultrasound and lipid microspheres for targeted delivery of plasmid expression constructs in the peripheral nerve.Outcomes: PhD completed in 4 years with 5 first-author and 5 middle author publications, first author publication in PNAS, winner of the Journal of Biomechanics award for best paper at ASB 2016.

Engineering: Developed high-throughput automated seizure detection algorithms to identify and quantify seizures from implanted EEG data. Developed novel computer-vision based methods for automating histological analysis of whole-brain cross-sections to assess the extent of TBI.Biological: Performed implantation of multi-electrode EEG arrays (rodents), Executed studies to induce and ameliorate TBI via chemical injury with a focus on repurposing approved drugs for the treatment of closed-head TBI. Behavioral studied in rodents pre- and post-TBI to assess cognitive function.Outcomes: Received further funding from DoD, was middle author on 2 publications.

Developed Hidden Markov Models (a precursor to modern AI) to study the mechanics of viral helicase function in a FRET assay.

Built a robotic swimmer to test control strategies for self propulsion when submerged in a loose granular media. Explored the influence of phase-based control on granular compaction and efficiency of movement, and presented those findings in a talk at the 2006 meeting of the APS.