Dr. Kristen Cardinal’s Tissue Engineering Lab at Cal Poly develops tissue-engineered vascular models for in vitro medical device testing. The lab’s “blood vessel mimics” (BVMs) are created using electrospun polymer or silicone-based scaffolds seeded with cells and cultivated under flow in a bioreactor system. My role in the lab involves:- Developing BVMs for late stage preclinical testing of endovascular, neurovascular devices (catheters, stents, aneurysm occlusion devices, etc.)- Cell culture of adherent cell types (HUVECs, SMCs, fibroblasts, etc.)- Cell staining (immunostaining, viability assays)- Imaging and analysis (SEM, White Light and Fluorescence Microscopy, ImageJ)- Scaffold material characterization, evaluation, and biocompatibility testing

- Worked on the Sealing Technology Team within T&D Mechanical to develop scripts for the Voyant line of advanced bipolar electrosurgical devices.- Performed a variety of benchtop, ex vivo, and in vivo testing to evaluate seal quality (burst pressure, adhesion, thermal spread, etc) on porcine vessels and tissue. Used ImageJ, Minitab, and Microsoft VBA to collect, sort, and analyze data.- Developed test method to characterize the relationship between pressure, voltage, and temperature for multiple jaw design configurations. Presented findings to senior leadership and team members to aid in future design decisions.- Designed and fabricated test fixtures using Solidworks to improve test reproducibility.

Tutored students in a variety of STEM coursework including physics, anatomy/physiology, fluid mechanics, mechanics of materials, etc.

• Supported Clinical Operations team members in the start-up, maintenance and close-out of clinical studies involving CAR T-cell therapies for cancers including leukemias and lymphomas• Reviewed and participated in the quality assurance of data, documents, and FDA submissions• Specific projects included oversight of study-specific electronic Trial Master File (eTMF)