I was nominated and selected to join the NIH-funded U-Rise Program at Marquette for demonstrated excellence in research and innovation. I am working with Dr. Beardsley and Dr. Voglewede to create a lower-limb prosthesis that restores normal gait to amputees.I am training and implementing machine learning models in the Marquette II active-powered prosthesis to predict ankle dynamics and maximize prosthesis quality while minimizing user fatigue and discomfort.To optimize the hardware, I am selecting and integrating EMG sensors, accelerometers, and optical encoders with a microcontroller that controls the prosthesis's impedance and stiffness for a safer and more natural mechanical design. My role is preparing me to excel at electrical and mechanical design and software integration, developing a well-rounded skillset that can be leveraged in many applications of medical technology.

I am a member of the Integrative Neural Systems Laboratory at Marquette, studying functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a neuroimaging technique that locates neurological activity. I work under the mentorship of Dr. Scott Beardsley, Marquette Biomedical Engineering's Director of Undergraduate Studies. My work aims to improve the accuracy of fNIRS measurements by using machine learning and signal processing to enhance noise removal techniques.I have found that scalp blood flow, a major contributor to fNIRS noise, varies with space and frequency. I used advanced signal processing techniques, including the Fast Fourier Transform and finite impulse response filters, to demonstrate that scalp signals with different physiologic origins have different spatial patterns. I proposed k-means clustering as a novel tool for analyzing these patterns based on frequency-dependent phase angles. This revealed three distinct patterns of scalp blood flow: left hemisphere, right hemisphere, and occipital, suggesting that these 3 regions must be independently captured to remove noise in fNIRS measurements.Finally, I developed a neural network to detect synthetic patterns of hemodynamic activity with physiologic noise as an alternative to a typical General Linear Model.

I worked full-time in the laboratory of Dr. Seth Tomchik at the University of Iowa's Carver College of Medicine (CCOM) while gaining clinical skills with the CCOM Medical-Scientist Training Program (MSTP).My work in the Tomchik Lab studied the role of dopaminergic circuits in learning and memory in Drosophila Melanogaster (fruit flies). The goal of my project was to determine if a group of neurons (PPL2) impacts how aroused flies are in response to environmental stimuli.I proposed the hardware and software for a custom experimental assay that quantifies a fruit fly's stimulus threshold to improve the inefficiencies of previous technology. I designed and 3D printed a custom testing chamber where flies would receive air puffs and their locomotor activity would be tracked as a measure of arousal. This was 3-D printed to facilitate uniform airflow and reproducibility for the lab. I also developed an automated motion-tracking analysis pipeline using a custom-trained DeepLabCut Neural Network with Python and Batch Scripting. This minimized time spent on analysis and ensured accurate results.A fly was considered aroused based on significant increases in locomotor activity in response to stimuli. My results showed that activating PPL2 neurons with genetic drivers did not appear to modulate the arousal threshold of fruit flies, though this should be further investigated.In addition to research, I shadowed 3 physicians at the University of Iowa Hospital and participated in many clinical skills workshops, including patient communication, collecting vitals, and clinical case studies.

As President of BMES, my goal was to maximize opportunities for student growth in our general body through industry engagement, technical projects, and volunteering.BMES grew from 31 to 73 members across all activities under my tenure, as I was responsible for the oversight of all club activities and executive board members. Our chapter became Nationally Recognized for the first time as I spearheaded the completion of a comprehensive Chapter Development Report (CDR) prior to our inaugural Annual Conference Attendance.I also managed our first official networking event with 6 representative companies including GE Healthcare, Epic Systems, and Milwaukee Tool for students' professional development and engagement.I launched multiple projects, including an initiative to build a brain-computer interface that controls a toy car, a motion-controlled robotic arm, and a team in the Medtronic Student Design Competition, to facilitate the growth of technical skills among our members. The opportunity to serve as BMES's President taught me the importance of collaboration and inspiration when working with teams as I became a more organized and deliberate leader.

I launched a cross-functional team of mechanical, electrical, and computer engineers to design a motion-controlled robotic arm through Marquette BMES. I supported student-ran teams by setting the strategic vision and goals of the project, organizing meetings, and coordinating collaborations with faculty mentors. My role combined technical expertise in robotics, motion analysis, and electrical control with leadership and teamwork to successfully design a robotic arm.In addition to overseeing and mentoring project leaders, I developed and implemented Python, MATLAB, and Arduino programming curricula to introduce students to real-time motion capture, inverse kinematics, and servo motor control using a microcontroller. I also used my skills in software development to streamline the arm design process by automating calculations for material selection, such as torque and flexural stress.Our robotic arm has been developed and will be used in BMES's community outreach program in the Fall of 2025 and beyond.

I was invited to join Marquette University's Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) as Vice President during my Freshman Year. My primary goals were to increase student engagement and assist executive board members with tasks. During this period, our chapter was awarded the Reverend Robert A. Wild, S.J. Spirit of Marquette Award for an organization that demonstrates a commitment to service and leadership in the Greater Milwaukee Community.In my role, I enhanced our community outreach program by proposing and implementing a new design for a bluetooth chip on an Arduino Uno Board for a muscle-activated toy car. I also launched and led a project to develop a motion-controlled robotic arm. I had the opportunity to instruct a team of 4 high schoolers in modifying 20 toys for children with motor and cognitive disabilities during Penfield Children’s Center Toy Build Day.I led BMES's presence at recruitment events with Marquette's College of Engineering and showcased BMES's DIY ECG device to incoming freshman and their families. These efforts taught me the importance of developing meaningful connections with peers, as multiple students I met went on to join BMES when starting at Marquette.

I was selected as a summer intern at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) after my freshman year, where I used MRI to study post-stroke brain atrophy and cognitive decline. I was mentored by Dr. Kyle Kern, Dr. Clinton Wright, Dr. Richard Leigh, and Dr. Rebecca Gottesman at the NINDS Stroke Branch.I automated and evaluated MRI segmentations of over 420 hippocampi with Unix and Bash scripting. This data was exported to Stata Software where I performed 3 statistical analyses: baseline analysis, longitudinal analysis, and trajectory analysis. The goal of my trajectory analysis was to determine if brain atrophy was associated with cognitive decline, though typical software packages were not available. I designed a novel summary score 'Residual Hippocampal Fraction' that solved this problem and enabled me to perform a trajectory analysis with mixed effects linear regression. My work identified hippocampal atrophy as a potential mechanism of post-stroke cognitive decline. I surprisingly found that hippocampal atrophy was greater in the hemisphere opposite to the stroke, contrary to my initial hypothesis.In addition to my primary project, I leveraged my programming experience to integrate 10 MATLAB scripts for perivascular space (PVS) segmentation in white matter lesions, improving the current technology.I was awarded a 2023 NINDS Exceptional Summer Student for my work and presented it at the 2023 BMES Annual Meeting.

I coordinated with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and CT technicians to schedule patient appointments, collaborated with insurance companies to obtain patient authorization, and tracked patient history with Microsoft Excel

This was a year-long group research project conducted with mentors at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and Argonne National Laboratory. My team explored the efficacy of iron doping in gallium (III) oxide as an anode in conversion-type rechargeable batteries. I helped synthesize battery materials by ball milling and annealing gallium and iron powder and plating them with a carbon slurry on copper foil. These samples were analyzed using X-ray diffraction to confirm the desired crystalline structure. Battery samples were cycled and their performance was analyzed before determining chemical changes to the material's structure using X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy on sector at Argonne National Laboratories Advanced Photon Source (APS).I presented this work at the Annual APS Users Meeting.

I underwent an independent research project under the supervision of a science faculty advisor. I explored the lethal dosage of ammonium phosphate in Genovese basil plantsI attempted to determine the maximum tolerance of Genovese basil plants to ammonium phosphate concentrated in water.I was able to experience the scientific method and learn about the importance of failure and mistakes in research projects.