Nicholas Watkins Email and Phone Number

● Worked in Detector Design and Testing Group in a fast-paced start-up company that was         developing an electrical gene-sequencing platform for rapid, early, and inexpensive disease         detection via de novo assembly of whole genome sequences.     ● Responsible for self-driven basic/applied research and advanced development projects to         improve the Bio-MEMS/NEMS detector core of the DNA sequencing platform, which includes         collaboration with biochemistry, solid-state fabrication, sequencing algorithm, and system         development groups.     ● Improved efficiency and efficacy of detector chips’ DNA processing to improve gene                 sequencing through literature review, theory, electrical/electrochemical/fluidic modeling, CAD         design, and experimental verification. Specific examples:        ➤ Delivered longer (> 100 kbp) DNA fragments to nanochannel sense region via different            microchannel stretching obstacles, fluid fields, electric fields, and surface chemistries.        ➤ Increased signal-to-noise ratio of electrical DNA signature and improved electrical            bandwidth/spatial resolution of nanochannel sense region via sense electrode and            nanochannel design.        ➤ Raised DNA fragment throughput via multiple nanochannel sensors per chip and provided            better interface between macrofluidics of system and microfluidics of detector chip.

● Worked in Prof. Rashid Bashir's highly interdisciplinary Bio-MEMS Group with lab-on-a-chip         thrust.     ● Continued working on HIV/AIDS point-of-care diagnostics.

● Worked in Prof. Rashid Bashir's highly interdisciplinary Bio-MEMS Group with lab-on-a-chip         thrust.     ● Conceptualized, fabricated and tested a one-time-use microfluidic electrical cell counter with         3-dimensional hydrodynamic focusing for portable blood diagnostics using FLUENT         simulations for design considerations and standard semiconductor microfabrication         procedures.      ● Created a second stage of the electrical cell counter to selectively enumerate CD4+         T-lymphocytes from white blood cell populations as a proof of concept for portable,         one-time-use HIV/AIDS diagnostics.     ● Developed a final sample preparation stage of the cell counter to create an integrated point-        of-care chip that would rapidly (< 20 minutes) and accurately count CD4+ and CD8+ T cells for a wide range of T cell concentrations (40 to 1,000 cells per µL) from drop-sized (10 µL volume) human blood samples.

● Taught all lab sections (24 total students) fundamental concepts of designing experiments for         sensing various stimuli (e.g., optical, wireless, thermal, proximity, acceleration) for ECE 437:         Sensors and Instrumentation Laboratory.     ● Arranged and maintained each lab session (9 total during the semester) and taught         graduate/undergraduate students the fundamentals of the LabVIEW programming language         and its practical use with sensors.     ● Helped students troubleshoot problems during lab and office hours and provided constructive feedback through grading lab reports.

● Worked in Prof. Rashid Bashir's highly interdisciplinary Bio-MEMS Group with lab-on-a-chip         thrust.     ● Followed adviser to finish Ph.D. at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

● Worked with Dr. Reginald Beer in the highly interdisciplinary Chemical and Biological         Countermeasures Division in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security         Fellowship.     ● Assembled and tested an automated microfluidics system that detected the presence of the         MS2 bacteriophage using microscale reactors in monodisperse microdroplets.