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Genomics Institute
Undergraduate
Baskin School of Engineering
Applying my experience in biotechnology and robotics to my research at the UCSC Genomics Institute has been my prime focus since graduating from high school. Leveraging the facilities to garner expertise in micro-robot fabrication, photolithography, human and mouse nervous system tissue culture, and electrophysiology is all central to the direction I want to take my career.
As a first-year undergraduate I authored a study in a graduate-level engineering class(ECE 216) exploring the integration of organoid models from skeletal muscle and motor neurons as actuators in a bio-inspired micro-robotic system. Employed elastomers (PDMS) structured similarly to the segmented body of ocean-dwelling arthropods to facilitate modular integration, mimicking biological muscle dynamics. The results demonstrated that specific stimulation patterns of motor neuron organoids could induce controlled muscle contraction with high precision and repeatability, opening new avenues for soft-robotic applications. For the paper, I also demonstrated the effectiveness of the completed actuators with Finite Element Analysis simulations in both MATLAB and COMSOL.
Currently I am working on leveraging electrophysiology protocols relying on multi-electrode arrays connected to brain tissue cultures to stimulate their neural pathways and individual neuronal units. These activity scans differ between tissue type and can be used to generate Machine Learning models to better understand and train neurons in different parts of the brain.Applying my experience in biotechnology and robotics to my research at the UCSC Genomics Institute has been my prime focus since graduating from high school. Leveraging the facilities to garner expertise in micro-robot fabrication, photolithography, human and mouse nervous system tissue culture, and electrophysiology is all central to the direction I want to take my career.
UCSC Genomics Institute focuses on mechanical, electrical and computer engineering applications to bio-molecular engineering, biomechanics, robotics and assistive technology. I have worked extensively on the following: Neural Encoding and Decoding: Organoid controlled Robotics Electrophysiology: Wave Signature and Neural Pathway Training for use in tandem with Machine Learning algorithms." Biohybrid soft robotics: Constructing biocompatible actuators controlled by cultured and differentiated tissues Microfabrication: Photolithography techniques to develop silicon wafers into lab-on-chip devices for Nervous System Tissue Organoids. Tissue Engineering: Brain and Spinal Cord Tissue Culture - Hippocampus, Dorsal/Ventral Thalamus, Cerebellum, Ventral/Medial/Dorsal Cortex, Sensory Neurons, Spinal Cord, Midbrain
Mechanical and Electrical Engineering as well as Robotics and Dynamics.
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