Start Date in the Lab: 09/02/2025

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🔬 Research Focus 

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I am working on developing novel ways to quantify EMG data and trends within the field of spinal cord injury in rats. I work primarily with MATLAB scripting, to create process workflows that automate data analysis and help the team gain valuable insights into the data.

 

What question or problem are you most excited to answer through your work? I am most excited to answer whether we can overcome the respiratory effects of spinal cord injury, and if we can hopefully help humanity as whole, by gaining knowledge of the human body and its limitations.

 

What techniques or approaches do you use most often? The iterative process is by far my most valuable and used technique. There is no such thing as a perfect workflow, and it is important to understand that there is always room for improvement and modification. Another approach I often use is rubber ducking. Often used in the computer science industry, rubber ducking is simply talking to a rubber duck (or any object) about your code sequentially. It can provide incredibly helpful insights and bug catches. Try it out! Whether you are coding or engaging in other laboratory techniques, rubber ducking can greatly speed up the problem-solving process. 

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💡 Scientific Journey 

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What inspired your interest in neuroscience, physiology, or the study of breathing and spinal cord injury? Coming from an engineering background, I was always fascinated with robotics, and specifically the mathematics behind robotic locomotion. After gaining experience in the field (through college and internships), I became startlingly aware of just how difficult it is to enable bipedal locomotion. This made me appreciate the brilliance and efficiency of human locomotion, while also acknowledging its defects. Appreciation evolved into curiosity, and curiosity evolved into interest!

 

Where did you train or study before joining the Rana Lab? I studied Computer Science and Engineering with a Minor in Mathematics at The Ohio State University. I also worked as a Cybersecurity and Software Engineer at Battelle Memorial Institute for 3 semesters, where I worked on ML models for hardware validation, full-stack applications for Scanning Electron Microscopes, and signal processing for integrated circuit delayering.

 

Was there a key experience, mentor, or project that shaped your path in science? During my time at Battelle, I had the privilege of meeting with Matt Vaugh, VP of Applied Science and Technology. During our lunch he told me, “Nearly everyone is within the same standard deviation of intelligence, imposter syndrome is in your mind, and if you want to be successful, you have to work really [expletive] hard.” That single sentence changed my life and shifted my trajectory from engineering to medicine. 

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🌍 Broader Impact 

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• How do you see your work contributing to improving human health or understanding the nervous system? I see my work enabling labs all over the country to automate EMG detection workflows, helping scientists to focus on the research, saving them countless hours, and giving them more insight into the data they are recording.

 

What part of the Rana Lab’s mission resonates most with you? I want us to achieve and develop new ways to mitigate respiratory insufficiency. At the end of the day, research should always have the end goal of helping humanity, and I am elated to be a part of a lab that keeps that goal at the forefront of our work.

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🧭 Future Goals 

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What are your professional aspirations (short- or long-term)? I am planning on finishing up my degree in Computer Science and Engineering and then applying to medical school. My long-term goal is to become an Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in spinal reconstruction.

 

Are there specific skills or collaborations you hope to build during your time here? I am hoping to learn more about the culture and spirit of research. As someone with an industry background, it is amazing to see the differences and similarities between the two domains. The common denominator, however, is always smart, hard-working people that constantly communicate with each other. I also want to learn more about the processes behind research – how publications are accomplished, and how peer reviews influence next steps.

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🎨 Beyond the Bench 

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What do you enjoy doing outside of the lab? I am a big film nerd, and I also love being in nature/hiking.

 

Favorite hobby, sport, or creative outlet: Lifting weights, weighted calisthenics, and writing poetry.

 

Fun or quirky fact about you your lab mates might not know: I love poetry, and I was named after a mountain in the Himalayas!

 

Favorite brain region (and why, if you’d like!): The Cerebellum! Despite being ancient and part of the hindbrain, I am always amazed at what we as a species can do with it. Next time you watch Ja’Marr Chase make an impossible catch, Karlos Nassar lift an impossible weight, or Simone Biles complete an impossible routine, think about the cerebellum.

 

☕ Quickfire: 

One word that describes your research style: Mathematical.

Favorite lab technique or piece of equipment: Differential AC Amplifier

Coffee order or lab snack of choice: Cold brew black coffee from Brennen’s Café

Current playlist or podcast while analyzing data: At the moment, anything by the band Oasis.

In another life, I’d be a fisherman living in Montana.

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​Best advice you’ve received in science: “If it’s not difficult, you’re doing it wrong.”