Link to a cool project:

I came together with 34 other students to build a fully-functioning brain controlled wheelchair primarily aimed to help patients with paralysis from the neck-down. It was amazing to see our project come to life within only a month and a half! Here’s links to the video we made as well as our research paper:

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_46AoSnHCRo&feature=emb_title

Research paper: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8914544

 

Why did you choose to study in a STEM-related field?

Science and technology are behind all the driving forces of innovation in our society, and are really a part of everything in our everyday lives. There is so much potential in improving lives and solving many of the issues and global concerns we experience today with STEM fields. From sustainability to medicine, the possibilities of STEM applications are endless. 

I see a news article about the climbing number of deaths in my city from the coronavirus. I get a notification that my close friend lost both of her legs in a car accident. I hear confessions of depression and anxiety from how ineffective the wellness center is at our school. These are some of the things I’ve personally seen, and are among the many types of things we all see almost every day. The thing that all of these have in common is that it can be solved or improved with STEM. Creating a vaccine, developing low-cost yet failsafe integrative sensor technology that’s accessible to all consumers for all vehicles, creating lifelike mind-control prosthetics based on motor input that allows for precise limb movement just as if the limbs were never lost, and creating a more effective queue system for the wellness center that streamlines the booking process through a web app or mobile app are all ways in which STEM can solve and improve those specific scenarios. STEM applications are only limited to one’s imagination and motivation, and it’s deeply inspiring to pursue a field with so much potential.

While most of the examples I mentioned above are already in the works with teams of scientists and engineers as I’m typing this, I can’t help but feel driven to use my education to make a difference when I see all the ways I could make an impact on other people’s lives with STEM. My main focus has always been to make a great, and meaningful difference in others’ lives, and as soon as I saw how STEM could play a role in that, choosing to study in STEM fields was a no-brainer for me. 

How do you plan on using your science, engineering, or STEM background to make the world a better place?

I want to use my background in computer science and biology to focus on making a difference in medical applications. I want to bridge the gap between the physical sciences and the life sciences; from 3D protein modeling to using machine learning to discover new effective antibiotics, there are so many computer science applications in biology that can exponentially increase the number of ways and people that we can help. I’m currently focusing on machine learning and neural networks in the computer science portion of my studies, and focusing on neurobiology in the biology component. I plan on making my impact in mental health: In 2017, it was estimated that 792 million people (about 1 in every 10 people) globally suffered from a mental health disorder. Lots of times, those suffering from mental health disorders aren’t taken seriously and for various reasons don’t end up getting the treatment they need as early as they should have. Mental health disorders not only affect one’s life experience, but they can also affect physical health, as well as others who have close relationships with them. I can directly relate, as I’ve had a friend who attempted to take her own life after suffering from depression. We both couldn’t be more thankful today that it wasn’t successful, but it’s always a sharp reminder of how real the issue is, and how it's more common than a lot of people realize. There are many ways in which machine learning can be applied to mental health, such as detection and diagnosis, treatment, support, research, and clinical administration. For example, machine learning algorithms could be trained to determine key behavioral biomarkers to help detect risks for certain disorders. I’m incredibly excited and privileged to be studying in two fields that can merge to make big innovations in health and medicine, and I’m motivated every day to continue building towards a career where I can use my skills and knowledge to help as many people as I can.