CHOP Mentor(s):
Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Student (Summer 2021)
"During my summer at CIRP, I was exposed to brand new experiences. Thanks to the mentorship of Valentina Graci, PhD and Madeline Griffith, MS, I worked on a project that investigated two countermeasures to ensure a person is in the proper position during a motor vehicle crash -- one being an acoustic startling pre-stimulus (ASPS) and a pre-pretensioner which is a part of the seat belt that can pull the subject back into the seat.
My work focused on the muscle activation of the subject during a simulated low acceleration frontal impact that incorporated these countermeasures. While processing the EMG data, I had to ensure the final result corresponded with the initial raw data. This allowed me to do an in-depth analysis and becoming very familiar with the data and with the functions I need to use on MATLAB. For this project, I was able to be part of the process from start to finish from recruiting human subjects for the study, to data collection, and to analyzing the EMG results.
Although my focus was processing the EMG data, I also worked on motion capture analysis and physically taking apart and reconstructing the sled used in the project in order to set it up for another study. Additionally, in the sled lab, I helped with testing a new sled that is being developed by the SLATE+ team.
Currently, I am entering my senior year at Rice University in Houston, Texas, where I have been doing tissue engineering research for almost three years. Working at CIRP allowed me to expand my interests outside of tissue engineering and further confirm my passion for research. With the knowledge and mentorship I gained at CIRP, I am ready to move forward in my career and work toward my PhD in Bioengineering."