Bioengineer focused on translating research into real-world impact.
With a background in neuroscience and cellular research, I bring a deep understanding of biological systems to my engineering work. This portfolio highlights my projects in hardware and software development, where I focus on creating practical devices that sense, process, and interact with physiological data.
Project Highlights
Key projects in hardware, software, human-centered design, and computational analysis.
Epilog: Rapid EEG Seizure Detection
Developed a portable, Bluetooth-enabled EEG system for the rapid detection of non-convulsive status epilepticus. This project involved hardware prototyping, signal processing, and the implementation of a machine learning model for real-time classification.
Project Team
Rohan Chhaya, Carly Flynn, Jay Xu, Priya Shah
Deliverables & Recognition
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Grantloop: AI Grant Writing Assistant
Serve as a design advisor for Grantloop, an AI startup that helps organizations streamline their grant application process. I provide guidance on user experience and human-centered design to help make their powerful platform intuitive and effective.
Deliverables & Recognition
Flexi-Sketch: Assistive Writing Device
Designed and implemented a user-centric device aimed at enhancing writing ability in individuals with motor disabilities. The integrated prosthetic system wirelessly receives EMG data and controls motors using a Raspberry Pi.
Project Team
Carly Flynn, Priya Shah, Kalen Troung
Deliverables & Recognition
Human-Cockroach Machine Interface: The Roachmobile
Engineered a closed-loop system to control an invertebrate's motor prosthetic using real-time human physiological data. This research explored sensor fusion and the practical application of BCI principles for external device control.
Project Team
Isaac Kim, Karan Shah, Chaitanya Karimanasseri
Deliverables & Recognition
Neural Engram Decoder
Designed an algorithm in MATLAB and Python to decode memory engrams from noisy neuronal firing data. Implemented binarization, signal averaging, and a modular arithmetic-based approach to account for misfires and variable-length signals, successfully identifying words and phrases from raw firing patterns.
Project Team
Isaac Kim, Karan Shah, Chaitanya Karimanasseri
Decoding Finger Movement from ECoG Signals
Developed a machine learning pipeline to predict individual finger movements from ECoG brain signals. The algorithm uses custom filtering and a moving-window technique to extract time and frequency-domain features, which are then fed into an XGBoost model. Post-processing with cubic spline interpolation and low-pass filtering refines the model's output for smooth, realistic predictions.
Project Team
Nova Meng, Pavan Raghupathy
Deliverables & Recognition
Blood Glucose Control System for Nocturnal Hypoglycemia
Engineered a closed-loop control system in MATLAB to prevent nocturnal hypoglycemia in diabetic patients. This system uses a Proportional-Derivative (PD) controller to regulate blood glucose levels based on a target concentration. By applying Laplace transforms to model patient physiology, the system demonstrates stable and adaptive glucose delivery for a variety of simulated patient conditions.
Project Team
Rohan Chhaya, Victoria Curry, Kalen Truong
Deliverables & Recognition
Lyrical Diversity Across Time
Co-developed a project to analyze the lyrical diversity of popular music over the past four decades. The process involved web-scraping lyrics for ~160 songs across Rock, Pop, Rap, and Country genres, followed by a cosine similarity analysis to measure homogeneity within each genre and decade.
Project Team
John M. Guirguis
Publications & Posters
Subconcussive preconditioning prevents microglial morphology changes and improves cognitive outcomes in mice
bioRxiv, Preprint (2024)
Investigated how subconcussive impacts can offer time-dependent cognitive protection against concussion, potentially by mitigating changes in microglial morphology.
Regulation of BACE1 expression after injury is linked to the p75 neurotrophin receptor
Journal of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience (2019)
This study identified a novel pathological link, showing that the injury-induced p75 receptor drives the upregulation of the BACE1 enzyme at a transcriptional level.
Engineering ICAM-1 Specific CAR T Cells Secreting BiTEs Against Gastric Cancer
Memorial Sloan Kettering Engineering Summer Program (2022)
Developed a novel immunotherapy approach combining CAR T-cells with secreted BiTEs to target ICAM-1 positive gastric cancer, aiming to overcome common barriers in treating solid tumors.
About Me
Hello! I'm Elena, a bioengineer and designer driven by a fundamental curiosity about how things workâfrom the cellular level to complex human-machine systems. My education at the University of Pennsylvania, where I blended bioengineering with computer science and fine arts, taught me that the most powerful solutions emerge from interdisciplinary thinking. I believe that the best technology feels intuitive and deeply human. Whether I'm prototyping a new medical device, analyzing biological data, or even sketching in my notebook, my goal is the same: to translate complex challenges into elegant and impactful solutions. I'm passionate about building technologies that enhance human health and am always eager to connect with others who share this vision. Let's build something amazing together.
Core Skills
- Software & Analysis: Python (NumPy, Scikit-learn), MATLAB, Java, OCaml
- Hardware & Prototyping: Circuit Design, Solidworks, Rapid-Prototyping, Arduino
- Laboratory & Preclinical: Histology, PCR, ELISA, Flow Cytometry, Stereotaxic Injections, Confocal Microscopy, Mouse Behavioral Analysis
- Languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish