Resume

Education

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University of California, Irvine

2024 - Present
Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering
Gpa: 3.9/4.0

Relevant Courses:

• Applied Engineering Math I & II
• Organ Transport Systems
• Bias in Cardiovascular Devices

Swarthmore College

2019 - 2023
Bachelor of Science in Engineering and Minor in Philosophy
Gpa: 3.8/4.0

Relevant Courses:

• Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing
• Electric Circuit Applications
• Linear Physical Systems
• Mobile Robotics
• Numerical Methods for Engineering Applications

Tufts University

Spring 2022
Domestic Exchange Program

Relevant Courses:

• Data Structures
• Principles of Medical Imaging
• Fundamentals of Nanofabrication

Publications

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Y. Hu*, R. Mendoza*, M. Nguyen*, A. Olsen*, J. Weng Zhu*, and V. Ganapati, "Self-Supervised Approach to Joint Imaging Inverse Problems." Optica Publishing Group, 2023.

R. Mendoza*, M. Nguyen*, J. Weng Zhu*, V. Dumont, T. Perciano, J. Mueller, and V. Ganapati. "A Self-Supervised Approach to Reconstruction in Sparse X-Ray Computed Tomography". NeurIPS, 2022.

* Equal contribution

Experience

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Technical Developer

05/2023 – 09/2024
Public Invention

1. Global Open Source Quality Assurance System Project

• Built an open source website to trace provenance to promote trust in open source medical devices
• Designed hierarchical container tagging to track large quantities of devices with JavaScript
• Collaborated with graphical designers to create accessible and responsive user interfaces with Vue
• Provided technical support and responded to reported issues on GitHub to improve user experience

2. Intubation Simulation Project

• Developed a Typescript simulation visualizing the intubation process given different starting positions based on the tube’s yaw and roll
• Created different simulation models, such as location of glottis and distance between upper teeth and lower teeth, based on the geometry of 32 patients

3. VentOS API Project

• Revitalized an open-source application programming interface (API) simulating human respiratory system under different human characteristics and disease conditions
• Computed mathematical model of respiratory flow using ventilator pressure, respiratory resistance, and lung compliance and code model on Python

Research Affiliate

06/2022 – 08/2022
Center of Computational Sciences and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

• Developed a self-supervised probabilistic deep learning technique for image reconstruction in computed tomography to allow visualization of fragile samples
• Reconstructed sparse real-world data using a traditional algorithm, Fourier grid reconstruction, to compare it to reconstructions from our algorithm
• Presented findings at Swarthmore College as part of Sigma Xi Chapter

Summer Student Researcher

05/2021 – 08/2021
Department of Engineering, Swarthmore College

• Created a procedure to design and produce clothes more efficiently and easily customizable
• Coded a Python program using Autodesk Fusion360 API to generate clothing patterns given user’s body measurements
• Laser cut and sewed clothing patterns designed from the coded program
• Recorded a video report presenting research work to the Panaphil Foundation

Digital Platform Design Intern

05/2020 - 08/2020
Fundacion Saltamontes Network

• Brainstormed and designed Saltamontes’ social networking digital platform
• Educated and translated lessons about Colombia’s historical conflict with guerrilla groups and the peace process
• Led and spoke at a workshop on immigration and diversity in Colombia

Venture Capital Extern

May 2020-July 2020
RallyCry Ventures

• Researched startup metrics, industry data, founder backgrounds, strategy, and market for potential startup prospects
• Sourced more than 650 startups and evaluated more than 30 startups
• Identified potential targets for deal sourcing and pitched targets to RallyCry
• Ranked among Top 3 externs in the leaderboard and earned outstanding completion

Research Intern

05/2019 – 08/2019
Laboratory For Intelligent Imaging and Neural Computing, Columbia University, New York, NY

• Investigated how latency and shape of P300 evoked response varied as a function of locking electroencephalogram (EEG) data to target image presented in virtual reality, the target-saccade intersection, and first fixation on target
• Collected EEG data from 64 Ag/AgCl scalp electrodes and gaze information from an eye tracker
• Coded program to calculate and plot change percentage of pupil diameter over time
• Presented findings at Summer Science Symposium for NOAA-CREST

Leadership

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Co-President

09/2021 – 05/2023
Society of Womxn Engineers at Swarthmore College

• Reactivated club, wrote organizational charter document detailing club’s mission and structure, annual events, and expected expenses
• Organized trips, for groups of around 10 students, to conferences focused on empowering women engineers
• Oversaw all club activities and meetings, and recruited new members
• Hosted monthly community-building events, such as study breaks and workshops on how to use tools for digital and mechanical fabrication

Treasurer

01/2020 – 05/2023
Underrepresented Students in STEM (US in STEM) at Swarthmore College

• Provided resources for students to pursue and thrive in STEM careers and amplify voices of underrepresented students at Swarthmore College
• Managed budget of ~$10,000 for 2022-23 and document transactions of purchases for club operations