Biology
Animal studies
As part of my job at Veranex, I planned and executed studies on anesthetized pigs. The purpose of these studies was to collect data on medical device prototypes in a more realistic scenario than we could simulate in the lab. Photo at right is from one of these animal studies.
Brain Models
I tried making models of the human brain that were both anatomically and tactilely accurate, as part of a class project in college. Getting anatomical accuracy was pretty easy - I used open-source MRI images to create stl files of the two hemispheres of the brain. I 3D printed the two hemispheres in white matter and grey matter (since the two brain regions are different consistencies). I then applied around a dozen layers of liquid latex to the prints until I had a mold I could work with.
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Achieving the correct consistency, or stiffness, was trickier. I made many concentrations of gelatin, which approached the stiffness of brain. I found that the closer I got to brain stiffness (or lack thereof), the harder it was to remove the gelatin from the latex mold.
Photos of the process are at right, the full write-up is below.
Iron and Ferritin
I've been a competitive middle distance runner for many years. During high school, I found out that I was deficient in iron and ferritin so I started learning about how they affect running performance and how I could increase my levels. I wrote an article describing my experience for the national running website Milesplit.com.