This project, Characterization of Intrinsic Visual Biases in Arm Position Estimation, examines how visual information influences the brain’s estimate of arm position during movement planning under changing visual conditions. Using the KINARM End-Point robotic system, participants performed center-out reaching tasks while a visual hand cue was systematically shifted across multiple magnitudes. By analyzing movement errors…

This project aims to provide insights into how humans perform dexterous manipulation by simultaneously preventing object slip and control object pose (position and orientation). We pursued this aim by asking subjects to lift an object with different masses or mass distribution. In our project, we used a force decomposition technique to separate grasp from manipulation…

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disease in which CD45 immune cells destroy the insulin-secreting beta cells of the pancreatic islets, leading to loss of glucose homeostasis. This project investigates whether mated female NOD mice have delayed T1D and also if subcutaneously transplanted JAR placental trophoblast cells, encapsulated in alginate hydrogel spirals, can…

This project investigated the feasibility of fabricating miniaturized implantable duckbill valves for hydrocephalus treatment using cleanroom-free methods and alternative elastomeric materials. A benchtop pressure flow testing system was developed and validated to characterize valve performance. While functional valves were not successfully fabricated outside of cleanroom conditions, the study identified key limitations in material compatibility and…

One-way duckbilled valves acting as artificial arachnoid granulations (aAGs) serve as a promising alternative to existing shunt systems utilized in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage for hydrocephalus. Video analysis was utilized to measure the valve opening’s maximum deformation under a range of different flow rates and fluids/viscosities and ensure that its dimensions remain within acceptable limits….

This project investigates how short-term variations in exercise intensity influence sleep quality and heart rate variability (HRV) using wearable technology. Participants followed a structured ten-day protocol with alternating-day cardiovascular exercise while continuously wearing a device to collect physiological data. By combining wearable-derived metrics with daily sleep surveys, the study evaluates how exercise duration and intensity…

This project focused on predicting grasp force (FG) and manipulation force (FM) from high-density EMG signalsrecorded during dexterous object manipulation tasks. A condition-wise CNN-LSTM framework was used to model the relationship between multi-channel EMG input and force output, supported by preprocessing steps such as bad-channel correction, interpolation, and down-sampling. The results showed that the model…

This project provides hands-on research experience while supporting the development of a skin-on-a-chip device in the Nikkhah Lab. The work involves collaborating with a PhD student to 3D print, assemble, and test prototype designs while learning the scientific background behind the model. It will also include the use of simulation tools to analyze and better…

Pediatric medical devices are often adapted from adult designs, leading to inefficiencies in clinical procedures. This project analyzes workflow challenges in pediatric settings by measuring device changes, manual corrections, and procedure time during clinical immersion at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. The results highlight how non-pediatric-specific devices increase clinician workload and identify opportunities for improved device design….

This project focuses on improving the efficiency of Deuterium Chemical Shift Imaging (CSI) by optimizing k-space undersampling strategies and reconstruction performance. Undersampling mask strategies including pseudorandom, a priori (FLASH, T1W, T2W), and a central weighted variable density mask were evaluated across multiple acceleration factors. Reconstruction accuracy was quantified using normalized Root Mean Square Error (NRMSE)…