Engineering: Yeidi Yuja '25
Major(s) and minor(s)
B.S. in Biomedical Engineering
Minors in Optics, Digital Media Studies
Pronouns
She/Her
Hometown
San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Areas of interest/focus in research
Medical optics, Phantom tissue modeling, Ultrasound and photoacousic imaging, 3D modeling and printing, circuit design
Labs / departments / offsite programs where research was conducted
Photoacoustic and Ultrasonic Research & Engineering (PURE) Laboratory, URMC, Department of Imaging Science, under Dr. Mehrmohammadi
About me...
I am an international student from Honduras, majoring in Biomedical Engineering in the medical optics track. I decided to minor in optics because I found my a microscopy class (BME 270), and I added a digital media studies minor because I've always loved creating and doing art. Currently, I am planning to apply to grad schools to do a PhD in BME or ECE.
How has your experience as a researcher influenced your career objectives?
I've realized there is a lot more to research that I had originally thought of! It is a very open-ended field and you have a lot of freedom in experimental decisions (especially in an engineering-based lab/project). I've been able to delve into several skills such as 3D printing, writing scripts in MATLAB to process data or automate data collection, using new tools such as a thermal analyzer and more. With my new project, it was up to me to read literature and make decisions on how to conduct our experiments, analyze the data and present it.
Over time I've realized anyone can do research as long as you have an open mind and understand you will get stuck at times. Over the past year, I've become confident in my skills as a researcher, and would like to pursue a PhD.
Campus organizations, programs, activities, clubs, awards/distinctions
On campus, I am currently the president of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), which prepares students through workshops, networking, and professional events. Every year we attend the SHPE National convention in which students attend company talks, events and job fairs. My hope is to prepare students as much as possible to help them in the professional world.
I also love to TA, and have been a teaching assistant for CHEM 132, BME 210 & SART/BME 134. My favorite class so far has been SART/BME 134 which I TAing Fall 2024. The class 'Material Matters' seeks to explore the intersection between engineering and art, how processes between artists and engineers overlap, and how they can inform each other. It is a hands on class with a lot of practical experience including CAD, Arduino, woodworking, etc.
Research wise, I've been in my lab for over a year now and have been accepted to present my research at the national BMES conference. I was also awarded best undergraduate poster at the 2023 RCBU Biomedical Ultrasound Symposium. The Discover Grant allowed me to keep working on my research over the summer (2024) which I am currently working to publish in a journal!
In the past I was also part of the Varsity Track and Field team, the Creative Arts Club, and worked as a resident assistant.
Fun Fact: when I'm not doing research you can usually find me...
running, drawing, painting, or playing soccer with friends!
Areas where I may be particularly helpful
- Interviews
- Preparing Discover grant applications
- Finding potential labs
- Cold-emailing professors
- General lab/research advice
What advice do you have for prospective or new researchers?
PIs are understanding of your background and don't expect you to know everything! Be open to learning and ask questions. The biggest thing I learnt though is that research is often self-guided and exploratory, so don't be scared to seek your own answers, try things out and get feedback.
Email me at: yyujavaq@u.rochester.edu