Research, building, and the environments behind both.
environment → role → contribution
Undergraduate Researcher
UIUC · under Prof. Shuming Nie and Viktor Gruev
XR imaging and biosensors for image-guided tumor surgery.
Built core Unity functionality for Meta Quest 3, supported NIR phantom testing, and set up shared GitHub development infrastructure.
Learned to design for calibration, latency, and surgical constraints — not demo conditions.
Founder & Full-Stack Developer
Urbana, IL
AI matching that helps undergraduates find relevant research labs.
Built and shipped the platform with a team; standardized 2,000+ faculty profiles across 28 departments and reached 1,000+ users.
Taught me to own the full loop: user need, data quality, interface, outreach, and retention.
Research Intern
under Prof. Yifei Yao
Biomaterials research for intestinal repair.
Designed a two-layer bio-adhesive bandage and ran in vitro adhesion, friction, and acid/base tests.
Made research tangible: materials fail, controls matter, and iteration is the work.
CS + Bioengineering student
James Scholar Honors · Cancer Scholar
The academic base for computing, bioengineering, and self-directed research.
Built a foundation across CS and bioengineering while joining the James Scholar Honors and Cancer Scholar programs.
Confirmed that the strongest questions sit between engineering depth and biomedical context.