Experience

TRIUMF

• Canada
• Research Services
• 400 - 500 Employee

• Mechanic engineer in training

  • Dec 2022 - Present



The University of British Columbia

• Canada
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• MASc Student

  • Sep 2019 - Jul 2022

  My resarch is centered around modeling bioadhesion in climbing animals and cells.At the animal/macro scale, I develop mechanistic models to study limitations in the design space of bioinspired adhesives. My models provide designers of these devices with tools to better optimize their product. (A. Kong, M. Bacca, A self-adhesion condition for slanted micropillars, Submitted to Extreme Mechanics Letters)At the cellular/micro scale, I am developing an energetic, thermodynamically consistent, model to study the effets of ATP depletion on cell contractility. We are collaborating with biologists at BCCRA, who provide us with cell images which I process using a custom framework built around ImageJ and MATALB.(A.Kong, D. Yapp, A. Pallaoro, M. Bacca, The effects of ATP levels on U87 Glioblastoma contractility, In Prep.) Show less

• Teaching Assistant

  • Sep 2020 - Dec 2020

  I TA-ed for two undergraduate courses: MECH 485 - Aircraft Structures and MECH 329: Materials for Mechanical Design. In these courses I was responsible for reviewing/preparing and marking assignments and exams, as well as holding office hours to help students through course concepts.



Frontiers in Biophysics 2020/2021

• Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

• Conference Organizer

  • Jan 2021 - Jul 2021

  I led a team of UBC graduate students in organizing a virtual biophysics conference. My role involve scheduling the conference, securing sponsors, managing our finances, and producing marketing material for the conference. Our website: https://frontiers-in-biophysics-2020.mailchimpsites.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwP6RGJhiLxWdDefTr11RGA I led a team of UBC graduate students in organizing a virtual biophysics conference. My role involve scheduling the conference, securing sponsors, managing our finances, and producing marketing material for the conference. Our website: https://frontiers-in-biophysics-2020.mailchimpsites.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwP6RGJhiLxWdDefTr11RGA



TRIUMF

• Canada
• Research Services
• 400 - 500 Employee

• SRF Co-op

  • Jan 2018 - Aug 2018

  In this position, I managed a vacuum furnace for heat treating superconducting cavities. Additionally, I developed processing assemblies for the cavities in SolidWorks and prepared assembly/part drawings for manufacture, incorporating GD&T. Triumf manages their drawings in PDM. I performed Flow simulations to inform the design of an acid etching assembly I designed and compared etch depth results with velocity distributions, finding good agreement. In this position, I managed a vacuum furnace for heat treating superconducting cavities. Additionally, I developed processing assemblies for the cavities in SolidWorks and prepared assembly/part drawings for manufacture, incorporating GD&T. Triumf manages their drawings in PDM. I performed Flow simulations to inform the design of an acid etching assembly I designed and compared etch depth results with velocity distributions, finding good agreement.



UBC, Pulp and Paper Centre

• Vancouver, Canada Area

• Undergraduate Research Assistant

  • May 2017 - Dec 2017

  I designed and constructed an experimental device which emulates industrial TAD conditions. The device employs a novel optical measurement technique to allow for spatiotemporal moisture measurements. I developed image processing code in MATLAB to study drying pattern evolution, correlating it against the density distribution within the sheet. I designed and constructed an experimental device which emulates industrial TAD conditions. The device employs a novel optical measurement technique to allow for spatiotemporal moisture measurements. I developed image processing code in MATLAB to study drying pattern evolution, correlating it against the density distribution within the sheet.