Experience

University of Utah

• Greater Salt Lake City Area

• Postdoctoral Research Associate - Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

  • Jul 2018 - Present

  • Design and conduct neurophysiological research in macaque visual cortex to investigate role of frontal eye fields (prefrontal cortex), influence of decreased prefrontal dopamine upon cortical processing of visual signals during visually-guided behavior. • Record intracranial neuronal activity in macaque monkeys during visual cognitive tasks (eye fixation, working memory, and attention) using intracranial electrodes, electrical stimulation, cortical inactivation, and pharmacological manipulations of dopamine. • Perform mathematical model fits of Gaussian functions and two-dimensional (2D) Gaussian fit of neuronal data during visual processing, using least squares optimization. • Record data from multiple streams (i.e., 2,500 hours of behavior, electrical stimulation, single-neuron, population recordings, and eye tracking), apply spike sorting algorithms, and conduct signal processing, and statistical tests of neurophysiological recordings. • Build an efficient data pipeline via National Instruments, Blackrock, and Neuralynx hardware, including preprocessing and data visualization scripts in Matlab. • Contribute to preliminary scientific findings, data visualization, and writing to two successful NIH grant submissions. • Supervise and train one computer science undergraduate student and two PhD students to program computer scripts for visual experiment design and deployment in Matlab and using the Monkeylogic toolbox. Show less



NYU Langone Health

• New York, New York, United States

• Vision Research Scientist - Dysautonomia Center, Department of Neurology

  • Sep 2017 - Jun 2018

  • Designed and led two longitudinal research studies on brain electrophysiology and retinal physiology in healthy humans and patients with autonomic disorders (i.e., familial dysautonomia and Parkinson’s disease, totaling 273 participants). • Developed and implemented a database using Filemaker Pro and REDCap to centralize data collection from several sources, including clinical evaluations, demographics, and data from repeated brain electrophysiology and retinal measurements. • Established a data processing pipeline in Matlab using computer scripts to visualize and understand patterns of retinal neuronal degeneration in patients and its correlation with visual function. • Performed electrophysiological, visual function, and retinal physiology measurements, collaborated with director and neurologists who performed medical examinations, and managed research assistants to help with data collection and entry. • Conducted a mathematical model fit (linear and exponential) to predict rate of progression of retinal degeneration in patients. • Contributed to designing a test for visual function measurements, brain electrophysiology protocol, and retinal physiology measurements using optical coherence tomography (retinal nerve fiber layer, ganglion cell layer). • Performed an exponential decay model fitting of physiological data, using least squares optimization to predict rate of retinal degeneration and disease progression in patients. Show less



The City College of New York

• Graduate Research Assistant - Neural Engineering Lab, Department of Biomedical Engineering

  • Aug 2011 - Sep 2017

  • Designed and conducted five research studies using electrophysiological approaches to investigate brain electrical activity in healthy humans, and abnormalities in patients with Parkinson’s disease. • Drafted research protocols for IRB review and oversaw process until approval. • Programmed visual experiments via Matlab with Psychotoolbox and collected data using non-invasive electroencephalography recordings in humans; created scripts for data analyses and statistical tests. • Implemented machine learning methods (logistic regression, decision tree, SVM) for classification/prediction of Parkinson’s disease based on neurophysiological signals, using spectral EEG amplitude over posterior occipital area during visual stimulation. Show less