From brain sensors to gene therapy, the spirit of innovation thrives in the Andrew and Peggy Cherng Department of Medical Engineering (MedE). As MedE marks its tenth anniversary in 2023, its alumni are already making an entrepreneurial impact in healthcare. ENGenuity spoke with four MedE alumni, Shane Shahrestani (MS '19, PhD '21), Alessandro Maggi (MS '16, PhD '17), Tatyana Dobreva (PhD '22), and Colin Cook (PhD '18) to learn about their companies, innovations, and what brought them to Medical Engineering at Caltech.
Originally from Cameroon, Landry Djodom has taken an unexpected path from aeronautics to the financial sector. But his interest in financial research and modeling isn't a major change in direction, it's an enthralling challenge that leverages the unique benefits of a Caltech education.
Gypsy Achong (BS ’95) has leveraged her early passion for mathematics into a consulting career focused on environmental science and technical advocacy, with many stops along the way.
Curiosity, confidence, rigor, and humility were all potent elements of a Caltech education for Kevin Noertker, and they underpin his current pursuit of bringing electrification to the skies.
Lei Li is a newly minted professor at Rice University and a pioneer in the field of photoacoustic imaging, where his research has the potential to diagnose cancer earlier and better understand the brain.