For as long as I can remember, I was always interested in science. I liked math and physics in high school. When I wanted to go to university, I wanted to choose a major that involved math and physics, and also could solve real-world problems. The marriage between these two is engineering. First, I chose electrical engineering as my major. However, I wanted to study something that I could actually see, so I went and worked in robotics, which is more tangible. I was really interested in that because I could solve numerous problems through that knowledge, including my father’s hand tremors.
I hold a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering with a focus on control engineering, a master’s degree in Mechatronics Engineering, both from the University of Tabriz in Iran, and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on medical robotics from Washington State University. During my bachelor’s degree, I had several internships where I learned about instrumentation, controller programming, mechatronics, and different sensors and actuators used in various industries. I also did several volunteer projects that I am proud of, including service to SWE and the Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers (IEEE). I was an eMentor for the IEEE “TryEngineering Together” outreach program and worked with middle school students to familiarize them with the engineering design process, which was a valuable experience for me.
I became fascinated by medical robotics during my Master’s. During that time, my dad suffered from hand tremors. His job involved working with highly delicate electronics on computer motherboards. This required him to have stable hands. I thought we could develop a device that could stop these tremors. I started this project with my team. We developed a device that could suppress tremors through placing electromyography (EMG) electrodes on muscles and correcting the signals that caused the tremor. This project was really important for me since I wanted to help my dad overcome his tremors and be better at his job.
During my robotics career, I worked on a variety of projects that I believe impacted society in general. My engineering work during my master’s led to new designs in improving medical assist robots for those that suffer from strokes or Parkinson’s disease. My Ph.D. research developed a new method for steerable needle insertion, namely water-jet steerable needles. The steerable needle can turn inside the patient and get to difficult-to-reach places in the body to administer drugs or perform medical operations. In addition, I was able to solve a fundamental physics problem of how soft tissue interacts with waterjet cutting. My research and robotics work led to several journal and conference articles, accumulating more than 230 citations from the scientific community and a patent.
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