sumnern(at)caltech.edu
I am Chief BCI Scientist at AE Studio and the Della Martin Postdoctoral fellow in the division of biology and biological engineering (BBE) at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
My research goal: to give abilities back to those who’ve lost them. I use my background in engineering and neuroscience to design neuroprosthetics and brain-machine interfaces.
Previously, I was an NSF graduate research fellow studying human-robot interaction in a mechanical and aerospace engineering program.
I got my start in haptic robotics & theoretical physics and computation.
My research goal: to give abilities back to those who’ve lost them. I use my background in engineering and neuroscience to design neuroprosthetics and brain-machine interfaces.
Previously, I was an NSF graduate research fellow studying human-robot interaction in a mechanical and aerospace engineering program.
I got my start in haptic robotics & theoretical physics and computation.

Experience
AE Studio
Chief BCI ScientistAugust 2020 – Current
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Postdoctoral FellowNovember 2017 – Current
Principal Investigator: Richard Andersen & Mikhail Shapiro
National Public Radio (NPR)
Managing Editor & Writer, "The Loh Down on Science", Host: Sandra T. Loh Co-creator & Host, “The Loh Down on Science: Special Pandemic Edition”
April 2016 - December 2020
University of California, Irvine
NSF Graduate Research Fellow, Biorobotics LaboratorySeptember 2012 – October 2017
Principal Investigator: David J. Reinkensmeyer
Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation
Editorial Board MemberJanuary 2015 – October 2017
University of Utah
Research Associate, Haptics and Embedded Mechatronics Laboratory (HEML)May 2011-September 2012
Principal Investigator: William R. Provancher
Brigham Young University
Research Associate, Solid State Physics Laboratory (HEML)May 2011-September 2012
Principal Investigator: William R. Provancher
Education
Ph.D., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
University of California: Irvine, Irvine, California, USAAugust 2017
M.S., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
University of California: Irvine, Irvine, California, USADecember 2014
B.S., Mechanical Engineering
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USAMay 2012