sumnern(at)caltech.edu
I am a 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
California Institute of Technology
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 - Current
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