I am a Biomedical Engineer with key areas of knowledge in the field of Biomedical Sciences, specifically tissue engineering, stem cell research, breast cancer research and mobile health applications. My background includes genetic diagnostic analysis for the treatment of inheritable conditions.
I was the Project Coordinator of a mobile health application engineered to assess cardiovascular disease status among citizens of Trinidad & Tobago. This project was funded by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) through their Information Systems for Health (ISH) grant in Latin American and the Caribbean, in collaboration with the University of Trinidad & Tobago and endorsed by the Ministry of Health.
At New York University, I worked in the lab of Dr. Daniel H. Turnbull, who is a premier researcher in the field of small animal imaging using ultrasound and MRI modalities. There I investigated the growth dynamics of melanoma tumors by manipulating specific growth factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as it relates to tumor angiogenesis. The results of this work offer key evidence to design drugs to mitigate skin cancer. This research was presented at the Leadership Alliance National Symposium in 2012 held in Connecticut.
My research also involved the extraction of mesenchymal stem cells from umbilical cord blood (UCB) to derive skin for the development of skin grafts to facilitate wound treatment. This work demonstrated the viability of using UCB-derived stem cells for treating burn patients.
During my academic studies, I investigated the development of an insulin-mimetic drug using organometallics. This work allowed me to explore the world of inorganic chemistry and synthetic biology relevant to drug design and development. The PI for this research has earned a U.S. patent and has successfully completed animal trials for this drug.
I functioned as the leader of a group that designed and built a prototype for a vascular access device that reduces the need for re-intervention surgery in patients with end-stage renal failure. The team won 1st place in the Caribbean Cardiology Conference - Poster Competition in 2011. I also designed a therapeutic bed that would prevent the development of bedsores in bedridden patients by utilizing shiatsu massage principles to deliver contour specific, pressure relief to the patient’s body with selected materials to minimize moisture residues. This bed has the potential to reduce the long-term treatment costs and potentially accelerate the rate of recovery of bedridden patients. The design won 1st place for innovation in the category of health in a competition within the university.
I graduated at the top of my class with a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering and I am currently pursuing my MPhil/PhD in Biomedical Engineering with a focus on Breast Cancer Survivorship. I am very passionate about scientific research geared towards revolutionizing medicine, patient care and treating/curing diseases. I believe cancer patients require care that extends beyond their treatment journey.

ORCID ID

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8710-9708

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