Headshot of Gaven Smart
Author: Gaven Smart | Major: Biomedical Engineering | Semester: Fall 2024
Over the course of the Fall 2024 semester, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Dr. Muldoon on my honors thesis project funded by a Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) grant. The goal of my project is to develop a device of minimal diameter that is capable of being endoscopically deployed to “map” the tumor microenvironment. The development of this technology will hopefully allow clinicians to tailor cancer treatment plans to an individual’s needs.
The intersection of engineering and medicine is something that I have had an interest in for quite some time. This original interest along with spending some time shadowing interventional radiologists in my hometown of Batesville, Arkansas, is what ultimately led me to Dr. Muldoon’s Translational Biophotonics and Imaging Laboratory. The development of minimally invasive methods of providing healthcare is a rapidly growing industry and is an area that I hope to explore after I graduate.
From working on my project, I’ve quickly learned that research, like everything else in life, requires time and patience. Setting up new hardware will not always go as expected and you must be willing to adapt to unexpected results. A big challenge that I faced was integrating the various components of the optical fiber switch mechanism into the current imaging system. Modifying open-source software to achieve the desired outcome was a time-consuming process that presented many roadblocks.
I have worked alongside my project partners, Nick Davis, and Beau Vest, to create models of the colon epithelium using polystyrene bead optical phantoms. These phantoms allowed us to simulate the tumor microenvironment for validation of our imaging system. The creation of these phantoms is a very time-sensitive and delicate process as the optical properties of the polystyrene beads degrade over time. The phantoms also must be mixed very precisely to ensure valid results. Working with Nick and Beau has been great, as it has allowed me to more rapidly solve problems relating to my project, often in new and unique ways.
My research mentor, Dr. Muldoon, has been fantastic to work alongside. He’s always willing to bounce ideas back and forth to figure out a solution to a specific problem. I’ve worked extensively with him on developing the fiber optical switch that has been integrated into the imaging system. His background in imaging systems has been crucial when troubleshooting issues. He’s been an invaluable mentor to me for the duration of my undergraduate experience.
After I graduate from the University of Arkansas this spring, I plan to attend the University of Florida College of Medicine to pursue my goal of becoming a physician. I have no doubt that the experience and lessons that I learned from my research will directly benefit me in my path to becoming a doctor. My research experiences have solidified my desire to continue investigating and developing the field of diagnostic imaging throughout my career.
There is still much more work to be done on this project. I will continue to carry out work through the spring 2025 semester which will culminate in an honors thesis. I am grateful to have received SURF funding for the Fall 2024 semester.