My name is Alicia Suchicital, I am a rising senior in the
Bioengineering program at George Mason University and this summer marks my
second session as an OSCAR fellow. I had been graciously granted the
opportunity to work under Dr. Wilsaan Joiner in his SensoriMotor Integration
lab located in the engineering building. This summer, I assisted two PhD
candidates, Nima Akhlaghi and Erin McKenna, in data collection and protocol
development for a project exploring the stretch reflex. Using Ultrasound
imaging and EMG’s (surface electrodes) we hope to show that ultrasound is a
better alternative to EMG signal analysis when observing the muscle mechanics
behind stretch reflex.
This project allowed me to become more familiar with
ultrasound imaging, a skill that is of the utmost importance to bioengineers in
clinical settings. Furthermore, I was trained to conduct the experiments needed
for our data collection: set up of the robotic manipuladum (Kinarm), accurately
placing surface electrodes on subjects, and correct placement and set up of an
ultrasound probe. My experience with OSCAR this summer enabled me to improve my
ability to solve problems and develop more advanced methods for displaying data
for the purpose of project presentation. The research is still ongoing, and I
look forward to continuing our project observing the underlying mechanism of
the stretch reflex for the purpose of creating more objective scales for
measuring it quantitatively. I would like to endlessly thank Nima, Erin, Paul
Otto, Dr. Joiner, Dr. Sikdar, and Dr. Harris-Love for their continuous hard
work on this project, as well as OSCAR for the funding and constant support of
undergraduate research.
