Page 7 - My FlipBook

He says that students interested in the field should have a fundamental
understanding of the sciences and mathematics. “But then I’d also say,
‘Get out of the classroom and pursue something you really enjoy . . . really
learn how to solve problems, because the people who are working on these
neural engineering problems have diverse backgrounds. The one common
thread is that they all know how to solve really hard problems. It creates
a mentality for trying to not only come up with novel questions, but also
having the perseverance to solve them.”
Jeffrey Capadona also encourages students to explore new areas of
interest. “Don’t be afraid to reach out to volunteer and learn,” he said. “We
take high school and college students [into our lab]; we don’t care if they
don’t have a strong background yet.
We are here to teach and inspire.” Suraj
Srinivasan, a high school student at
Strongsville (Ohio) High School, worked
in Capadona’s lab. He took first place
in the prestigious Intel International
Science and Engineering Fair in 2017.
“He’s getting scholarships for wherever
he wants to go now,” Capadona said,
“and all because he reached out to us,
and was willing to learn and engage.”
Capadona, who majored in
chemistry and minored in mathematics
in college, grew up thinking he wanted
to become a doctor. He hurt his back Biomedical engineer Abidemi
playing on his college baseball team, Bolu Ajiboye says that a passion
so he was sidelined his senior year. for problem-solving in the real
world is a great way to prepare
“I was kind of devastated by that,” he for a career in his field. His goal in
admitted. Orthopedic surgeons said the research he does is to create
BCI systems that allow people
that they could do surgery on his back,
to work easily and naturally
but that by his forties, he probably with artificial limbs and other
assistive technologies.

76 77

BODY 2.0 CAREERS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING