Applied Electrophysiology

September 10, 2016

This semester I am taking Applied Electrophysiology, which is about understanding how electrical signals interact with the human body and how to use those scientific principles to develop medical devices or instrumentation that can treat, intervene, or monitor disease processes. It’s taught by Prof. Jerry Loeb, one of the original inventors of the cochlear implant that restores hearing to the deaf. So far, it’s one of the most interesting and challenging classes I’ve taken.

In my first lab, I recorded my own EKG (electrocardiogram) – my heart’s electrical signal. That’s the picture above. I was also the lab coordinator, which meant that I helped plan and run the lab and answer any questions my fellow classmates had while recording and analyzing their data.

This was my first time being in charge of a lab for a class. They say the best way to learn is to teach and I learned so much more being lab coordinator. I saw how teams took different approaches to finding the mean cardiac axis or comparing sitting versus standing EKGs. I predicted questions I’d be asked, like how the electrode position could affect signal quality.  I spent hours preparing by understanding the scientific basis of the lab and turning that into engineering problems for my peers to solve. I wish every class with a lab did something like this!

Published on September 10th, 2016

Last updated on January 20th, 2021


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