RHEAGAN CHAMBERS

7912 Rod Laver Ave Baton Rouge, LA 70810

225-921-5288 · rheagan.chambers@gmail.com · linkedin.com/in/rheaganchambers

EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA AUGUST 2016 – MAY 2018

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING TUCSON, AZ
3.46/4.00

LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY AUGUST 2011 – DECEMBER 2015

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING BATON ROUGE, LA
LSU Distinguished Communicator Award (December 2015)

WORK EXPERIENCE

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA OCTOBER 2016 – JULY 2018

GRADUATE RESEARCHER, ROMANOWSKI LAB TUCSON, AZ
• Collaborated on cross functional team, as lead researcher, to understand and translate unmet physicians’ needs
in Department of Surgery into design specifications for a novel prototype to monitor the ocular cranial nerve
in real time through correlation of deteriorating pupil responses of anesthetized, or comatose ICU patients.
• Devised various iterations of conceptual CAD designs, and executable plans for development of minimally
invasive, intra-operative monitoring prototype.
• Combined knowledge of electrical, optical imaging, and biological systems to construct prototype.
• Developed, executed, and analyzed performance evaluation tests to ensure prototype specifications and
appropriate regulations were met.
• Designed and constructed 6 finished prototype devices for evaluation in small animal study.
• Programmed Graphical User Interface (GUI) platform in Visual Studio C++/CLI with OpenCV to store and display
a minimum of 2,640 data points per minute per prototype, received from up to 4 prototypes simultaneously,
for analysis.
• Wrote protocol and gained approval from Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) to evaluate
prototype efficacy and safety in small, 10 rabbit study and oversaw study execution.
• Provided technical support during animal study execution on prototype components and equipment.
• Supported process and product development efforts by detailing possible avenues to transition from prototype
device to large production, manufacturable product for market.
• Mentored 3 undergraduate researchers who assisted with C++ programming for prototype GUI development.
• Ensured detailed, organized documentation on prototype materials, construction process, and user instructions
was accessible.
• Maintained communication with suppliers and evaluated all incoming supplies for quality.
• Cultivated strong communication skills through oral and visual presentations in lab meetings, department
seminars, and the 2017 Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Annual Conference.

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA SPRING 2017, SPRING 2018

TEACHING ASSISTANT, BME 480 TUCSON, AZ
 • Managed core undergraduate course focused on translating academic biomedical research to usable
marketable products through.
• Featured topics including FDA approval procedures for medical devices and drugs, laws and regulations of
animal use, human subjects’ protection, and technology transfer.
• Organized all semester projects and group visits to 6 biomedical companies in Tucson, AZ for 60+ students.
• Graded all homework assignments, quizzes and student presentations.
• Handled email communications from students regarding complaints, makeup exams/quizzes, general
questions regarding class materials or coursework.

SIMPLIFIED GENETICS, LLC NOVEMBER 2013- AUGUST 2016

LAB TECHNICIAN BATON ROUGE, LA

• Performed DNA extractions from buccal swab samples, to collect epithelial cells, from which genomic DNA
(gDNA) can be sequenced.
• Assisted with designing and customizing primers containing complementary sequences to the target region
for quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) analysis.
• Created agarose gels and used gel electrophoresis to separate DNA fragments and isolate target DNA.
• Sequenced genomic DNA for up to 400 clients per month.
• Analyzed sequencing results and identified target genes.
• Documented incoming client information in computer system and recorded outgoing results for clients.
• Ordered all lab supplies from various vendors.

PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CENTER FEBRUARY 2012 – JUNE 2012

STUDENT WORKER, DR. SHAWNA WICKS BATON ROUGE, LA

• Performed ear punching, a permanent identification method used with rodents.

• Performed rodent tail snipping for tissue collection for genetic analysis.
• Collected mitochondria samples for isolating carnitine acetyltransferase CRAT in mice.
• Used quantitative PCR to amplify DNA from samples.
• Performed gel electrophoresis to separate DNA segments.
• Documented daily activities in a detailed lab notebook.

COURSEWORK AND COURSE PROJECTS

Automated Collection and Recovery of Biological aero-Environment (ACROBE)

• Collaborated as part of a 6-member team to design a remotely operated microbial collection device suited for
controlled collections at specific, known elevations for the purpose of increasing bacterial data, furthering the
study of bio-precipitation, and satisfying with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.
• Constructed microbial collection device using Carbon Fiber, aluminum, nylon, epoxy. Device included wind
vane, pressure sensor, and temperature sensor.
• Mounted microbial collection device on an Unmanned Aerial System- Hexacopter (UAS-H) and carried out
test flights in rural Louisiana.
• Analyzed collected bacteria to quantify total concentration and identify species of bacteria.

Microfluidics Lab Rotation

• Maintained A549 (adenocarcinomic human alveolar basal epithelial) cells for lung-on-a-chip model.
• Maintained HUV-EC-C (HUVEC), Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial, Cell line for lung-on-a-chip model.
• Followed lab protocols for thawing, sub culturing, and freezing cells.
• Constructed microfluidic system.

COMPUTER SKILLS
• MATLAB • Microsoft Office
• AutoCAD Inventor • Microsoft Excel
• SolidWorks • Microsoft Power Point
• Visual Studio C++/C# • Microsoft Outlook