Every summer, the Health Care Engineering Systems Center (HCESC) offers UIUC undergraduates the opportunity to apply for a Jump ARCHES summer internship. Students are paired with a PI who has received funding through Jump ARCHES and assist them with their work. Not only are students introduced to innovative projects in the healthcare engineering space, they also are able to perform hands on research as necessary. Seven interns were picked for this summer, including rising senior Jack Ren. A mechanical engineering major focusing on dynamics and control, Ren was paired with electrical and computer engineering professor Minh Do and Ph.D. candidate Hieu Hoang.

What project are you working on, who are you working with, and what is something you have learned so far from said project? 

I work on the Digitized Neurological Exam project with Professor Minh Do and Ph.D. candidate Hieu Hoang. My task is to create a program that generates subject specific musculoskeletal models from CT scans. Throughout the internship, I get to learn a lot about Biomechanics/Simulation and grew an interest in this field. 

What has been your favorite part of your internship experience so far? 

My favorite part of internship has been learning about human anatomy and locomotion. I am amazed at how compact our body is and how efficiently it works. It is also very interesting and eye-opening to see the clever methods that past researchers used to convert the body geometries into digital models.  

Why has the Jump ARCHES Summer Internship been important to you? 

This internship has been a brand new experience for me because in school, I was used to for the problems to be given. Here at Jump ARCHES, by working on the planning of a research project with a professor and communicating with doctors to learn about industry trends and standards, I was able to develop the skill of identifying the need for research and development. I found that working with people from different fields with different backgrounds is very critical for innovation. This enlightening experience would not happen without the strong connection that the Jump ARCHES program built between the academia and industry. I am grateful for this unique internship opportunity which helps us to learn about both the academia and the industry. 

How do you hope to use the knowledge that you have gained from this experience in your future endeavors? 

The problem solving skills and the technical knowledge I gained from this experience will be useful for my future work. After this internship, I will continue working with Professor Minh and Hieu Hoang on the musculoskeletal modeling project. We plan to develop more features that allow for further customization.