★ about me
Hi! I'm ilina, a bioengineering grad (Dec 2025). I like building things that solve real problems, whether that's in a cleanroom or a code editor.
I'm also secretary of InspireAbilities, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting families of kids and adults with disabilities — something close to my heart. 🌸 Outside of work: making tiny weird tech things, decorating planners, and reading.
bioengineering
DIY & making
audiobooks
meditation
hardware
nonprofit work
gardening
✦ projects
Jun 2026 – present
✍️ Likho · लिखो — Indian script writing practice
Free and open-source handwriting practice for heritage speakers learning Indian scripts. Built around trace-over practice, automatic grading, and SM-2 spaced repetition to help users reconnect with the languages they grew up speaking.
HTML/CSS/JS
spaced repetition
SM-2 algorithm
canvas API
open source
🔧 in progress
Apr 2026
📖 Altoids Tin E-Reader
A pocket-sized e-reader built inside an Altoids tin using a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W and e-paper display. Features a custom MicroPython interface with bookmarks, adjustable font sizes, battery monitoring, and pixel-art cover support. Parts en route. ✦
micropython
raspberry pi pico 2 w
e-paper
SPI
embedded
🔧 in progress
Apr 2026
🩺 FDA MAUDE Explorer
Companion to the Recall Explorer, built for the FDA MAUDE database — patient injury, malfunction, and death reports rather than regulatory recalls. Uses TF-IDF + NMF topic modeling on free-text narratives to surface common failure themes (e.g. "software alarm", "catheter fracture", "battery failure") without a fixed keyword list.
python
streamlit
pandas
plotly
scikit-learn
NLP
openFDA API
✓ completed
Mar 2026
🏥 FDA Device Recall Explorer
Streamlit dashboard for exploring 37,000+ FDA medical device recall records pulled live from the openFDA API. Filterable by classification (Class I/II/III), manufacturer, date range, and failure mode keyword — with trend charts, manufacturer breakdown, keyword frequency analysis, a US state map, and CSV export.
python
streamlit
pandas
plotly
openFDA API
✓ completed
Dec 2025
🥾 Boot Sense — Smart Rehab Boot
Senior capstone project: a smart rehabilitation boot using embedded load cells and haptic feedback to alert patients when they exceed prescribed weight-bearing limits during recovery. Hysteresis-based firmware (triggers at ≥30% body weight, resets at ≤20%) prevents false positives from normal weight shifting.
arduino
embedded C
HX711
load cells
biomedical
✓ completed
2022–2023
📊 Physician Stress & Patient Safety — UT + Johns Hopkins
Undergraduate research studying the relationship between physician stress and patient safety. Built Python and MATLAB pipelines to process physiological data collected from anesthesiology residents during clinical rotations. Findings suggested elevated resting heart rate correlated with near-miss events independent of self-reported stress scores. Code available on request (patient data is HIPAA-protected).
python
matlab
fitbit API
data pipelines
physiology
★ undergraduate research
💼 experience
Jun 2026 – Present
Customer Engineer — Applied Materials
Field service engineering for semiconductor capital equipment — supporting installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of process systems at customer fabs.
semiconductors
field service
Mar 2026 – Present
Independent Consultant — Deals and Transformations LLC
Remote tech M&A due diligence consulting. Reviewing statements of work, infrastructure diagrams, and security documentation to support diligence processes and produce technical findings for internal stakeholders.
M&A due diligence
technical analysis
remote
2024–2025
R&D Engineer Co-op — Cook Medical
Four co-op rotations in the MedSurg R&D division in Bloomington, IN. Executed design V&V testing on Class II medical devices in GMP-regulated cleanroom and lab environments. Authored test protocols, reports, and risk documentation (DFMEA, PFMEA) per ISO 13485 and 21 CFR Part 820. Led cross-functional investigations, supported process validation, and developed ML tools for medical imaging.
ISO 13485
DFMEA/PFMEA
design V&V
machine learning
GMP/cleanroom
21 CFR 820
Jun 2022 – May 2023
Undergraduate Research Assistant — University of Toledo / Johns Hopkins
University-funded research in partnership with Johns Hopkins. Built Python and MATLAB pipelines aggregating multimodal physiological data from Fitbit Sense watches worn by anesthesiology residents during clinical rotations.
python
matlab
fitbit API
May 2022 – Oct 2023
Medical Scribe — iScribeMD
Documented 2,500+ patient encounters in real time across three hospital systems using Epic. Supported emergency physicians with accurate clinical documentation.
epic systems
emergency medicine
Mar 2021 – Aug 2021
Caregiver — Texas Health and Human Services
Provided direct care to children and adults with developmental disabilities using ABA and NACD frameworks in structured clinical settings.
Mar 2017 – Aug 2021
Business Development & Front Desk — Lonestar Inn
Front desk operations at a family-owned motel. Negotiated long-term corporate room contracts with railroad crews and construction companies, building a reliable recurring revenue stream.