BMES: University of Minnesota

Name: Jacob (Jake) Mertens

Year in school: Senior

Member experience: 4 years

Officer Position: President

Research/Work Experience/Interests: I began by working in 3M’s Optical Systems Division as a technical aide working on a micro-replicated light control film (like a privacy filter) for new market applications. In my junior year I began working in Dr. Alena Talkachova’s lab in the BME department perfecting a dissociation technique for cardiac myocytes, building and troubleshooting a patch clamp rig, and leading the patch clamping experiments for our lab. In the summer 2009 I worked at the University of Michigan’s Center for Arrhythmia Research in Ann Arbor where I researched cardiac electrophysiology. I plan on pursuing a graduate level degree in Biomedical Engineering after graduation.

Hobbies: I enjoy biking, hiking, camping, and the outdoors in general.

Favorite thing about BMES: BMES allows students to make connections with peers and industry leaders they might otherwise not have the opportunity to do. It is the official face of what makes this program so strong- the teamwork and friendship shared by all the hard-working students in the program.

Favorite Quote: "Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things." - Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch, 'The Last Lecture'

Name: Marit Sanders

Year in school: Senior

Member experience: 3 years

Officer Position: Vice President

Research/Work Experience/Interests: I began research here at the University with the Medtronic Visible Heart Lab for two semesters; working graduate students on their respective research. I have been at St. Jude Medical for over a year now as a Design Assurance Engineering Intern in the Cardiovascular Department. My main project is working with a stented, aortic replacement tissue heart valve that will be released in 2010. I’m interested in replacement heart valves (mechanical and tissue), valve repair devices, and the biomaterials that comprise them. My emphasis is the Biomechanics of Tissue and Biomaterials. I plan on returning to get my MBA after working full time for awhile.

Hobbies: I enjoy running and being outside; as well as hanging out with friends and of course studying.

Favorite thing about BMES: BMES has been the best place to meet fellow BME students and learn about what they have completed while progressing through the program. It’s a great way to network with industry professionals and within the program itself. I’ve made a ton of friends and it is a great way to get involved.

Favorite Quote: Do not tell someone how to do something; tell them what to do and you might be surprised with their ingenuity.

Name: Nathan Zaidman

Year in school: Senior

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Officer Position: Secretary

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Name: Nathan Drasler

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Officer Position: Treasurer

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Name: Jeffrey Yaeger

Year in school: Senior

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Officer Position: Directorship Coordinator

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Name: Joe Aamodt

Year in school: Senior

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Officer Position: Volunteer Coordinator

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Name: Claire Rydeen

Year in school: Junior

Member experience: 3 years

Officer Position: Historian

Research/Work Experience/Interests: I completed a UROP after my freshman year, working with a neurologist at Fairview determining the relationship between dietary iron loading in the brain and Parkinson’s disease. Last summer, I had an internship at Medtronic in the Neuromodulation Regulatory department, where I assisted statisticians with trending and developed new methods for analyzing product performance data. I am currently working there part-time.

Hobbies: Volleyball, reading, hanging out with friends and family.

Favorite thing about BMES: I like meeting new people, and I appreciate the opportunity to work with other aspiring biomedical engineers.

Favorite Quote: "Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught." - Oscar Wilde

Name: Kevin Kwong

Year in school: Junior

Member experience: 2 years

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Name: Erik Fahimi

Year in school: Senior

Member experience: 3 years

Officer Position: Webmaster

Research/Work Experience/Interests: I currently work in Theoden Netoff's lab, where I use a dynamic patch clamping technique to quantify the firing rates of neural networks. Caution: There are animals dangered during these experiments.

Hobbies: Basketball, Soccer, and updating the website.

Favorite thing about BMES: Every meeting, regardless of the subject or topic, you always learn something new.

Favorite Quote: "There is no "I" in TEAM, but there's an "I" in WIN." - Michael Jordan (2009 Hall-of-Fame)

The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author.The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by the University of Minnesota.

The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author.
The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by the University of Minnesota.