Shriya Srinivasan, PhD •  Biomedical Engineer

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I am a

Biomedical engineer

Shriya Srinivasan, PhD

Presented by
superhuman body + if/then

MY PATH

How I became a DANCER, GLOBAL HEALTH ADVOCATE & NEURAL INTERFACE ENGINEER.

MAJOR INFLUENCES

  • My Parents

    My parents placed a strong emphasis on hard work, academic discipline, and learning the arts (dance, music, violin, debate club, etc).

  • Internship

    Before college, I interned at a biomedical startup owned by a young Indian woman — her drive and vision inspired me to expand my idea of what was possible.

  • Graduate School

    In grad school, I was exposed to many inspiring people (from my peers to world-renowned scientists) and it created opportunities for me to push myself.

  • Patients

    Talking to patients and learning from my grandfather’s experience with ALS showed me the challenges that people with disabilities or reduced sensory/motor capabilities face.

I stayed committed to my goals, but also to unexpected ways to get there.

My path wasn’t pre-planned or pre-designed. I followed my interests and took turns without worrying about the “resume story”. But many of these twists and turns proved beneficial and shaped me into the scientist I am today.

Major Milestones

Internship at Biomedical Startup

I interned at CardioInsight, a company that develops medical devices that measure the electrical activity of the heart. This was when I got really interested in biomedical engineering.

Pivot to Neuroengineering

In graduate school, I took a left turn into neuroengineering. This felt risky as I was entering a new field with so much to learn. Ultimately, it was very rewarding.

COVID: Building a Ventilating Device

During the pandemic lockdown, I founded a non-profit called Project Prana Foundation. We designed and commercialized a low-cost medical device when there was a worldwide shortage.

Things I learned

along the way:

  • Your skills can come from unexpected places.

    I spent countless hours learning dance as a kid. I didn’t know it back then, but that training turned out to be very helpful for my current life. These days, I rely heavily on my dance training to be a good public speaker and presenter.

  • Enjoy the journey.

    Whether it’s a long hike to the top of a mountain, new choreography, or the development of an innovative new device, most of our time is spent trying to get there. It’s critical to me to have a goal, but it’s also critical that I find joy in what it takes to reach it.

  • Don't be scared to be a novice.

    In grad school, I left the typical biology research track and joined a robotics lab where I was a bit of an outlier, both for my background and my gender. Initially, I felt like I was on an island. It was a big pivot for me. But I learned a lot, and if I wasn’t willing to start from scratch, I wouldn’t have had the chance to connect the biology world and engineering world.

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PHOTOGRAPHER: Chris Disario • Illustrator: NICK SIROTICH

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