Current Lab Members

PhD Candidate in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Xiomara joined BMIL in 2021 as a graduate student in Electrical and Computer Engineering. She obtained her B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from UC Berkeley. Her research is focused on leveraging machine learning approaches to develop health information tools that enhance patient-provider communications. Outside of the lab, she enjoys boxing, playing tennis, and searching for the best latte in Austin.

PhD Candidate in Biomedical Engineering

Athena Louise Lopez joined BMIL in Fall 2023. She obtained her Masters of Engineering (M.Eng) from UC Irvine and her B.S. in Bioengineering from UC Berkeley. Her current project is on improving the standards of surgical bras for a positive healing journey by measuring the pressure and thermal characteristics of the surgical bra on and off the patient. Outside the lab, Athena is a Junior research facilitator for the INSPIRE program and actively works with undergraduates as a mentor. She enjoys food physically and spiritually and building her organ resistance by yelping Austin coffee shops.

PhD Candidate in Biomedical Engineering

Fadeel joined BMIL in Fall 2023 as a graduate student in Biomedical Engineering. He is from Lahore, Pakistan, and completed his B.S. in Bioengineering from Rice University, Houston, TX. His work revolves around building medical technologies that reduce health care disparities. His current project aims to increase access of Mohs surgery to treat skin cancer in underserved populations. Outside of the lab, Fadeel loves to travel and explore different cuisines.

PhD Candidate in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Andrew graduated with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering with a focus in electromagnetics from Oklahoma State University in 2021. He grew up in Wichita Falls, TX. Andrew is a 4th-year electrical engineering Ph.D. student on the bioECE track co-advised by Emily Porter and Mia Markey. His research currently focuses on designing flexible applicators for microwave ablation, but more generally focuses on medical applications of RF/Microwaves. Andrew is also involved on campus as the president of GREECE, which is an organization that hosts companies and social events for graduate electrical engineering students.

PhD Student in Biomedical Engineering

Charlie joined BMIL in Spring 2025 as a graduate student in Biomedical Engineering. He grew up in South Korea and completed his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST). His research focuses on developing scalable AI systems to analyze unstructured clinical narratives and biomedical data. He is currently building a fully automated thematic analysis pipeline using multi-agent LLMs to extract gaps in care from patient and family narratives, with applications in congenital heart disease and transplant care. He is co-advised by Professor Ying Ding from the School of Information. Outside of research, Charlie enjoys writing and exploring new coffee shops.

PhD Student in Biomedical Engineering

Desiree joined BMIL in Fall 2026 as a graduate student in Biomedical Engineering. They completed their undergraduate degree in Cybersecurity - Business Administration and Management and master's in Computer Engineering at the UT San Antonio. Her research areas of interest include hospital-at-home technologies, medical internet-of-things devices, and intelligent patient monitoring systems. Beyond her research, she is dedicated to mentorship, STEM workforce development and using engineering innovation to improve healthcare and create meaningful changes in the lives of individuals and communities.