{"id":22,"date":"2024-06-03T17:04:43","date_gmt":"2024-06-03T21:04:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/barkana-signals-lab\/?page_id=22"},"modified":"2026-08-18T10:34:47","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T14:34:47","slug":"about-our-team","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/barkana-signals-lab\/about-our-team\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Team"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Principal Investigator<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Dr. Buket D. Barkana<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Margaret F. Donovan Chair for Women in Engineering<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Associate Professor<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Department of Biomedical Engineering
The University of Akron
ASEC 373B | Akron, OH 44325-0302<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phone: 330-972-4320
Email: bbarkana@uakron.edu<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Buket D. Barkana | <\/strong><\/a>Lin<\/strong><\/a>kedIn<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Graduate Students <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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PhD Candidate<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Bayan Ahmad <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Field: <\/em>Biomedical Engineering <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab Member Since: 2023 – Present<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Education: B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Akron (2020-2023).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Email: ba82@uakron.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bayan Ahmad | LinkedIn<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Research<\/em>
As one of the first members of the Signals Lab, Bayan works on electroencephalogram signal processing to uncover how the brain responds to pain and mental strain. Her research sits at the intersection of neuroscience and cognition, exploring what happens when pain and mental demands collide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the Lab<\/em>
When she steps away from research, Bayan turns to art. Drawing is her way of unwinding and tapping into a different kind of focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PhD Candidate<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Maria Leyba Mesa <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Field: Biomedical Engineering<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab Member Since: 2024 – Present<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Education: B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Akron (2019-2024).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Email: mvl16@uakron.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maria Leyba Mesa | LinkedIn<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Research<\/em>
Maria’s path to the Signals Lab started in Dr. Barkana’s biophysical measurements class, where her interest in the field first sparked. That interest grew into a research focus on Parkinson’s disease, where she studies handwriting patterns to build diagnostic and monitoring models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the Lab<\/em>
When she’s not in the lab, Maria’s either cooking or at the gym, and you won’t get far into a conversation with her without protein coming up somehow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PhD Candidate<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Rachael Amira Brimm <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Field: Biomedical Engineering <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab Member Since: 2024-Present<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Education: B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Akron (2020-2025).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Email: rab218@uakron.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rachael Amira Brimm | LinkedIn<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Research<\/em>
Rae discovered the Signals Lab as an undergraduate in Dr. Barkana’s biophysical measurements class, where she began by helping Bayan with electroencephalogram research. She’s continued that interest in electroencephalography while also growing her research to include electrocardiogram and thermal imaging, focusing on studying how the body recovers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the Lab<\/em>
On Rae downtime she likes to work with her hands, whether it’s sewing or other crafts. She is always trying to do something to keep her busy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PhD Student<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Meherin Tasfia <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Field: Biomedical Engineering <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab Member Since: 2026-Present<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Education: B.S. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) (2022-2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Email: mt293@uakron.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meherin Tasfia | LinkedIn<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Research<\/em>
Meherin discovered the Signals Lab while exploring what the University of Akron had to offer, and her interest quickly took hold. Her study centers on complex cell structures and entotic cell detection and analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the Lab<\/em>
Outside of research, Meherin enjoys traveling and exploring new places, and hopes to use her downtime to experience things she hasn’t tried before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Undergraduate Student Researchers <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Student Researcher <\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Elijah Ray<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Field: Biomedical Engineering <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab Member Since: 2024 – present<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Email: emr115@uakron.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elijah Ray | LinkedIn<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Research<\/em>
Elijah found his way to the Signals Lab when Dr. Barkana first arrived, drawn in by his interest in image segmentation of Optical Coherence Tomography. His focus has since shifted to exploring an EMG wristband to track tremors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the Lab<\/em>
Elijah has gained real-world experience through co-ops and has developed a strong passion for robotics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Student Researcher <\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Connor Allen<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Field: Biomedical Engineering <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab Member Since: 2025 – present<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Email: cba25@uakron.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor Allen | LinkedIn<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Research<\/em>
Connor joined the Signals Lab through the medical device team, after a lab member mentioned an opportunity to work over the summer. He took the offer and started out on a collaborative project between Dr. Barkana and Dr. Baker focused on E-Tattoos. Now that the project has wrapped up, he’s shifted his focus to developing an EMG wristband to track tremors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the Lab<\/em>
Connor is gaining industry experience through co-ops and making the most of it along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Student Researcher <\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Julia Ehnot<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Field: Biomedical Engineering<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lab Member Since: 2026 – present<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Email: jle95@uakron.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Julia Ehnot | LinkedIn<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Research<\/em>
It was Dr. Barkana’s biophysical measurements and bioelectronics classes that pulled Julia into the lab. Since then, she’s supported Bayan and Rae’s electroencephalogram testing while running her own project on the side, digging into how electroencephalogram signals differ when someone speaks a word out loud versus simply imagining it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the Lab<\/em>
Beyond research, Julia’s just as engaged on campus, where her sorority involvement keeps her connected to people across the University of Akron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Signals Research Club Members<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Members Information Coming Soon.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Highschool Researchers <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Currently, high school researchers are assisting in the lab.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alumni<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Erin Keller<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Student (August 2023 – September 2024)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Erin Keller | LinkedIn<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kaden Carpenter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Student (February 2024 – May 2025)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kaden Carpenter | LinkedIn<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Quintin Kelley<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Student (February 2025 – May 2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quintin Kelley | LinkedIn<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Emma Barna<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Student (May 2025 – May 2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emma Barna | LinkedIn<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jen Hatalla <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Student (May 2025 – May 2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jen Hatalla | LinkedIn<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Adrian Kovshovik<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Student (October 2025 – May 2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adrian Kovshovik | LinkedIn<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Principal Investigator Dr. Buket D. Barkana The Margaret F. Donovan Chair for Women in Engineering Associate Professor Department of Biomedical EngineeringThe University of AkronASEC 373B | Akron, OH 44325-0302 Phone: 330-972-4320Email: bbarkana@uakron.edu Dr. Buket D. Barkana | LinkedIn Graduate Students … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4805,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"full-width-page.php","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-22","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/barkana-signals-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/barkana-signals-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/barkana-signals-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/barkana-signals-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4805"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/barkana-signals-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22"}],"version-history":[{"count":62,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/barkana-signals-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":959,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/barkana-signals-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/22\/revisions\/959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uakron.edu\/barkana-signals-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}