Liam Christie, a third-year PhD electrical engineering student at UB, is a research assistant in UB’s Sensors and MicroAcutators Learning Lab. He performs cutting-edge research in advanced biometrics and test phantom metrology for medical diagnostics. His research has resulted in six scientific publications and several professional presentations. In addition, he is submitting a first-author journal publication to the Journal of Biomedical Optics. He also received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, an honorable mention for NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program, SUNY Great Award, and defended his master’s thesis in 2021.
Liam’s thesis topic is “Development and Creation Of Test Phantoms For Medically Based Photoacoustic Applications.” In short, he is applying test phantoms to the photoacoustic (PA) space, allowing for an optimized way to test new applications and troubleshoot photoacoustic sensors. Through this work, he has investigated ways to track blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen, blood glucose, and imaging of the body’s vasculature using PA. This project could revolutionize healthcare by making medical technology more affordable and available to the public. He works with industry partners, like Qualcomm, to develop and commercialize this technology. Liam seeks to contribute to the resurgence of the medical industry in Western New York through his research and future company in the medical field.
Liam works to mentor new PhD, master’s, and undergraduate students in engineering, providing technical training and guidance in pursuing graduate degrees and entrepreneurial endeavors. Liam is also involved through Blackstone Launchpad, where he works to mentor graduate students through the 3MT thesis pitch competition.