Research undertaken by Wired explores various intriguing topics.
At the University of Rochester, Sophea Urbi Biswas, a biomedical engineering student, is making strides in researching how the brain processes speech syntax. This groundbreaking work, conducted at the Center for Advanced Brain Imaging & Neurophysiology (CABIN), is not only enriching her own academic journey but also offering valuable insights into the field.
Sophea's research is made possible through the Schwartz Discover Grant, which funded a summer immersive, full-time research experience for her. This opportunity has allowed her to delve deeper into her area of interest, with the ultimate goal of enhancing her competitiveness for future fellowships and advanced research opportunities.
Edmund Lalor, an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Neuroscience, is a key figure in Sophea's research. Lalor, who is also a member of the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, acknowledges the hard work and potential challenges in research but finds it gratifying when undergraduate students show interest in the field. He expresses excitement about working with junior students like Sophea and believes his work is helping to prepare the next generation of graduate students, postdocs, and professors.
The research involves the use of the electroencephalography (EEG) cap, a device used to record the brain wave signals. By recording these signals from a person listening to an audiobook, Sophea's research aims to shed light on how the brain processes speech syntax.
This undergraduate research experience offers several key benefits. Firstly, it provides hands-on experience in cutting-edge research, allowing students to develop practical skills in experimental design, data analysis, and the use of sophisticated biomedical technologies relevant to brain and neural engineering.
Secondly, the research is interdisciplinary in nature, integrating bioengineering, neuroscience, linguistics, and computational methods. This allows students to develop a versatile skill set that spans multiple scientific and engineering domains.
Thirdly, participation in such focused undergraduate research strongly prepares students for graduate education or professional work by deepening subject matter expertise and demonstrating research competence, qualities highly valued in biomedical engineering and neuroscience fields.
Fourthly, by investigating how the brain processes speech syntax, students contribute to foundational knowledge that can inform treatments for speech, language, and cognitive disorders, linking engineering innovation with clinical impact.
Lastly, working closely with faculty and peers in an active research environment fosters mentorship relationships and connections that can support academic and career advancement.
In summary, Sophea Urbi Biswas’s undergraduate research at the University of Rochester exemplifies how such engagement enhances technical expertise, interdisciplinary knowledge, professional readiness, and the potential for meaningful contributions to biomedical science—particularly in the neural analysis of language processing. Edmund Lalor encourages more undergraduate students to experience research, recognising its transformative potential for both the individual and the field.
Science and education-and-self-development intersect in Sophea Urbi Biswas's undergraduate research at the University of Rochester, where she is exploring how the brain processes speech syntax. This research, blending bioengineering, neuroscience, linguistics, and computational methods, offers hands-on experience in health-and-wellness relevant technologies and prepares her for future medical-conditions related fields.
