The Team
The Restful Legs team is comprised of four senior undergraduates from Cornell University studying Biomedical Engineering. They are passionate about utilizing their skills in mechanical and electrical engineering, with a strong foundation of biology, to develop a device that reduces symptoms for patients with restless legs syndrome.
The Members
ALLIE BUCCINO
project manager
Allie is obtaining a concentration in Biomaterials and Drug Delivery. She has laboratory experience through research with the Andarawis-Puri Lab studying tendinopathy and tendon regeneration, specifically looking at the causes of injury and optimizing recovery. In addition to laboratory work, she has experience in the medical device field through an internship with the Fogarty Institute for Innovation, a medical device incubator in Silicon Valley. Allie conducted market and materials research as well as participated in educational seminars giving her a foundational understanding of the process to develop and bring therapies/devices to market.
NASEEM DABIRAN
client liaison
Naseem is studying biomedical engineering with a concentration in Biomaterials and Drug Delivery. She has experience with product development through her work on Cornell University Biomedical Device project team to create an alternative to traditional orthopedic screws. Additionally, Naseem has worked in the Computational Physiology Laboratory under Dr. Christiane Linster. She has gained experience with working with mice models to characterize the olfactory bulb in c-Fos mice.
MASON DACUS
electrical engineer
Mason is studying biomedical engineering with a concentration in Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials. He has experience in both academic research and product development. He worked on Cornell’s project team iGEM to create a biological system for monitoring and optimizing the oxidative stress in hydroponic setups. Mason also performed research at The Ohio State University in Dr. Yi Zhao’s lab. There, he characterized a method for producing alginate microfibers, with applicability in tissue engineering, using interfacial shearing.
HIMANI PATEL
mechanical engineer
Himani is obtaining a concentration in Biomechanics and Mechanobiology. She has experience working in the Donnelly Lab that focuses on studying the mechanical and compositional properties of fractures in diabetic patients. Through this research, she has gained experience with Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, sectioning with a microtome, and performing bend tests. Additionally, Himani interned at a contract research company, iFyber, this past summer and learned about material testing of prototypes, chemical synthesis of hemostats, and business development for an engineering environment.