NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. – Quinn Smith, a graduate student at the University of Oklahoma Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, was selected in the 2024 Geographic Finalist category of the Institute of Electronics and Engineers (IEEE) 46th Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS) student paper competition. Smith was the no. one ranked student in the United States and Canada among the many contestants.
Smith authored the paper, “Test-Retest Reliability of Neurovascular Coupling and Impairment in Epilepsy Measured by fNIRS and EEG” for the competition. For her efforts, she was awarded with a second-place finish.
“It was such an exciting feeling, and a little bit of shock,” said Smith. “I felt confident in the paper I submitted but never imagined I could be the top finalist of the region.
IEEE EMBS is the largest international society for biomedical engineering. EMBS provides its members with access to the people, practices, information, ideas, and opinions that are shaping one of the fastest-growing fields in science.
“It was already such an honor presenting my paper at the IEEE EMBS Conference,” said Smith. “So, placing well meant so much to me. It was such a great feeling to see our lab’s hard work pay off and get recognized at such a big conference.”
In addition to her academic prowess, Smith also has a history with the university's illustrious women’s gymnastics program. During her freshman year, Smith competed in two meets for the Sooners on vault for head coach K.J. Kindler’s team. A season-ending injury ended her freshman campaign. Following her freshman year, Smith decided to retire from gymnastics to focus on her academic journey at OU.
“In gymnastics, we’ve been trained to perform well under pressure, even under crazy circumstances,” said Smith. “So, when translating those experiences to an academic setting, being able to prepare well and be at your best when it mattered most was equally important.
Representing my team and university, whether it be for athletics or academics is always a thrilling experience that I’m extremely thankful for,” added Smith.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
Mulugeta Gebregziabher, Ph.D., a nationally and internationally recognized public health leader, researcher and educator, has been named a professor and the endowed chair of the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the University of Oklahoma Hudson College of Public Health.
Engineering Days at the University of Oklahoma give high school students direct exposure to engineering through hands-on, discipline-based experiences on campus. The program brings rising juniors and seniors to the Norman campus for one-day sessions led by OU faculty and supported by current engineering students.
The University of Oklahoma College of Medicine has been awarded a five-year, $10.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to create the Oklahoma Center for Biomedical Research Excellence in Sensory Biology. The center will serve as a hub for research into how cells sense and respond to their environment and the diseases that can occur when that process malfunctions.
