Category: Blog

Finding lifelong friendships at CHEPS

Posted on by buckh

Jill Uy, an undergraduate Industrial and Operations Engineering student, shares her gratitude for the friends she’s met at CHEPS.

Six women (members of the Clinical Research Ethnography team) stand in a line and smile. They wear professional dress and are in front of hospital signage.

When I first got offered the job at CHEPS, I was like any other 19-year-old girl going into her first job…anxious about making friends and doing good work. Little did I know that I was about to be given the most amazing team that I now consider lifelong friends.

From Gene’s first “Welcome!” to our leader, Dr. Amy Cohn, insisting we call her “Amy,” I knew CHEPS was a singular opportunity to learn and grow as a person and an engineering student. Continue Reading »

Exploring generative AI in healthcare

Posted on by buckh

Amber Campbell, an undergraduate Computer Science and Engineering student, reflects on her experience attending the 2024 e-HAIL Symposium alongside her peers and mentors at CHEPS.

CHEPS student, Amber Campbell, views poster on the risks of utilizing Tik Tok as a medical search engine. A presenter speaks to her while pointing at the poster.
Amber Campbell learns about the complexities of using Tik-Tok as a search engine for medical device.

On September 13, I had a chance to attend the e-HAIL (E-Health and Artificial Intelligence) Symposium, which provided me the opportunity to learn more about generative AI in healthcare through a variety of engaging presentations. This included Dr. Susan A. Murphy’s keynote speech on reinforcement learning, interacting with researchers presenting posters on topics such as Tik-Tok as a search engine for medical advice and eye-tracking software as a tool for analysis of physician-AI interactions, as well as attending a panel discussion with Michigan-affiliated panelists from a variety of disciplines such as Michigan Medicine, CSE, and Health Sciences. Continue Reading »

Making strides during National Sickle Cell Awareness Month

Posted on by buckh

On Saturday, September 14, CHEPSters visited Detroit’s Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History to raise awareness and funds for the 2024 Sickle Cell Matters Walk, sponsored by the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America.

“In no surprise to anyone whatsoever, CHEPS students and staff went above and beyond this weekend,” shared Sarah Reeves, PhD, MPH, pediatric epidemiologist at Michigan Medicine.

Since May, Reeves and her colleague Eric Scott, PhD—clinical child psychologist—have been collaborating with CHEPS students on a project working to reduce health disparities associated with sickle cell disease (SCD) by examining social barriers that reduce appointment and medication engagement. Continue Reading »

CHEPS attends 2024 Juneteenth Celebration

Posted on by buckh

On Wednesday, June 19th, students and staff at CHEPS attended the U-M Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department’s fifth annual Juneteenth Celebration. Undergraduate pre-med student Goretti Tran reflects on the experience below.

Yesterday, alongside the rest of my peers at CHEPS, I attended the Juneteenth Celebration hosted by the U-M’s Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department. This year’s theme was Celebrating Excellence in People-First Engineering and Computing, and the program schedule included a live performance of the Black National Anthem, an abridged reading of the Emancipation Proclamation, as well keynote presentations from Professor Shawn Blanton, PhD, MS (Carnegie Mellon University) and Professor James Mickens, PhD (Harvard School of Engineering & Applied Sciences). Continue Reading »

Integrating public health and engineering for a healthier population

Posted on by buckh

Hannah Stovall, a rising senior studying Public Health at U-M, brings an integral perspective to her work at CHEPS. Here, she reflects on her opportunity to improve health equity alongside students in the College of Engineering.

Since a young age, I knew I wanted to be a part of the healthcare community, striving to help people feel healthier. However, I did not know that what I actually wanted was to strive for a healthier population. My sophomore year of college was a pivotal year in my academic journey. This was when I realized that my role in healthcare was not to be a clinician, but to be a public health advocate. Continue Reading »

Transforming systems, students, and snacks: Jared Pavlick’s graduation reflections

Posted on by buckh

Jared Pavlick graduates May 4th, 2024 with his master’s degree in Industrial and Operations Engineering. After three semesters with CHEPS, Jared reflects on his experiences in an interview with his roommate and fellow graduating CHEPSter, Alexios.

Close-up photo of Jared smiling in a conference room while wearing a Michigan hockey jersey.

Like many others at CHEPS, Jared Pavlick (BSE BME ‘23 / MSE IOE ‘24) has his morning routine on lock. At around 8 AM he gets up, gets the kettle boiling for his Earl Grey tea, takes his Vitamin-D gummies, and has his bowl of Greek yogurt to get his energy for the day. He hops on a Commuter North from the Central Campus Transit Center, and his first stop without fail will be at SI-North: the home of CHEPS. Continue Reading »

Be the match: Kira Woodhouse’s journey to bone marrow donation

Posted on by buckh

In celebration of National Donate Life Month, Industrial and Operations Engineering master’s student Kira Woodhouse shares about the process of becoming a living organ donor.

I was freshly eighteen when the world began to shut down in the early months of 2020. In the midst of being unceremoniously displaced from my school, work, and community I found dear, I sought ways I could help the world outside of my quarantined walls. As an adult, I was newly eligible to sign up to offer myself as a bone marrow donor with the National Marrow Donor Program (formerly Be the Match). I filled out the contact forms, sent in a home saliva sample, and continued on with my life as this decision faded into the background. Continue Reading »

Student reflections on U-M’s 2024 Disability Visibility Symposium

Posted on by buckh
CHEPS students seated at a large blue table while attending the 2024 Disability Visibility Symposium.

On Friday, March 22, five CHEPS students attended the 2024 Disability Visibility Symposium put on by U-M Mechanical Engineering and U-M Computer Science and Engineering. There, lightning talks from Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, CAEN, and Robotics representatives addressed the topic of disability and accessibility within engineering education.

Content at the Disability Visibility Symposium closely aligned with CHEPS’s mission to utilize engineering to improve healthcare, a societal pillar essential for all—especially those with disabilities. Symposium speakers shared the work that U-M has been doing to create a more accessible campus through a new “Quiet Room” in the Bob and Betty Beyster Building, modified shop equipment in Mechanical Engineering classes, and increased awareness around the prevalence of ableism. Continue Reading »

U-M IOE graduate student Cynthia Joy reflects on HSPI 2024

Posted on by buckh

My name is Cynthia Joy, and I am currently pursuing my master’s in Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan. After finishing undergrad, I felt a pang of regret for not having written a paper or attended a conference. But thanks to the Center for Healthcare Engineering & Patient Safety (CHEPS), I finally got to tick those boxes off my student bucket list!

The Healthcare Systems Process Improvement (HSPI) conference in Atlanta, Georgia was an absolute blast. Arman Getzen, my teammate, and I presented our projects on PATH (Prenatal Plan for Appropriate Tailored Healthcare) and successfully addressed issues with CNT (Central Nurse Triage) FYI notifications. Continue Reading »

CHEPS student attends LGBTQ+ Health Research Network kickoff

Posted on by gabeferr

What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than by networking cross-functionally to support LGBTQ+ health research at the University of Michigan?

Wednesday morning, the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation (IHPI) gathered professionals from Nursing, Michigan Medicine, Public Health, OB/GYN, graduate students, and undergrads to form crucial connections to further the impact of LGBTQ+ health studies at the University.

It was such a privilege to be in the same room as all of these leaders in medicine research and health disparity studies. The passion for the right to health of gender-diverse and queer communities was so palpable that I couldn’t help but be inspired by the conversations going on around me. Continue Reading »