Renee Miller

Experience

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  Baxter Healthcare

  May 2006 - Dec 2008

  Engineering Co-op

  First term * Tested porous membrane filters for optimum albumin and IgG separation * Analyzed plasma components using HPLC * Wrote SOP for the use of HPLC in plasma component analysisSecond term* Performed experiments to compare in-line flow sensors in closed-loop systems (for potential use in infusion pump)* Designed and carried out a human factors study for investigation of new IV connection design* Organized voice of customer meetings with clinicians from hospitals in the Chicago area Show less

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  Shonaquip LLC

  Jan 2008 - Jun 2008

  Product Development Intern

  * Designed and built a seating simulator that created a body mould to create patient-specific wheelchairs * Met project criteria including ease of use, functionality, mobility, and financial goals * Communicated with suppliers and users from multiple countries* Developed specifications and sourced all materials* Developed and conducted training for occupational therapists in the use of the simulator

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  Duke University

  May 2009 - Aug 2009

  REU Fellow

  Investigated the use of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging for real-time imaging of ablation treatments to prevent recurring cardiac arrhythmias. Wrote Matlab code to process ARFI images to determine smallest distinguishable ablated areas in order to prevent re-entrant pathways during ablation therapy.

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  Marquette University

  Aug 2009 - Dec 2009

  Tutored university students in calculus, physics, biology, and introductory engineering courses in both group sessions and one-on-one Created finite element models from segmentations of left/right iliac arteries and external/internal carotid arteries as well as ran flow simulations using Simvascular

  • Tutor

    Aug 2009 - Dec 2009

  • Lab Assistant

    Aug 2009 - Dec 2009
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  University of Cape Town

  Feb 2010 - Jul 2012

  Masters Student

  The goal of the research into myocardial infarction currently undertaken at the Cardiovascular Research Unit was to contribute to the understanding and advancement of one emerging therapy for acute MI, the injection of polymeric biomaterials into the ischemic myocardium through studying the biomechanical mechanisms associated with this treatment.In order to understand the underlying mechanisms of the polymer and its effects on the infarcted and healthy myocardium, the aim of the Master’s thesis was to establish a computational model to simulate LV mechanics of a healthy ventricle, infarcted ventricle, and infarcted ventricle with injected biomaterial. Those models were then used to perform quantitative mechanical analysis on the healthy and infarcted myocardium as well as the functional border zone (BZ), investigating the optimal site and time for injection of the polymeric biomaterial post-infarction. Computational models built of the LV in the MSc thesis provided insight into the mechanical mechanisms taking place, allowing for a means of quantitative deformation and stress analysis in the myocardium. Show less

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  Lodox Systems

  Jun 2012 - Jan 2013

  Service Engineer

  Lodox is a low-dose x-ray machine that can provide full-body high resolution x-ray scans quickly. As an on-call service engineer, I provided 24-7 support for four locations with Lodox machines in the Cape Town area. I fixed minor issues (software and hardware) and served as a link between the hospital and the head office in Johannesburg.

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  The University of Auckland

  Jun 2013 - Oct 2017

  Researcher Phd Candidate

  - Developed novel inverse methods for estimating anisotropic tissue stiffness from cardiac MR elastography data- Registered data from different imaging sequences encoding deformation (MRE), geometry (cMRI) and tissue microstructure (DTI), which were collected in separate acquisitions, to generate computational models and perform simulations using subject-specific finite element models of the left ventricle- Simulated harmonic deformation in cardiac and phantom geometries using Abaqus in order to test inverse methods Show less

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  University of Auckland

  Jul 2013 - Nov 2018

  - Compared two common methods of data acquisition for MR elastography images (EPI and GRE sequences) and their impact on clinical metrics (i.e. stiffness)- Developed isotropic and anisotropic phantoms for the validation of inverse methods to estimate anisotropic stiffness from MR elastography data- Designed parts for phantom stretch setup in Solidworks- Took part in supervision of an MSc student investigating stiffness of the liver from a cohort of healthy volunteers - Taught the practical component for two engineering courses: 1) an introductory programming course in Matlab and C and 2) a second semester mathematics course (Mathematical Modelling II) to first and second year engineering students, respectively.

  • Research Fellow

    Nov 2017 - Nov 2018

  • Lab Tutor

    Jul 2013 - Nov 2017
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  King's College London

  Nov 2018 - Sept 2021

  Research Associate

  - Optimised pipeline for generating patient-specific cardiac models from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data for a large cohort of patients and volunteers- Led team in training and validation of a neural network for identifying valve landmarks from cardiac MRI- Methodically compared impact of chosen model paradigms on modelling cardiac function in finite element study- Ran finite element simulations of the cardiac cycle in biventricular models (in-house FE code)- Estimated patient-specific tissue stiffness in cardiac models based on imaging data- Coordinated clinical study (on tissue stiffness in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) with radiologists to acquire patient cardiac MRI data and ensured alignment of research questions with clinical needs- Wrote ethics application and designed pilot study for longitudinal investigation of hypertensive heart failure using a novel porcine model, in which imaging (MR and ultrasound), invasive ventricular pressure and ECG measurements were collected - Co-wrote book chapter on cardiac modelling methods, including an extensive literature review into the role of modelling to study pathologies such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, aortic valve stenosis and myocardial infarction Show less

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  GE HealthCare

  Oct 2021 - now

  Digital Project Manager

  - Lead academic/corporate collaboration projects - Co-supervise PhD students through academic partnerships- Develop product blueprint plans and present to product leaders and key stakeholders