Awarded in 2004
Home Department: Mechanical Engineering
Faculty Advisor: Beth Pruitt (Mechanical Engineering)

Research Description: Mechanotransduction, the process by which cells convert mechanical stimuli into cellular signals, is important in many areas of physiology, medicine, and medical device design. The goal of Sara’s project was to study the MEC-4 channel complex that mediates sensory mechanotransduction of touch receptor neurons. A biomolecular model would be developed to describe the mechanism of MEC-4 channel complex as mechanoreceptor and its critical role in the whole-cell behavior.

WHERE IS SHE NOW?

Sara founded DeviceDebut, LLC after exploring medical device R&D for over 5 years. DeviceDebut helped U.S. and EU medical device manufacturers register with CFDA, enter the Chinese market, and receive funding from the Chinese investors. Since late 2020, Sara has shifted her career focus to the local Bay Area, and has been a Realtor serving the local communities.