In this episode we sit down with the extremely dynamic Edward LaVilla, who is working on obtaining his doctorate in optical engineering. His work focuses on visual optics, although he has done research in a variety of other sub-fields inside of optics. Further, he brings the unique perspective of an entrepreneur, participating in the McGuire Entrepreneurship program at the University of Arizona and starting a small business. This is easily one of the most exciting and thought provoking interview we have done and I hope our listeners will enjoy.

References:

1) Ibn al-Haytham “The Father of Optics”: https://www.photonics.com/a36717/Before_Newton_there_was_Alhazen

2) Roorda Lab: http://roorda.vision.berkeley.edu/

3) Multmodal Retinal Imaging: https://www.amazon.com/Multimodal-Retinal-Imaging-Amresh-Chopdar/dp/1907816607

4)Statistical Model for Normal Eyes: http://iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2188017

This week we spoke with Dr. Shuang Wu, who received his doctorate in research relating to embryonic stem cell work. He decided to slightly alter his research focus and began working on bio-statistics. Dr. Shuang Wu shares his insights on what bio-statistics means for the average person, the nuances in statistical work with applications in biological systems, and the ethical consequences of bio-statistics work in the real world.

Daniel Spencer is a medical student who will be receiving his doctorate in podiatric medicine in May. This is an often overlooked field of medicine, which focuses on the foot, ankle, and lower leg area. Daniel sheds light on the field, current important topics in podiatry, as well as general insight and advice regarding medical school.

Episode Resources
1) Neuropathy
2) Ford on plasma research and nuclear engineering