David Z
- Research Program Mentor

PhD at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Expertise

neural signal processing, data science and statistics, AI/ML for medical applications

Bio

My specific research interest is in analyzing and interpreting brain signals likes waves, waveforms, spikes, and more! But learning about brain signals have opened me up to so many areas of machine learning and AI, and therefore I am also interested in time-series signals in other fields such as finance, medicine, and more. When I am not working on science, my personal interests are quite varied. I enjoy many forms of creative writing. I also love the outdoors and enjoy hiking and backpacking.

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Data Analysis of an Open EEG Data Repository

Electroencephalography (EEG) is a non-invasive neural recording that measure electrical potentials generated by the brain using scalp electrodes. In an effort to open scientific collaboration to global researchers, scientists have released EEG datasets as open repositories on websites such as OpenNeuro and PhysioNet, among others. This project would involve analyzing a dataset using data science and statistical methods in pursuit of scientific insight regarding a hypothesis-driven research question. This project will utilize skills ranging from scientific literature review, hypothesis generation and research design, implementation of statistical methods, and programming in Python/MATLAB. This project would be ideal for a student interest in neuroscience or medicine with an aptitude for quantitative methods and coding.

Coding skills

python, MATLAB, SQL

Teaching experience

I have taught students at both high school and college levels. My teaching experience have included subject-level sciences, test preparation, and college application mentorship. I have also supervised research projects by high school students in an academic setting.