Cultivating Safer and Smarter Roads: Resource Sharing for Enhanced Transportation in Autonomous and Semi-Autonomous Vehicular Networks

Vehicular networks, smart transportation, federated learning, V2X, 5G, cyber physical systems

Research Mentor: Marcos M. Vasconcelos,
Department, College, Affiliation: Electrical and Computer Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Contact Email: m.vasconcelos@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors
Project Location: FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10 hours/week, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable

Project Description

One of the promises of autonomous or AI-aided vehicular networks is that transportation tasks will become more efficient and safer. The enabling technologies for autonomous driving are a combination of sophisticated sensors for perception, powerful classification algorithms, and model-based predictive control systems. Despite their increasing popularity, autonomous vehicles remain a niche accessible to only a few, and widespread adoption of this technology is still many years away. The coexistence of autonomous driving and human operations creates a complex socio-technical system, presenting challenges related to both technical safety concerns and potential ethical and regulatory issues.

While a full autonomy control loop may not be available to most drivers, a significant portion of vehicles in the American market today are equipped with various levels of sensors to perceive their surroundings and possess some computing capabilities. Given that mobile phones are widely adopted, it is reasonable to assume that a communication module is present in the majority of vehicles. By targeting autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles through the assessment of computation capability, this project addresses the challenges of safety and efficient transportation by facilitating resource sharing at micro and macro cloud infrastructure levels. In this project, the students will work on the development of a zero-touch vehicular network infrastructure to share sensorial data available in conventional vehicles.

Research Tasks: Literature review
Learn V2X protocols
5G and 6G communication networks
Machine type communications
Federated learning and distributed AI


Skills that research assistant(s) may need: 5G communication networks (recommended)
Feel passionate about cars (strongly recommended)

Developing an AI-based particle-tracking algorithm for video-based monitoring of cardiac thin filament motion

cardiac, thin filament, in vitro motility assay, biochemistry, biophysics, AI, computer vision, semantic segmentation

Research Mentor: Dr. Christopher Solis, His/him
Department, College, Affiliation: Health, Food and Nutrition (aka Nutrition and Integrative Physiology) , Education
Contact Email: csolis@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 3
Relevant Majors: Biology/biological sciences, computer and information sciences, Exercise physiology, Information technology, Health services/allied health/health sciences, Mechanical engineering, Entrepreneurship/entrepreneurial studies, Mathematics, Statistics, Chemical engineering, Neuroscience, Biochemistry, Electrical and electronics engineering, Computer engineering, Clinical nutrition/nutritionist, Chemistry, Physics, Bioengineering and biomedical engineering, Computational science, Computational biology.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 8, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Wed, Sept. 6: any 30-min block between 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm.
Fri, Sept. 8: any 30-min block between 10:00 am and 12:30 pm.
https://fsu.zoom.us/j/6263906254

Project Description

At its innermost level, the heart is composed of miniature machines that enable heart contraction. The essential elements of this machinery include the proteins actin and myosin. When the heart muscle contracts, myosin works as the motor, implying ATP as fuel to crawl on actin, which serves as the scaffold where myosin crawls. This motion leads to the pulling of organized structures in cardiac muscle cells called sarcomeres that specialized on creating shortening in muscle cells. In the laboratory, we can purify actin and myosin and study their interactions via the in vitro motility assay. If you Google "in vitro motility assay GIF" you will see colored stripes that move around erratically. These colored stripes are the actin filaments that are being pulled around by "invisible" myosin proteins. By recording videos, we can then measure the gliding speed of these filaments to quantify the speed of reaction of myosin when pulls actin around. This readout allows us to quantify if a particular drug affects myosin and hence determine the specificity of the drug. We can also modify the actin and myosin proteins and see if this modification affects their function. It turns out that the video software to analyze these proteins is not too efficient. As such, it would be very desirable to build a new software that takes advantages of AI to use strategies such as semantic segmentation to identify the gliding filaments and estimate their motion properties. We already have the videos collected. The next step is to develop the software that will aide in analyzing these videos.

Research Tasks: The research tasks for this project include the following
1) Select the appropriate compiles (MATLAB, PyLab/Python, CellProfiler) to build the algorithm.
2) "Label videos" implying techniques such as semantic segmentation to train algorithm
3) Train algorithm to identify objects
3) Estimate the efficiency of the algorithm

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Experience in coding (e.g MATLAB, Python, R, JavaScript). Some experience in biochemistry is nice to have but not required.

Cosa Excavations

cosa excavations roman archaeology

Research Mentor: Ms. Christina Cha, she/her/hers
Department, College, Affiliation: Classics, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: cc12n@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Classics, Anthropology, Art History
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: Fully Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable

Project Description

This research project is designed to work with recently collected archaeological data on the Cosa Excavations database. The project entails the cleaning of digital information to facilitate the future publication of excavation results.

Research Tasks: Research tasks include assistance with digital data organization and analysis, with an aim toward publication.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Experience working with databases is welcomed, but not required. Proficiency with Microsoft Office (or similar) programs is recommended.

The Black Artist's Way

artists, Black, women

Research Mentor: dselmore@fsu.edu Dee Selmore, she/her/hers
Department, College, Affiliation: School of Theatre, Fine Arts
Contact Email: dselmore@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: History and (Visual/Performing) Arts majors preferred, however, the project is open to all majors.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote
Remote or In-person: Fully Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable

Project Description

“The Black Artist’s Way” is a series of videos that explore the lives and careers of various artists in the world of Black Theatre and Performance. Creation of the video scripts are supported through research compiled by UROP students. 2022-2023. UROP students will focus on six prominent women: Toni Morrison, Billie Holiday, Lorraine Hansberry, Dorothy Dandridge, Zora Neale Hurston, and Nina Simone. Assistant's research will help create a tool that will be utilized by teachers and parents across the country, that will assist in increasing equity, diversity, and inclusion, and that will introduce viewers to the work and lives of these important artists.

Research Tasks: Tasks will include compiling biographical information, proofreading, obtaining permissions for protected material, archival research, documentary reviews and assessments, copy production, etc.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: As a research assistant working on a biography about black female artists and performers, there are several skills that would be valuable for you to possess. Here are a few desirable skills:

1. Research skills (required): Strong research skills are crucial in gathering comprehensive and accurate information about the black female artists and performers you are studying. This involves both primary and secondary research methods, such as analyzing historical documents and exploring online databases.

2. Knowledge of art history and performing arts (recommended): Familiarity with art history and different forms of performing arts, such as music, dance, theater, and visual arts, will provide you with a solid foundation to understand and appreciate the work of black female artists and performers. This knowledge will enable you to contextualize their contributions within the broader artistic landscape.

3. Cultural competency (recommended): Understanding the diverse cultural contexts in which black female artists and performers created their work is crucial for accurately portraying their experiences and perspectives. Cultural competency involves sensitivity and awareness of different social, political, and historical influences that may have shaped their art and lives.

4. Strong writing skills (recommended): On this project, you will be involved in writing portions of the biography. Having strong writing skills will ensure that you can effectively communicate the achievements, stories, and challenges of the black female artists and performers in a compelling and accurate manner.

5. Organization and time management (required): Working on a biography requires managing large amounts of information, including notes, references, and sources. Being well-organized and skilled in time management will help you stay on track and ensure that you can efficiently access and utilize the necessary materials for your research.

6. Critical thinking and analysis (required): Being able to critically analyze the work and impact of black female artists and performers is crucial. This involves evaluating their contributions within historical and artistic contexts, identifying themes and patterns, and drawing meaningful conclusions. Critical thinking skills will help you contribute to the development of insightful and well-rounded biographical narratives.

7. Collaboration and communication (required): Since you will be part of a research team, strong collaboration and communication skills are essential. This includes effectively sharing and discussing ideas, coordinating efforts, and working together to create a cohesive project.

Remember, these are just a few skills that would be valuable for a research assistant working on this projects. Additional skills may be required, depending on any shifts in the specific scope and focus of the project.

Suicide Correlates & Measures

psychology; statistics; research; measurements; psychometrics; theory; clinical psychology; therapy

Research Mentor: Sean Dougherty,
Department, College, Affiliation: Psychology, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: dougherty@psy.fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Psychology, Statistics
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: Fully Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 8, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable

Project Description

This project will involve refining measurement of suicidal phenomena and related phenomena; refining theories relevant to detection, prevention, and treatment of clinical phenomena; and developing a novel therapy to improve functioning and address psychological difficulties people experience.

Research Tasks: Student research assistants will attend workshops to augment their knowledge of research methods, statistics, the field of suicide research, scholarship/fellowship/grant applications, etc. Student research assistants will meet weekly to troubleshoot any difficulties encountered with research during the previous week and to create a plan for research during the coming week. Student responsibilities may involve conducting background research, data-cleaning, data analysis, developing therapy materials, and manuscript-writing.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required: strong writing skills; eagerness to learn

Analyzing Media Bias, Issue Importance, and Immigration Attitudes from Text

Media Bias; News Articles; Issue Importance; Immigration Attitudes; Survey Responses

Research Mentor: Dr. Yimeng Li, he/him
Department, College, Affiliation: Political Science, Social Sciences and Public Policy
Contact Email: yimeng.li@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Political Science
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable

Project Description

This project has two components: (1) studying media bias from news article text and (2) studying issue importance and immigration attitudes from open-ended survey responses.
Part 1: Understanding partisan bias in the news is crucial as it has critical implications for political discourse, which may affect political behavior or policies through the consumption of news by ordinary voters and political elites. Partisan bias may enter political news coverage through two types of choices by newsmakers: which events or information to cover and how to cover them. This part of the project seeks to estimate these two components of media bias using a novel method.
Part 2: Open-ended questions have long been used in survey research. In recent years, however, open-ended questions have gained popularity. This part of the project seeks to understand voters’ issue priority and immigration attitudes through their responses to open-ended questions and whether monetary incentives improve the quality of their open-ended responses.

Research Tasks: Part 1: (Data Collection) Research assistants will read abstracts of news articles published by major news organizations and determine whether they cover the same or different political events and ideological leanings. (Optional Data Analysis) Research assistants will calculate summary statistics of the ideological leanings of new organizations.
Part 2 (Data Collection) Research assistants will read voters’ open-ended responses to survey questions on issue priority and immigration attitudes and determine the most important issues facing the country according to the voters and their immigration attitudes. (Literature Review) Research assistants will review previous research on open-ended questions and gather details about these studies.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Proficiency with Microsoft Excel. Attention to detail is critical to this project.
Preferences will be given to political science sophomores who have completed or are taking POS 1041 American National Government. Preferences will be given to students with strong academic records, evidenced in their CVs and transcripts.

Protein engineering of alpha-actinin mutant proteins to test biological role in the heart muscle

Muscle proteins, hypertrophy, myocardium, sarcomere, mutagenesis

Research Mentor: Dr. Christopher Solis, PhD, MBA, Him/his
Department, College, Affiliation: Health, Food and Nutrition (aka Nutrition and Integrative Physiology) , Education
Contact Email: csolis@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 3
Relevant Majors: Biology/biological sciences, computer and information sciences, Exercise physiology, Information technology, Health services/allied health/health sciences, Mechanical engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, Chemical engineering, Neuroscience, Biochemistry, Electrical and electronics engineering, Computer engineering, Clinical nutrition/nutritionist, Chemistry, Physics, Bioengineering and biomedical engineering, Computational science, Computational biology.

Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: N/A
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 8, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Wed, Sept. 6: any 30-min block between 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm.
Fri, Sept. 8: any 30-min block between 10:00 am and 12:30 pm.
https://fsu.zoom.us/j/6263906254

Project Description

The heart is able to grow in response to exercise. This healthy growth stems from the enlargement of every heart muscle cell in the heart. Heart muscle cells grow by assembling more and more cytoskeleton, known as sarcomere in muscle cells. In the lab, we can force this growth by making cells work harder and their natural response is to build more sarcomeres. One of the proteins that is a structural member of these sarcomeres is alpha-actinin, which acts as a cross-linker to anchor other structural proteins like actin. We recently published a paper demonstrating that the protein alpha-actinin gets phosphorylated during this growth phase of the heart muscle cells (https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/febs.16925). Given that we found this phosphorylation sites, our aim is to provide causal evidence that these modifications indeed affect the assembly of alpha-actinin. To test this we will take the alpha-actinin plasmid and we will mutate this plasmid by introducing Serine --> Aspartic/Glutamic Acid substitutions (a.k.a. pseudophosphorylation). Likewise, we can introduce Serine --> Alanine susbstitutions to disable the changes of the Serine to be phosphorylated inside cardiac muscle cells. The synthesized proteins will be tested subsequently by biochemical assays such as co-precipiation assays with F-actin.

Research Tasks: 1) Sequence the plasmid for quality control purposes using the Molecular Cloning Facility at the Department of Biological Sciences.
2) Identify the optimal ORF plasmid substitutions using software such as Serial Cloner
3) Design the primers using online tools (https://www.agilent.com/store/primerDesignProgram.jsp).
4) Find most cost-effective vendor for primer synthesis.
5) Once the primers are received, work with the Molecular Cloning Facility at the Department of Biological Sciences to produce the plasmids.
6) Once the plasmids are made, perform the the quality control from necessary from the data provided by the Molecular Cloning Facility
7) Afterwards, amplify the alpha-actinin protein by molecular cloning techniques in E. coli cells.
8) Once enough plasmid is made, express the alpha-actinin protein in HEK293 or HeLa cells.
9) Purify the alpha-actinin protein using chromatography techniques.
10) Once the alpha-actinin protein is purified, conduct co-precipitation assays with F-actin to estimate the extent of interactions of alpha-actinin with F-actin

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Molecular biology, biochemistry.

Exploring the Relationship between Affordable Housing Locationing and Economic Disparities: Impacts on Wellbeing and Mental Health

affordable housing, economic disparities, wellbeing, mental health

Research Mentor: sjangjoo@fsu.edu Sina Jangjoo, He/Him/His
Department, College, Affiliation: Public Administration and Policy, Social Sciences and Public Policy
Contact Email: sjangjoo@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: One Student in Urban Planning
One Student in Psychology or Sociology
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable

Project Description

Introduction:
The literature on the relationship between affordable housing locationing and economic disparities is limited, but there is some evidence to suggest that people who live in affordable housing units in wealthy communities may experience a number of negative consequences, including: A greater sense of relative deprivation, Lower levels of wellbeing and mental health, Increased stress and anxiety, and Social isolation. These negative consequences are thought to be mediated by factors such as perceived discrimination, lack of social connection, and financial hardship.
The theory of relative deprivation provides a framework for understanding these negative consequences. The theory states that people's feelings of deprivation are not determined by their absolute level of resources, but by their perception of how their resources compare to the resources of others. In this case, people who live in affordable housing units in wealthy communities are likely to feel deprived because they are surrounded by people who have more money and resources than they do. This can lead to a number of negative consequences, including a lower sense of well-being, mental health problems, and social isolation.

Methods:
This study will use a cross-sectional survey design to collect data on the relationship between affordable housing locationing and economic disparities, and the impacts on wellbeing and mental health. The data will be collected using a survey that will measure the following variables: Affordable housing location, Sense of relative deprivation, Perceived discrimination, Lack of social connection, Stress, Anxiety, Depression, and Wellbeing.

Hypothesis:
Hypothesis 1: People who live in affordable housing units in wealthy communities will experience a greater sense of relative deprivation than people who live in affordable housing units in less wealthy communities.
Hypothesis 2: People who live in affordable housing units in wealthy communities will have lower levels of wellbeing and mental health than people who live in affordable housing units in less wealthy communities.
Hypothesis 3: The negative effects of living in affordable housing units in wealthy communities on wellbeing and mental health will be mediated by the following factors: Sense of relative deprivation, Perceived discrimination, Lack of social connection, Stress, Anxiety, and Depression.

I am confident that we will be able to publish the results of this project in a peer-reviewed journal. This would be a valuable contribution to the fields of housing policy and social psychology, and it would also help to raise awareness of the effects of affordable housing locations on their residents.

Research Tasks: 1. Literature review:
Identify key concepts and theories related to the topic (existing research on the relationship between affordable housing location and economic disparities, and the impacts on wellbeing and mental health)
Identify gaps in the research.
2. Data collection:
Develop a survey instrument to measure the variables of interest. Recruit participants for the study. Collect data from the participants.
3. Data analysis:
Use statistics to describe the variables and to test the hypotheses.
5. Write a research report

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: 1. A commitment to social justice.
2. The ability to work independently and as part of a team.
3. Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
4. Strong research skills, including the ability to design a survey, collect data, and analyze data using statistical methods (Recommended).

Captured

Portraits, 3D, entrepreneur, programming, design

Research Mentor: Professor Kevin Curry, He, Him, His
Department, College, Affiliation: Art, Fine Arts
Contact Email: kcurry@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Computer Science,
Programming,
Entrepreneurship
Interior Design & Architecture
Art
Project Location: 3216 Sessions Rd. Tallahassee
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Yes
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Monday & Wednesday 12 - 3PM

Project Description

I'm working on building a walk-in "photo booth" (approx. 10 feet diameter), which uses 100+ cameras, each powered by individual Raspberry Pi mini-computers all connected, to simultaneously capture and generate a full-body (or multiple people) image capable of being 3D printed in full color, resulting in a realistic statuette of the participants. This technology already exists, and I'm interested in duplicating and advancing current designs.
I'm partially interested in the documentation of people (memory), but I also recognize the market potential for something like this on a campus such as FSU - especially during graduation season.


Research Tasks: Assist with creating and building functioning proofs of concept (design, structural, electronics, programming)
Cut materials using our laser cutter
3D printing
Programming

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Recommend:
Basic knowledge of tools/ability to work with their hands
Programming using Python

Developing an AI-based particle-tracking algorithm for video-based monitoring of cardiac muscle cell growth and contractility

AI, computer vision, image analysis, cardiovascular, cardiac, programing, coding, MATLAB, Python, R, JavaScript

Research Mentor: Prof. Christopher Solis, PhD, MBA, Him/his
Department, College, Affiliation: Health, Food and Nutrition (aka Nutrition and Integrative Physiology) , Health and Human Sciences
Contact Email: csolis@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 3
Relevant Majors: Biology/biological sciences, computer and information sciences, Exercise physiology, Information technology, Health services/allied health/health sciences, Mechanical engineering, Entrepreneurship/entrepreneurial studies, Mathematics, Statistics, Chemical engineering, Neuroscience, Biochemistry, Electrical and electronics engineering, Computer engineering, Clinical nutrition/nutritionist, Chemistry, Physics, Bioengineering and biomedical engineering, Computational science, Computational biology.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 8, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Wed, Sept. 6: any 30-min block between 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm.
Fri, Sept. 8: any 30-min block between 10:00 am and 12:30 pm.
https://fsu.zoom.us/j/6263906254

Project Description

The heart is able to grow in response to exercise. This healthy growth stems from the enlargement of every heart muscle cell in the heart. Heart muscle cells grow by assembling more and more cytoskeleton, known as sarcomere in muscle cells. In the lab, we can force this growth by making cells work harder and their natural response is to build more sarcomeres. One of the proteins that is a structural member of these sarcomeres is alpha-actinin, which acts as a cross-linker to anchor other structural proteins like actin. We recently published a paper demonstrating that we can use two drugs to control the assembly and disassembly of sarcomeres. To this day, we have tracked the growth by "freezing" the cardiac muscle cells and using special dyes to look at the sarcomeres. Nevertheless, our goal is to be able to track the growth and atrophy of sarcomeres in real time from video capturing. As such, the goal of this project will be to develop an algorithm to quantify the level of growth of these sarcomeres inside the cardiac muscle cells. For that, we have acquired videos of cardiac muscle cells undergoing assembly and disassembly that will serve as examples to develop this algorithm.

Research Tasks: The research tasks for this project include the following
1) Select the appropriate compiles (MATLAB, PyLab/Python, CellProfiler) to build the algorithm.
2) "Label videos" using techniques such as semantic segmentation to train algorithm
3) Train algorithm to identify objects
3) Estimate the efficiency of the algorithm


Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Experience in coding (e.g MATLAB, Python, R, JavaScript). Some experience in biochemistry is nice to have but not required.