Irene Tong
Eye Gaze Tracking in Surgical Robotics
Tim Salcudean, Craig Hennessey
Vancouver
Canada
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?
I decided to pursue a graduate degree because I was interested in research and I also wanted to learn more about specific topics I had not pursued in my undergraduate degree.
Why did you decide to study at UBC?
I came to UBC because of the opportunity to research in the Robotics and Control Lab, which had projects that suited my interests in biomedical engineering, robotics, and vision computing.
What is it specifically, that your program offers, that attracted you?
I studied Biomedical Engineering, and I was particularly interested in the Engineering in Scrubs program. This program taught me about the biomedical industry and the role that we play as biomedical engineers. This program included workshops and tours of hospitals and biomedical engineering companies, and a term project in which we connected with clinicians to solve biomedical problems.
What advice do you have for new graduate students?
My advice is to look for opportunities to participate in an internship program. This complemented my thesis research and additionally benefited my professional development.
What was your Mitacs internship, and how did it contribute to your professional development?
For my Mitacs internship I worked with two companies. I worked as an engineer at Gazepoint, which develops high-performance eye gaze tracking systems. I also worked as a researcher at Intuitive Surgical Inc., which develops the da Vinci Surgical System. These internships were so valuable to me - I gained insight on where to direct my career path, made professional connections in industry, and got to work on really cool, inspiring technologies.