Meet Niara,

She is a Mathematics major and an independent researcher. Besides conducting research, Niara is an advocate for the research process. Her advice to students new to research is to dive in, "...don't be intimidated. The best way to learn is by doing." She did not have any experience with 3D printing prior to working at the PAD lab. Now, she has several publications and is teaching professionals how to 3D print in their field. She adds "There are no limitations to what you can do."

The goal of her research is to use three-dimensional (3D) printing technology to empower therapists to create customizable and inexpensive assistive technology for patients. Therapists can use medical expertise to tailor adaptations to existing assistive technologies, but current efforts to customize assistive technology are limited to materials like tape, clay, Velcro, and foam padding. She plans to familiarize medical professionals with 3D printing to make highly specific modifications to assistive devices and provide them with software to make 3D models. 

Read more about her research here…