PhD Students
Kaitlyn Elmer, BS
Originally from Springfield, Missouri, Kaitlyn will move to Fayetteville to join the CB lab in August of 2020. She graduated from Olivet Nazarene University in May of 2020 where she majored in mechanical engineering and mathematics. Her hobbies include running, reading, and all things crafty. Please see Kaitlyn’s LinkedIn profile for more info.
Cassidy Caffin, BS
Cassidy joined the CB Lab in June of 2024 and her research efforts include blood volume measurements. Cassidy received her bachelor’s in science in biomedical engineering from the University of Arkansas. Cassidy’s passion for cardiac device research stems from her father’s heart attack back when she was a teenager. During her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, and keeping up with RuPaul’s Drag Race. Please see Cassidy’s LinkedIn profile for more info.
Masters Students
Mads Ancker, BS
Mads has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Aarhus, Denmark. He joined the CB lab as a full-time student intern in January 2022 and has worked on the mitral valve project since then. Mads has focused on investigating mitral valve biomechanics and FDA approval testing of mitral valve repair devices via force measurements, developing FEA models, and materials testing. See his LinkedIn profile here for more info.
Bree Scott, BS
After passing out at the end of a cross-country race in high school, Bree received some small tests from EMTs and grew fascinated by the amazing diagnostic devices lining their ambulance walls. Shadowing doctors around NWA only expanded this fascination, so with particular interest in the mechanical design of medical devices, she obtained a BS in Mechanical Engineering at U of A. Joining the CB lab in 2024, her MS research is on the blood volume monitoring device. Please see Bree’s LinkedIn profile for more info.
CB Lab Alumni
Megan Laughlin, PhD
Megan joined the CB Lab in August of 2016 and her research efforts include venous valve stent design and creating a vector flow imaging algorithm for patients with supravalvar aortic stenosis. She graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a B.S. in Biological Systems Engineering in May 2016. Having a sister with a medical diagnosis that requires continued research for improved treatment, she enjoys playing a role in the research and design of new devices and methods to positively impact the lives of others. Megan took a job with Medtronic after graduating. For more info, please see Megan’s LinkedIn profile.
Sam Stephens, MS
Sam has two Bachelor of Science degrees, one in Physics from Missouri University of Science and Technology and one in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Arkansas. He has worked as a Machinist at Rogers Machine and Tool, and is currently pursuing his MS degree in Biomedical Engineering. Sam is involved in multiple projects, and his main project is Mitral Valve Biomechanics with our collaborator at the University of Kentucky, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering. For more info, see Sam’s LinkedIn profile.
Qusay Alfaori, MS, PhD
Dr. Alfaori graduated from the CB Lab in 2017 with a project that improves time-dependent rupture predictions of abdominal aortic aneurysms. His thesis may be found here. He continued on to medical school in Texas, and will soon be Dr. Alfaori, MD, PhD! Please see Qusay’s LinkedIn profile for more info.
Garrett Easson, MS
Garrett graduated from the CB Lab in 2017 with the venous valve project. He is currently pursuing a PhD degree at Washington University in St. Louis. Please see Garrett’s LinkedIn profile for more info.
Ali Zohair, MS
Ali began his graduate studies by joining the CB lab as of Fall 2017. He graduated from King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in Saudi Arabia where he got his bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering. Ali’s research involves volume assessment in infants under the project “Estimating Blood Volume in Children, and he is co-advised by Professor Jingxian Wu. Besides research, Ali also finds interest in working out at the gym and playing volleyball. He is planning to go back home after he graduates and start working in the ministry of health to help improve the health system in Saudi Arabia.
Curran Henson, MS, MD
Curran started as a MS student at the UofA in the CBLab in 2016. Curran’s research involved developing a nanotechnology based treatment system for heart attacks and he is co-advised by Professor Jin-Woo Kim. This is a novel approach to making stem cell therapy much more efficient. It is very exciting because it has the potential to revitalize the way stem cell therapy is delivered to damaged tissues. Curran graduated in July 2018, and his thesis can be found here. He attended medical school at UAMS after completing his degree and is now a MD in Little Rock, Arkansas. For more info, please see Curran’s LinkedIn Profile.
Maxwell Bean, MS
Max graduated from the CB Lab in the fall of 2020 and obtained a job as a Control Engineer at Cobb-Vantress in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. He proudly considers himself a nerd, and loves Star Wars, superhero / comic book stuff, and board games as well as racquetball and baking.
Max’s research centered around modeling and recreating a coronary artery bifurcation lesion, and designing better stents to be deployed in that region of the heart’s vasculature. He was collaborating with Dr. Utetsky from the VA in Little Rock to create a lifelike model for coronary artery disease, and design optimal stents for vessel bifurcations in the heart. Please see Maxwell’s LinkedIn profile for more info. https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxwellbean/
Anne Preut, MS
Anne received her bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Kansas State University, and began her graduate research on stroke retrieval devices in August 2016. Anne was co-advised by Professor Jamie Hestekin. Anne graduated in May 2018 and her thesis can be found here. Her goal were to continue in academia and become a professor at a university with high research activity. For more info, please see Anne’s LinkedIn profile.