My research experience to date has allowed me to develop and hone a diverse technical skill set in radiation physics and engineering.

Radiation Physics:
radiation dose measurement	spectral analysis
particle interactions	gamma camera quality metrics
radiation detection and measurement

Engineering:
hardware design	image reconstruction
machining	image analysis
motors	image processing
circuit design	image quality metrics
logic design	medical imaging devices
Boolean algebra	data acquisition
signal processing	statistics

Computer:
C++	Matlab
Java	Office Suite
Perl	UNIX / Linux / Mac OSX
VHDL	Adobe Photoshop
Monte Carlo simulations	HTML
GEANT4	Dreamweaver

 

Additionally, creating a new imaging modality from the ground up was a unique experience and it required that I develop the ability to address concerns of:

• equipment procurement
• imaging feasibility
• practical applications of NSECT
• negotiate the use of facilities for my project

The death of Carey Floyd has been a tremendous blow to the development of NSECT. We are left to carry on his work with little oversight or guidance. It was a tremendous challenge to fuse the diverse talents of my committee, gather knowledge relevant to the topic and self-guide the research necessary to continue developing NSECT and complete my thesis.

The challenges associated with NSECT and my volunteer work have helped to develop a set of project management skills

experimental design	planning
resource procurement	management
adaptability	information gathering
data analysis	data synthesis

 

Duke University, Durham, NC: PhD, Biomedical Engineering, December, 2007

Thesis: Development and Design of a Near-Field High-Energy Gamma Camera for use with  Neutron Stimulated Emission Computed Tomography.

Duke University, Durham, NC: BSE, Biomedical and Electrical Engineering, 2001

Departmental Graduation with Distinction -- Biomedical Engineering

Pratt School of Engineering Undergraduate Research Fellow

Duke University, Dept of Radiology, Durham, NC: Postdoctoral Associate

Feb 2008 – Present:

Advisors: Dr Georgia Tourassi

Project: Information - Theoretic Computer - Assisted Detection (CAD)

 

Duke University, Dept of Biomedical Engineering, Durham, NC: Graduate Student, PhD Candidate

Jan 2005 – Dec 2007:

Advisors: Drs. Carey Floyd, Georgia Tourassi and Gregg Trahey

Project: Neutron Stimulated Emission Computed Tomography (NSECT)

• Designed, built and tested a prototype near-field high-energy gamma camera
• Developed a mathematical model describing the near-field behavior of the camera
• Simulated camera behavior and optimized camera design
• Verified the accuracy of math model and simulation environment with experimental data
• Developing and identifying valid image reconstruction techniques

Aug 2003 – Jan 2005

Advisor: Dr. Kathy Nightingale.

Project: Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) Imaging

• Streamlined ARFI data acquisition on ultrasound scanner by developing a user interface program
• Obtained in vivo images of suspicious breast lesions by assisting in clinical trials
• Preformed ultrasound image processing and data analysis

Teaching Assistant

Class: Devices for People with Disabilities

Professor: Dr. Larry Bohs

• Assisted in project development and design
• Learned and oversaw use of shop hardware: lathe, mill, band saw, drill press, etc.

 

IBM, Austin, TX: Engineer / Scientist

June 2001 – Aug. 2003

• Logic designer for the I/O controller on the POWER 5 microprocessor design
• Synthesized logic in a VHDL environment
• Interacted with verification team to improve and verify design functionality
• Measured logic timing and assured hardware compliance

 

Duke University, Durham, NC

Undergraduate Research Fellow

Jan. 2000 – May 2001

• Assisted in ultrasound acquisition and Matlab analysis of blood flow data
• Designed and built a data acquisition board for an ultrasound machine

Teaching Assistant

Aug. 1998 – May 2001

• Computer Science Fundamentals, Programming Design/Analysis I & II, Computer Architecture.
• Held office hours and review sessions.

 

Booz Allen & Hamilton, Vienna, VA: Intern

Summer 1999

• Interfaced with clients as primary client contact and project manager for software design flowcharting
• Created new graphics for easier flow visualization

Pacific Sierra Research Corporation, Rosslyn, VA: Intern

Summer 1998

• Collaborated on a team to develop client/server applications in Java and Unix

 

Personal

I have my private pilot’s license and fly when the funding lets me.

Duke Youth Summer Programs: On-site manager

Summer 2006 & 2007

Duke's Summer Techtronics for Girls

• Started a week-long engineering day camp for 16 middle school girls
• Designed, developed, implemented and instructed curriculum
• Organized and oversaw three camp counselors

Summer Techtronics Video

Summer 2007

Duke's Bioscience and Engineering Camp

• Revamped curriculum for two-week engineering immersion for 24 middle school children
• Organized and oversaw seven camp counselors

IBM EXITE Program

Summer 2006 & 2007

Week long summer camp to teach high-risk middle school girls about engineering

• Assisted in and ran engineering activities
• Participated in a mentorship program that involved maintaining contact with campers to inspire them to achieve in school and in science

Last Modified: February 5, 2008

Peer Reviewed Publications

Sharma, AC, Harrawood, BP, Bender, JE, Tourassi, GD, Kapadia, AJ. “Neutron Stimulated Emission Computed Tomography: a Monte Carlo Simualtion approach.” Phys. Med. Biol., vol. 52, pp 6117-6131, Oct 2007.

** selected for Phys. Med. Biol. Hightlights of 2007.

Sharma, AC, Tourassi, GD, Kapadia, AJ, Harrawood, BP, Crowell, AS, Kiser, MR, Howell, CR, Floyd, CE. “Design and Development of a High-Energy Gamma Camera for use with NSECT Imaging: Feasibility for Breast Imaging.” IEEE TNS, vol. 54, no. 5, pp 1498-1505, Oct 2007.

Bender, JE, Kapadia, AJ, Sharma, AC, Tourassi, GD, Harrawood, BP, Floyd, CE. “Breast cancer detection using Neutron Stimulated Emission Computed Tomography: prominent elements and dose requirements.” Medical Physics, vol. 34, no. 10, pp 3866-3871, Oct 2007.

Floyd, CE, Sharma, AC, Bender, JE, Kapadia, AJ, Xia, JQ, Harrawood, BP, Tourassi, GD, Lo, JY, Kiser, MR, Crowell, AS, Pedroni, RD, Marci, RA, Tajima, S, Howell, CR. “Neutron Stimulated Emission Computed Tomography: Background Corrections.” Nuc. Inst. And Meth. B. vol. 254, no. 2, pp 329-336, Jan 2007. 

Floyd, CE, Bender, JE, Sharma, AC, Kapadia, AJ, Xia, J, Harrawood, BP, Tourassi, GD, Lo, JY, Crowell, A, Howell, CR. “Introduction to Neutron Stimulated Emission Computed Tomography.” Phys Med Biol. vol. 51, pp 3375-3390, Jul. 2006. URL: http://stacks.iop.org/0031-9155/51/3375

** Abstract in the Yearbook of Nuclear Medicine

Palmeri, ML, Sharma, AC, Bouchard, RR, Nightingale, RW, Nightingale, KR. “A Finite Element Method Model of Soft Tissue Response to Impulsive Acoustic Radiation Force,” IEEE Trans. Ultrason., Ferroelect., Freq.  Contr., vol. 52, no. 10, pp. 1699-1712, Oct. 2005.

 

Works in Progress

Floyd, CE, Kapadia, AJ, Bender, JE, Sharma, AC, Xia, JQ, Harrawood, BP, Tourassi, GD, Lo, JY, Corwell, AS, Kiser, MR, Howell, CR. “Neutron Stimulated Emission Computed Tomography of a Multi-element Phantom.” .

Sharma, AC, Tourassi, GD, Turkington, TG, Floyd, CE. “Near-Field High-Energy Spectroscopic Gamma Imaging Using a Rotation Modulation Collimator.”

Sharma, AC, Tourassi, GD, Kapadia, AJ, Crowell, AS, Kiser, MR, Hutcheson, A, Harrawood, BP, Howell, CR. "NSECT: Elemental Composition of a Mouse."

Kapadia, AJ, Sharma, AC, Bender, JE, Tourassi, GD, Howell, CR, Crowell, AS, Kiser, MR, Harrawood, BP, Floyd, CE. “Neutron Stimulated Emission Computed Tomography for Diagnosis of Breast Cancer.” IEEE TNS (submitted Dec 2006).

 

Conference Proceedings

Sharma, AC, Kapadia, AJ, Harrawood, BP, Tourassi, GD. "optimization of a Rotating Modulation Collimator for NSECT Imaging." Proceedings of the 2007 IEEE NSS-MIC. Honolulu, HI, Nov 2007.

Sharma, AC, Tourassi, GD, Kapadia, AJ, Crowell, AS, Kiser, MR, Hutcheson, A, Harrawood, BP, Howell, CR, Floyd, CE. “Elemental Spectrum of a Mouse Obtained via Neutron Stimulation.” Proceedings of the 2007 SPIE Symposium on Medical Imaging, vol. 6510, 65100K, 2007.

Sharma, AC, Tourassi, GD, Kapadia, AJ, Bender, JE, Xia, JQ, Harrawood, BP, Crowell, AS, Kiser, MR, Howell, CR, Floyd, CE. “Development of a High-Energy Gamma Camera for use with NSECT Imaging of the Breast.” Proceedings of the 2006 IEEE NSS-MIC. San Diego, CA Nov. 2006.

Sharma, AC, Tourassi, GD, Kapadia, AJ, Harraworrd, BP, Bender, JE, Crowell, AS, Kiser, MR, Howell, CR, Floyd, CE. “Dessign and Construction of a Prototype Rotation Modulation Collimator for Near-Field High-Energy Spectroscopic Gamma Imaging,” Proceedings of the 2006 IEEE NSS-MIC. San Diego, CA, Nov. 2006.

Kapadia, AJ, Sharma, AC, Tourassi, GD, Bender, JE, Howell, CR, Crowell, AS, Kiser, MR, Floyd, CE. "Neutron Spectroscopy of Mouse Using Neutron Stimulated Emission Computed Tomography (NSECT)," Proceedings of the 2006 IEEE NSS-MIC. San Diego, CA Nov. 2006.

Kapadia, AJ, Sharma, AC, Tourassi, GD, Bender, JE, Howell, CR, Crowell, AS, Kiser, MR, Floyd, CE. "Neutron Stimulated Emission Computed Tomography (NSECT) for Early Detection of Breast Cancer," Proceedings of the 2006 IEEE NSS-MIC. San Diego, CA Nov. 2006.

Kapadia, AJ, Sharma, AC, Tourassi, GD, Bender, JE, Howell, CR, Crowell, AS, Kiser, MR, Floyd, CE. "Non-Invasive Estimation of Potassium (39K) in Bovine Liver Using Neutron Stimulated Emission Computed Tomography (NSECT)," Proceedings of the 2006 IEEE NSS-MIC. San Diego, CA Nov. 2006.

Sharma, AC, Floyd, CE, Harrawood, B, Tourassi, G, Kapadia, A, Bender, J, Lo, J, Howell, C. “Rotating slat collimator design for high-energy near-field imaging” Proceedings of the 2006 SPIE Symposium on Medical Imaging, vol. 6142, pp. 405-413, 2006.

Floyd, CE, Bender, JE, Harrawood, BP, Sharma, AC, Kapadia, AJ, Tourassi, GD, Lo, JY, Howell, CR. “Breast cancer diagnosis using Neutron Stimulated Emission Computed Tomography: Dose and Count requirements.” Proceedings of the 2006 SPIE Symposium on Medical Imaging, vol. 6142, pp. 597-603, 2006.

Bender, JE, Floyd, CE, Harrawood, BP, Kapadia, AJ, Sharma, AC, Jesneck, JL. "The Effect of Detector Resolution for Quantitative Analysis of Neutron Stimulated Emission Computed Tomography." Proceedings of the 2006 SPIE Symposium on Medical Imaging, vol. 6142, pp. 1597-1605, 2006.

Nightingale, KR, MS, Palmeri, ML, Frinkley, KD, Sharma, AC, Zahi, L, Trahey, GE. “Ultrasonic Imaging of the Mechanical Properties of Tissues Using Localized, Transient Acoustic Radiation Force,” Proceedings of the 2005 ICASSP, 2005.

Sharma, AC, Trahey, GE, Frinkley, KD, Soo, MS, Nightingale, KR. “Image processing and data acquisition optimization for Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse imaging of  in vivo breast masses.” Proceedings of the 2005 SPIE Symposium on Medical Imaging, vol. 5750, pp. 205-215, 2005.

Sharma, AC, Soo, MS, Trahey, GE, Nightingale, KR. “Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Imaging of In Vivo Breast Masses,” Proceedings of the 2004 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium, vol. 1, pp. 728-731, 2004.

Nightingale, KR, Soo, MS, Palmeri, ML, Congdon, AN, Frinkley, KD, Trahey, GE. “Imaging Tissue Mechanical Properties Using Impulsive Acoustic Radiation Force,” Proceedings of the 2004 IEEE International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging Macro to Nano, vol. 1, pp. 41-44, 2004.

Congdon, AN, Foley, JL. "Motorized Swing for Child up to Fifty Pounds," RESNA 2001 Annual Conference Proceedings. Reno, NV, June 22-26, 2001. 376-378.

Gallippi, CM, Bohs, LN, Anderson, ME, Congdon, AN, Trahey, GE. “Lateral

Blood Velocity Measurement in the Carotid Artery via Speckle Tracking,” 2001 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium, vol. 2, pp. 1451-1455, 2001.