Megan Conrad
Megan Conrad
Associate Professor
Degrees
- Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University, 2009
- M.S.E. in Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 2003
- B.S. in Industrial Engineering, Marquette University, 2001
Biography
Dr. Conrad utilizes her backgrounds in biomedical and industrial engineering to understand and optimize the way humans interact with medical devices. The goal of her research is to guide design allowing individuals to remain independent at home and work. She accomplishes this by:
- designing methods for measuring human physical capability and limitations.
- identifying product design features capable of meeting human ability.
- developing processes for comparing the usability of medical devices.
Dr. Conrad is the director of the Eick Center for Assistive Technology and Biomedical Design minor. She's recently taught courses related to Biomedical Engineering, Human Factors, Engineering Drawing, Instrumentation and Product Design. Dr. Conrad has received extramural funding as PI or co-I on projects supported by the AHA, FDA, NIH and NSF.
Dr. Conrad finds joy in leading Faces on Design. These multi-disciplinary capstone projects provide Mechanical Engineering, Nursing and Biology students an opportunity to engage with members of the Detroit community while building devices for people with disabilities. She also acts as co-advisor for the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and coordinates the Clare Boothe Luce undergraduate scholarships for transfer students.
- A complete list of Dr. Conrad's publications
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Research Interests
- Comparative human factors processes for assessing drug-device combination products
- Functional hand strength as it relates to aging, disease and device interaction
- Pressure measurement and modeling skin interface pressures caused by human-device interaction
- Challenges experienced by underrepresented populations in engineering fields