David Brown - Temporal CV
Now
Legend
Major life milestone
Did a useful thing
Learned a thing (life badge)
2009
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
June
Launched Caltech book of short stories project
November
Single-cell capillary blood paper published
October
Single-cell AAV paper published
October
Started grad school at Caltech
November
Started NeuroTechers, a Caltech club to bring together students in neuro
February-March
Learning biology and RNA processing via MITx
November
Presented at Society for Neuroscience on work in data analysis in molecular biology
August
Dove into the world of molecular biology (started with Molecular Biology via MITx)
January
First software launched in live BIGGBY COFFEE store
December
Graduated from University of Michigan with degree in computer science
November
Started working at NASA's JPL as Software Eningeer in the Artificial Intelligence group
November
Left job at BIGGBY COFFEE
October
Started volunteering in Viviana Gradinaru's lab on molecular biology data projects
April
Multiplexed AAV selection paper published
This was a project for developing novel AAV variants to enhance their cell-type specificity and central nervous system transduction. I worked on the statistical analysis and machine learning of genomic data of viral vec-tors, and was able to get some bench work training. Skills developed: Machine learning, next generation sequencing data processing, Python numpy, scipy, scikit-learn, JSON, bacteria cloning, PCR, Tkinter
June
Became treasurer of the Caltech Graduate Student Council
I managed the finances for the GSC, and built a database via Airtable for making all transaction information public. I created form workflows for student purchasing and reimbursement, and integrated the GSC's finances with Caltech so that we could work more closely with the administration and let them handle the GSC's taxes.
January
Churyumov-Gerasimenko plume detection paper published
I worked on smart instrumentation prototyping for the Rosetta orbiter's instruments. We developed a pipeline to trace the nucleus of Churyumov-Gerasimenko in images with extreme light-dark contrast, detect potential plumes emitting from the nucleus, and cross-correlate them across time. Skills developed: Image filtering/processing, image histograms, edge tracing, geometric projections, MATLAB, SPICE
May
Deep Space Network software paper published
I worked with a small team on developing a Node.js-based website and backend for NASA's Deep Space Network team to manage their dish maintenance and operations scheduling. I worked mostly on the Mongo database schema and the API that served up data from the database.
October
Brain-computer interface project for people with cerebral palsy published
I programmed C++ extensions to BCI2000 to enable it to run a cognitive assessment test for people with cerebral palsy. Skills developed: BCI2000, Microsoft Visual Studio, real-time computing, EEG data analysis, GUI programming
April
Bone CLARITY paper published
I worked on software development for 3D image processing and data analysis of optically cleared bone tissue. Skills developed: MATLAB 3D microscopy data processing, statistical analysis, stereology techniques, image processing, automatic cell segmentation, MATLAB GUI development, light sheet microscopy hardware integration
February
Co-founded Neurable, LLC
I co-founded Neurable to help bring BCI technology developed during my undergraduate research at the University of Michigan to the clinical and consumer market. I primarily worked on de-veloping the technology, integrating it with dry EEG electrodes and adding new applications and visualization. I also worked with the other co-founders to do customer discovery, find funding sources, and present at trade shows. Skills developed: Customer discovery, investor pitching, dry electrodes, EEG data analysis
January
Coded Google Glass BCI application at MHacks hack-a-thon (got Impact & Innovation prize)
We integrated a Google Glass with BCI2000, an EEG cap, and an Arduino to enable brain control of some mock-up home controls (temperature, volume). This was in the hopes of moving BCIs one step closer to more practical, portable clinical applications.
May
BrainBot project: shared control of a 3D printed robotic arm using a brain-computer interface
We interfaced BCI software with a small 3D-printed robotic arm, enabling brain-based control of the arm’s move-ments. A camera detected balls available for pick-up in its environment. We wrote a support vector machine in C++ which anticipated the user's intent and engaged autonomous control to preemptively pick up balls. Skills developed: SVM, C++, inverse kinematics, computer vision for blob detection, publish-subscribe pattern
January
Took first steps into interfacing the biological and the digital with electrical biophysics class
May
Started classes at Lansing Community College
February -
April
Worked odd jobs in computer repair and data entry
December
Moved to Lansing, MI
September
Started higher math (linear algebra, calc II)
September
Started at New Mexico Tech for Computer Science
June
Graduated from Gig Harbor High School
September
Learned Database Design & SQL at Tacoma Community College
June
Participated in the Governor's School for Mathematics, Science and Technology at Lynchburg College
Over the summer course, a small team of us built a game together in C++ we called BlockMan. It was a block-like figure that walked around and had to solve block mazes. I primarily worked on the audio interface.
August
First programming class
November
Fabulous Marching Cavaliers get 8th place at Tournament of Bands Atlantic Coast Championships
I played alto saxophone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEj8qFayNvg
2001
August
Moved to Ypsilanti, MI and bought house, turned it into micro co-op
August
Started IB program at Princess Anne High School
2002
November
Fabulous Marching Cavaliers get 16th place at Tournament of Bands Atlantic Coast Championships
I played alto saxophone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m5tY_jHCUo
October
Started volunteering for the Refugee Development Center
I built and maintained a 12-computer network that connected to a network share hosted on a Windows server (running Windows XP). The clients run Windows XP with SteadyState with hard drive protection. I also helped organize and document their network.
May
Starting working at BIGGBY COFFEE
I joined BIGGBY as their first full-time tech person, and my initial responsibilities were general IT support and aggregating data from all the franchise locations into systemwide reports. This was dreadful, so I migrated the company from Excel-based analysis pipeline to a centralized SQL server reporting services platform integrated with a SharePoint intranet site. I designed the database housing 1 billion+ rows of sales data and developed custom reports for business analytics. I also maintained the company mail, active directory, and network share servers Skills developed: SQL database design, database indexing, SQL query optimization, Microsoft SQL server reporting services, SharePoint module development, Microsoft Exchange, Windows Server, Excel macros and formulas
October
Started building out BIGGBY tech support infrastructure with Chad Thornburg
I brought Chad on board and we brought maintenance and support of all systems in-house. This included corporate servers and networks and all 170+ retail locations' point-of-sale systems. This became a profitable standalone department within its first year and operated on a subscriber model from the franchisee community. Skills developed: Team management, inventory, budgeting and purchasing, Aloha point-of-sale, Windows workstation support, osTicket, remote and phone support, sales, customer service, LogMeIn, batch scripting
?
Started designing and building point-of-sale software with Kevin Kren
I brough Kevin on board and we built a proprietary point-of-sale software from the ground up as a tightly integrated system between sales, inventory, employees, payments, and customer loyalty. Real-time database synchronization between clients and central server, 100,000+ lines of code. Skills developed: C++, Qt/QML, GUI development, MySQL, SQLite, high reliability software design principles, SVN, credit card security, RESTful API, point-of-sale hardware integration
September
Started classes at University of Michigan
Computer science degree, take 2
October
Started playing Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Coincidence this happened right before the electrical biophysics class? I think not.
July
Started volunteering at University of Michigan's Direct Brain Interface lab
I implemented classification and training of a checkerboard flash pattern for EEG-based BCI control to BCI2000. I also designed and developed a custom module of BCI2000 to perform cognitive assessment using EEG. I organized and ran A/V support for the 2013 International BCI Meeting. Skills developed: BCI2000, Microsoft Visual Studio, real-time computing, EEG data analysis, GUI programming
October
Joined forces with Tatyana Dobreva
We met in a machine learning class, joining up to work on ML for EEG data. We quickly bonded over the idea of a research cooperative that builds synthetic organs. Nothing was ever the same again :)
December
Machine learning project to account for variable latency of P300 spikes in EEG data
We employed machine learning and feature extraction methods to improve brain-computer interface classification accuracy for patients which exhibited variable latency. Skills developed: MATLAB, EEG analysis, signal processing, linear discriminant analysis
Altruistic Effort
To see a more traditional CV, see my LinkedIn for work history and my ResearchGate for publication history.
May
Found blood self-collection device and started brainstorming ImYoo
2022
May
Started at Johnson & Johnson's JLABS
September
Started ImYoo at Illumina Accelerator
We started at Illumina Accelerator to jumpstart an immune variability database from self-collected blood samples
August
Defended PhD Thesis
My thesis collated my learnings about molecular biology, protein engineering, machine learning, and single-cell sequencing
June
Closed ImYoo's seed round and grew the team
June
ECoG stimulation paper published
I did some initial work on planning the experiments and building a virtual environment in Unity for patients with implanted electrodes to control a virtual arm. I ended up moving on to AAV/bioengineering work, and the virtual environment was never used, but they were kind enough to include me on the paper.