Curriculum Vitae
Biomedical Engineering alumnus from Duke University (BSE, '26) specializing in medical device R&D, with hands-on experience designing, prototyping, and validating hardware from PCB-level electronics to mechanical enclosures. Comfortable across embedded systems (C/C++, RTOS, ESP32) and benchtop testing under ISO/FDA-conscious development, with clinical research and leadership experience that bridges engineering and real-world clinical workflows. Most recently an R&D Engineer at Reselute Medical and a Classroom R&D Engineer in Duke's BME department, designing and validating electronic lab hardware used by students every day. Co-founder of P.A.T.S. Development, where our team built an arterial line training device in collaboration with Duke Med, backed by a $5K VentureWell grant and a provisional patent. Actively seeking full-time roles in medical device engineering, embedded systems, or hardware R&D.
Education
Duke University · BS Biomedical Engineering
August 2022 to May 2026 · Durham, NC- Relevant Coursework: Biomaterials, Biomechanics, Medical Device Design, Embedded Medical Devices, Imaging Systems
Engineering Experience
Research and Development Engineer
December 2025 to May 2026 at Reselute Medical · Durham, NC- Designed, validated, and implemented novel bacterial testing protocols to support product evaluation efforts.
- Conducted literature reviews and synthesized prior research to inform experimental design.
- Documented and analyzed experimental results to support iterative design decisions and technical reporting.
Classroom R&D Engineer
April 2025 to May 2026 at Duke University BME Department · Durham, NC- Designed, fabricated, and assembled electronic laboratory hardware for deployment across BME teaching labs.
- Developed a stimulus-responsive EKG simulator generating physiologically accurate signals for lab use.
- Validated hardware performance under extended use conditions to ensure durability and safety.
Makerspace Assistant Manager
August 2023 to May 2024 at The Foundry at Duke University · Durham, NC- Supervised day-to-day operations of the Foundry makerspace, supporting student use of fabrication equipment.
- Trained and onboarded users on safe operation of 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC machines, and electronics tools.
- Coordinated maintenance schedules and ensured compliance with safety standards across the facility.
Engineering Design Teaching Assistant
August 2023 to June 2024 at Duke University BME Department · Durham, NC- Mentored student teams through end-to-end engineering design and prototyping workflows.
- Supported hardware and CAD development for client-driven design projects.
- Evaluated technical deliverables and design reviews.
- Oversaw safe use of machine shop equipment.
Engineering Services Intern
July 2023 to August 2024 at City of Corpus Christi Large Projects Division · Corpus Christi, TX- Developed and implemented a streamlined workflow that accelerated city audit processes, improving efficiency and reducing processing time.
- Assisted in the bidding process by organizing and managing files, ensuring accurate and accessible documentation.
- Identified and exposed discrepancies between contractor agreements and city contracts, contributing to improved contract compliance.
Research Experience
Clinical Research Associate
June 2023 to August 2024 at CHRISTUS Spohn Health System · Corpus Christi, TX- Supported emergency medicine clinical studies through compliant data collection and EMR review.
- Collected and documented patient consent per IRB and FDA guidelines.
- Collaborated with physicians, residents, and research staff to support ongoing clinical investigations.
Patents
Device and Methods for Arterial Insertion Training
US Provisional Patent No. 63/463,432 · Filed May 2, 2023Projects
CLAB-Free · CLABSI Prevention Device
🔗 View Project · Duke BME Senior Capstone- Developed a handheld UV-C disinfection device for central-line hubs, targeting the ~40,000 annual CLABSIs and removing dependence on nurse compliance with the Scrub-the-Hub protocol.
- Engineered three custom KiCad PCBs and an SLA 3D-printed enclosure, validating a 4-log CFU reduction and 2.49 mW optical output in the 263–273 nm germicidal window.
Stimulus-Responsive ECG Synthesizer
🔗 View Project- Designed and built an ESP32 ECG synthesizer (C++/FreeRTOS) with a custom differential analog output stage targeting standard limb-lead outputs.
- Enabled repeatable bench validation of ECG acquisition hardware and signal-processing algorithms.
Browser Games
🔗 View Project- Built a collection of eight self-contained browser games (Snake, 2048, Tower Defense, Flappy Bird, and more) in React and TypeScript using a registry-driven architecture and a reusable game-player component.
Radial Arterial Line Placement Training Device
🔗 View Project · VentureWell Summer 2023 Cohort- Co-developed a durable, anatomically accurate arterial line placement training device to address the shortage of realistic, reusable simulation tools for radial a-line insertion training.
- Iterated through multiple prototype revisions incorporating clinician and user feedback to improve pulse simulation fidelity, tissue realism, and durability under repeated needle insertions.
Factory Scheduling & KPI Reporting API
🔗 View Project- Built a constraint-based production scheduling service on OR-Tools CP-SAT that accepts job-shop problems as JSON and returns tardiness-minimizing schedules with KPIs.
- Architected a FastAPI backend with pluggable adapter, objective, and constraint systems, paired with a React + TypeScript Gantt frontend.
BME 354 Multi-Chip IC Tester
🔗 View Project- Designed a custom KiCad PCB to validate multiple integrated circuits for Duke BME 354 coursework.
PET/CT Brain Phantom Simulator
🔗 View Project- Built a physics-based PET/CT brain phantom simulator in Python and Jupyter, implementing phantom generation, CT simulation, and PET simulation pipelines for medical imaging education.
Dog Activity Trackers
🔗 View Project · Duke EGR 101 Consulting TA- Served as consulting TA for two Duke EGR 101 Foundry teams building wearable GPS and accelerometer trackers for foster dogs at Saving Grace Animal Shelter.
- Guided students through sensor selection, prototyping, and iteration on a real-world wearable.
NicholasTrigger.com Portfolio Website
🔗 View Project- Built a personal portfolio site in React, Vite, and Tailwind CSS, statically prerendered for GitHub Pages, with site-wide custom features.
Leadership & Extracurricular Involvement
Co-Founder & Developer · P.A.T.S. Development
August 2023 to May 2026 · Durham, NC- Led development of a medical training device focused on improving arterial line placement accuracy.
- Directed device design, prototyping, and iterative testing in collaboration with other students and Duke Med School.
- Secured a $5,000 VentureWell grant to support continued device development.
Community Outreach Manager & Class Lead · Duke Robotics Mentorship (DuRM)
October 2023 to April 2025 · Triangle, NC- Led weekly robotics instruction sessions for middle school students in Durham-area schools.
- Managed communication and coordination between Duke undergraduate mentors and partner schools.
Equipment & Safety Chair · Duke University Club Ski and Board
August 2023 to May 2026 · Durham, NC- Oversaw equipment inventory, inspection, and maintenance to ensure compliance with safety standards.
- Coordinated equipment logistics and distribution to support club operations and travel.
Payload Team Engineer · Duke University Club Aerospace
August 2023 to May 2025 · Durham, NC- Developed embedded firmware to control payload release sequencing and system timing.
- Contributed to the development and integration of a CubeSat-style payload for a student-led rocket mission.
Founder, Event Manager & Team Lead · RunCorpusChristi
August 2020 to July 2022 · Corpus Christi, TX- Organized charity running events across Corpus Christi, TX.
- Raised over $10,000 for the Ronald McDonald House and Driscoll Children's Hospital.
Fish & Herpetology Volunteer · Texas State Aquarium
May 2017 to April 2020 · Corpus Christi, TX- Provided animal care through maintenance, enrichment, and feeding.
- Educated guests on animals and environmental threats to wildlife.
- Received the President's Gold Award for Volunteer Service.
Certifications
- CSSC: Lean Six Sigma White Belt
- Nordic Semiconductor: nRF Connect SDK Fundamentals
- Nordic Semiconductor: Matter Fundamentals
- 🔗 CITI Program: Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC) Foundations
- 🔗 CITI Program: Principal Investigator; Sub Investigators; CRC's (Human Subjects)
Skills
Biomedical Engineering
- BioSignal Processing
- Medical Device Prototyping
- Biomechanics
- X-ray, CT, MRI & PET
- Medical Image Processing
- ISO Standards
- FDA Regulations
- EMG
- Bacterial Testing
- Phantom Development
- Medical Firmware
- Verification & Validation
- Bench Testing
- System Validation
- Data Collection & Analysis
Mechanical CAD
- SOLIDWORKS
- Fusion 360
- AutoCAD
- Onshape
- GD&T
Electrical CAD & Embedded Systems
- KiCad
- EAGLE
- PCB Design, Layout, and Stackup
- PCB Triage
- C/C++
- Embedded C
- FreeRTOS
- Zephyr RTOS
Communication Protocols
- SPI
- I2C
- UART
- CAN
- USB
- BLE
Programming
- Python
- C / C++
- JavaScript
- TypeScript
- SQL
- HTML & CSS
- LaTeX
- Git, GitHub & GitLab
Prototyping & Manufacturing
- 3D Printing (FDM)
- CNC & Manual Machining
- Laser Cutting
- Waterjet Cutting
- PCB Fabrication
- PCB Assembly
- Bench Testing & Validation