Qi Kang - ECE PhD Student of the Month - January 2022
Qi Kang is a Ph.D. candidate in the Helen and John C. Hartmann Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). His advisor is Professor Mengchu Zhou and his Co-advisor is Professor Mesut Sahin from Biomedical department. His research is about Neural Modulation. This includes focused ultrasound stimulation (FUS) and transcranial electrical current stimulation (tECS). He has a journal (brain stimulation) publication about focused ultrasound stimulation on an anesthetized rat. He won the first prize in ECE’s first Ph.D. Stories contest in fall 2021.
What do you like most about NJIT?
I love the hardworking spirit I gained from NJIT. After studying at NJIT for more than two years, I start to realize there is an NJIT thing growing on me. Once after finishing an animal experiment around midnight, I just randomly looked back to the campus by the moment of driving away from the parking lot. There were a lot of lights still on in the buildings and people were working in there.
I’ve never considered myself smart. Trying as much as I can seems to be my usual first solution. But at that moment, I start to accept and enjoy being an average hard wringing student on a hardworking campus. NJIT offers me a chance to work with intelligent people. And the wise people here teach me that being hardworking is a just norm for research.
I am glad NJIT teaches me this valuable lesson every day on my way home.
What do you think would be an impactful move in your research area?
Humans never stop asking “why” in every field. With the help of machine learning, smart algorithms have already played an essential role in image recognition, traffic recognition, and self-driving. But what about the diseases which have already troubled humans for thousands of years. After combining advanced data analysis algorithms and biomedical applications, any discovery can be the trigger for the following revolutionary change.
What I am doing is highly related to cerebellum neuron modulation. Different recording methods on different positions can lead to a new understanding of the cerebellum. And new stimulation method can give us a deeper understanding of neuron firing. All these have the potential to become an impactful move on brain science.
If you have been a teaching assistant, please describe your teaching experience.
I have been working as TA since 2019 Fall. I have assisted in teaching and grading for both undergraduate and graduate courses. Several points below are summarized from my experience. Hoping this can help the other TAs:
1. Do not over-prepare
I believe every TA gets a little bit nervous before TAing any class. Unfortunately, this may make us prepare too many things before the class. In the end, students usually can memorize so much. Do not try to cover every single word from the textbook. Focusing on the most important things is the best solution.
2. It is OK to answer questions start with “I am not sure.”
It is impossible to predict what kind of questions students may ask. Never be afraid to say, “sorry, I don’t know.” But keep following up on the questions. Take some time and get back to the student with the correct answer. It will not only deepen their understanding but also refresh their memory.
3. Use all the help
Nowadays, most students submit their homework through Canvas, and get graded on Canvas. Consider TA work as a research project, and we use python, R, and MATLAB to do data analysis. Why can’t we use them to help managing student progress? Be as much efficient as you can.
What are some of the most mesmerizing moments during your time at NJIT?
There are so many images that suddenly flush to my mind. When I came to NJIT for the first time I met with Dr. Zhou. My first presentation to the group was my experience prior to joining NJIT. And of course, my first animal surgery. Also the very first moment when I saw the clear modulation in rat cerebellum.
If I must pick one, I would like to choose the moment after teaching a last session of ECE 231 on a Friday afternoon. On my way back to the lab, one student from my class came and said: ”Hey Qi, thanks for the help. I learned a lot from you.”
Where do you (hope to) see yourself in five years?
I always consider myself a problem solver. And doing research is like working out in a “brain” gym. I enjoy this training a lot. In five years, I would like to keep working in research and hoping that I can answer some questions which humans may use in the future. Maybe I will be a faculty member in a high research active institution. But at least, I should be happy enough from all the workouts for my brain.
What is it like being co-advised by biomedical faculty and doing interdisciplinary research?
We are always saying we must be as objective as we can during the research. But after we dive in, there is always too much fun to catch. It would be easier for me to choose the straight path for the final goal with a different perspective. In the biomedical field the first question always is, how it will help humans. For me, it’s more like applying what I have learned to practical applications. All the circuit knowledge is not just in the simulation software anymore. Considering some brain parts as a resistor, we can start to build a stimulation electrode. It is not learning something completely new. It’s more like deepening the knowledge for an innovative new application.
In the beginning, I thought the work might be heavy. But surprisingly, both advisors are facilitating a flexible schedule. I feel what truly matters is having clear reasoning. Knowing what you should do is always the first rule. The work is still challenging with continuous progress, but it should sharpen your mind every day.