Shivek Narang

I'm a senior at the University of Pennsylvania, pursuing an accelerated Master’s in bioengineering alongside a double major in neuroscience and cognitive science, with minors in healthcare management, data science, and chemistry.

My academic and professional interests sit at the intersection of neuroscience, bioengineering, global health, and genetics, with a focus on advancing health equity through innovative and community-based approaches.

My experiences span a range of global health efforts—from analyzing brain connectivity in traumatic brain injury (TBI) at the Center for Neuroengineering and Therapeutics (CNT) , to improving care accessibility in rural India at the Aravind Eye Care System, and supporting biomarker discovery through EEG-TMS neuroimaging research.

I lead Empowerment Through Recovery, a peer support program for TBI survivors, and founded Our Teen Brains, a nonprofit that equips adolescents with tools to navigate mental health challenges. Through GreenTeamPower, I also engage with communities affected by climate change, particularly in low-resource settings.

At the heart of my work is a commitment to serving communities—especially those historically underrepresented or underserved in healthcare. Whether through education, advocacy, research, or innovation, I aim to support programs and initiatives that make meaningful, culturally relevant impact—especially by working directly with patients and communities in rural, underdeveloped, and underserved settings. Feel free to reach out at shivekn@sas.upenn.edu or connect with me on via LinkedIn.

Research

Researcher | Penn Center for Neuroengineering and Therapeutics (CNT) | Perelman School of Medicine, PA, US May 2023 – Present
Advisor: Dr. James J. Gugger
Correlating the effect of the size and location of TBI-induced lesions on the likelihood of developing epilepsy through functional connectivity mapping. The goal is to understand how lesions are related to epilepsy risk post-brain injury by analyzing functional connectivity networks in the brain.
Presentation Link
Presentation at AAN: Presented research at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) annual conference in Denver.
Conference Presentation Link
Award: Recipient of the Mind Your Brain Fellowship (MYBF) Award.
MYBF Fellowship Link

Researcher | Aravind Eye Hospital, Neuro-Ophthalmology Department | Madurai, India, June 2024 – Present
Advisor: Dr. A. Kowsalya
Studied diagnosis accuracy and barriers to patient attendance in neuro-ophthalmology, with a focus on underserved populations.
Design culturally adapted solutions to streamline care for rural patients, addressing both logistical and cultural barriers to improve follow-up and access to healthcare.
Blog: Eye Camps, Vision Centers, Tertiary Hospitals, and Everything In Between
Program Winners: CASI UPenn 2024 Winners

Researcher | Halpern Labs | Perelman School of Medicine, PA, US May 2022 – Present
Advisor: Dr. Casey Halpern
Identified a zona incerta biomarker to differentiate the anticipation of differently valued reward responses.
Employed EEG-TMS to noninvasively map neural responses to external stimuli.
Published in PubMed.gov The differences between same-day and staged (circumferential) fusion - analyzing staged vs. non-staged surgery in Adult Spinal Deformity.

Research Assistant | Cherry Labs, Department of Genetics | Stanford School of Medicine, CA, US June 2019 – Jan 2021
Advisor: Dr. J. Seth
Developed a measure of the importance of each genomic position using conservation-associated activity scores to aggregate information across cell types.
Research Presentation

Research Assistant | Stanford Neuro Imaging Department | Stanford School of Medicine, CA, US May 2017 – April 2021
Advisor: Dr. M. Wintermark
Worked on research using MR-guided focused ultrasound to temporarily open the blood-brain barrier for epilepsy treatment in rats.
Published in Experimental Neurology Non-invasive, neurotoxic surgery reduces seizures in a rat model of temporal lobe epilepsy

Research Assistant | Stanford Neuro Imaging Department, Zaharchuk Labs | Stanford School of Medicine, CA, US May 2017 – April 2021
Advisor: Yuan Xie
Worked on machine learning projects to identify metastatic tumors in patients' MRI scans.
Developed machine learning models to predict patient outcomes based on the analysis of stroke biomarkers at admission for acute ischemic stroke.

Researcher | Berkeley Aspiring Scholar Research Program, CA, US June 2017 – Aug 2018
Created a model of how a cancer tumor develops, evolves, and grows over time based on various molecular cues and their spatial distribution.
Co-author of a research paper: Agent-based modeling of Cancer Metastasis & Tumor Evolution.

Garcia Scholar | Stony Brook University, NY, US May 2020 – Dec 2021
Advisor: Dr. Miriam Rafailovich
Conducted research on neurogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells based on substrate mechanics and presented at MRS, November 2020.
Presented research: Presented research Neurogenic Differentiation of Dental Pulp Stem Cells at the Materials Research Society International conference

Rockefeller SSRP Scholar | Rockefeller University, NY, US May 2020 – Aug 2020
Advisor: Dr. Jeanne Garbarino
Modeled the role and relationship of Amyloid Beta 40 and 42 and phospholipids in Alzheimer's disease, studying its correlation with other neurodegenerative diseases.
Presented research: Presented research followed by Effect of the Phospholipid Bilayer Membranes and Phosphorylation on Amyloid-Beta Aggregation at American Museum of Natural History (AMNH).

Independent Researcher, CA, US May 2019 – Aug 2021
Advisor: Dr. Anuj Mankad
Correlated changes in the stability of protein secondary structure and functionality to changes in polypeptide sequences due to missense mutations using in silico models.
Presentation Link: Predicting the Effect of Novel Missense Mutations in Neurological Disorders on Protein

Leadership

Founder & Director | Empowerment Through Recovery | Initiative, Aug 2024 – Present
Launched a student-driven support program connecting university students with traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors to reduce isolation, foster resilience, and build community through weekly companionship and group activities. Developed partnerships with Penn Medicine and local support organizations to co-create workshops, community engagement events, and culturally sensitive healing spaces.

Co-Founder | GreenTeamPower | Nonprofit, May 2022 – Present
Advocate for sustainable practices and raising awareness about the importance of environmental conservation. Our goal is to contribute to a greener future and mitigate the adverse health consequences associated with climate change.
Published Book Keeping our Planet Green: Young Scientists' Perspective on Environmental Stewardship

President | OurTeenBrains | Nonprofit, May 2017 – Present
Facilitate presentations and educational sessions to spread knowledge and awareness of the brain targeted towards teenagers and their caregivers and support teenagers deal with anxiety, peer pressure, stress, substance abuse.
Podcast https://ourteenbrains.com/podcasts/
Presentations https://ourteenbrains.com/presentations/
Blogs https://ourteenbrains.com/blogs/

Volunteer | NutritionNow | Student Led Organization, May 2019 – Present
Volunteer at local food banks to combat food insecurity, raising over $3000 for Feeding America
Advocate for the harmful effects and dangers of malnutrition in my communities

Wharton Healthcare Career Development Committee Leader | Wharton Undergraduate Healthcare Club, PA September 2022 – Present
Liaison between undergraduates at Penn and the corporate world. We organize opportunities for students to personally interact with corporate leaders in medicine, healthcare financing, and public policy.

Teaching

TA | Introduction To Cognitive Science | University of Pennsylvania, Sep  2024 – Present
TA for COGS 1001-401 202430 Introduction To Cognitive Science

Chemistry Tutor | Weingarten Center | University of Pennsylvania, Sep  2022 – Present
Provide Chemistry tutoring sessions for undergraduate student community

West Philadelphia Tutoring Project Tutor | Civic House, PA, September 2022 – Present
Weekly tutoring sessions for Philadelphia students and building community.

University of Pennsylvania Peer Career Advisor | Career Service Department, PA, September 2022 – May 2023
Provide career advice counseling to students along with resume and cover letter reviews.

ASPIRE (Asian Students promoting identity, Reflection, and Education), Program Facilitator | PAACH ((Pan Asian American Community House), Philadelphia, PA
Organize and mobilize understanding of current sociopolitical issues and events

Penn Neuroscience Journal Committee
Engage with and synthesize recent, breakthrough neuroscientific literature.

President, Bay Area Society of Neurosciences
Organized 50+ events including monthly speaker events, Q&A sessions, and hands-on experience for high school students in the areas of cognitive neurosciences Bay Area Libraries
Led multiple three-hour brain dissection events each with turnaround of 100+ students and adults in Bay Area libraries, schools, and youth forums
Oversaw daily execution of 70+ members across 27 Bay Area schools and set up team's vision and strategy for the year while providing mentorship for junior members

Projects

Evolutionary Genomics Research: Primate Phylogenetics
I conducted a detailed analysis of the evolutionary relationships among baboon species (Papio genus) by leveraging advanced bioinformatics tools and computational techniques. Using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) data, I constructed phylogenetic trees, calculated pairwise genetic distances, and assessed evolutionary rates to uncover maternal lineage relationships and divergence patterns. This research utilized technologies such as NCBI GenBank for sequence retrieval, MAFFT for multiple sequence alignment, and MEGA11 for phylogenetic tree construction and evolutionary distance calculations. Python, combined with the pandas library, was employed to extract and analyze branch lengths from phylogenetic tree data.

GlucaLink: Digital Health Solution for Prenatal Diabetes Management
I co-developed GlucaLink, a digital health platform designed to optimize diabetes management during pregnancy by consolidating remote glucose monitoring, reducing provider burden, and improving maternal and neonatal outcomes. The system integrates real-time alerts, predictive analytics, patient-specific reminders, and an accessible, user-friendly interface. We used Python for automation, Figma for interface design, and machine learning for predictive care. GlucaLink addresses gaps in current care by reducing manual errors, enhancing user experience, and supporting scalability for broader adoption in prenatal care.

Yelp Reviews in Healthcare: Sentiment Analysis and Predictive Modeling of Quality Ratings
This research explores the use of Yelp reviews to analyze a large dataset on healthcare institutions, focusing on sentiment analysis and predictive modeling of star ratings. It emphasizes the importance of patient-centric care and the challenges in quantifying healthcare quality. The paper discusses the correlation between Yelp reviews and healthcare quality, addressing the need for reliable and patient-focused tools in healthcare evaluation.

Stage Synthesis of 1-BROMO-3-CHLORO-5-IODOBENZENE from Aniline
This paper outlines a six-stage synthesis reaction for the conversion of aniline into 1-bromo-3-chloro-5-iodobenzene. The process involves acetylation to protect the amine group, followed by bromination and chlorination in successive steps. Hydrolysis is then employed to remove the protecting group, and iodination is carried out, concluding with deamination to eliminate the amine. Electrophilic aromatic substitution (EAS) with ortho, para, and meta directing groups directs the addition of various halogen groups. The products are extracted through recrystallization and vacuum filtration. Purity is ensured through melting point, 1HNMR, and IR spectra analyses at each stage, resulting in an overall synthesis yield of 8.09%.

The Digital Transformation of Health Care
This paper analyzes the digital health strategies of four major tech companies—Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Apple—based on their recent market activities (acquisitions, new products/services, partnerships, and key hires). Our project aims to: 1. Define each company's digital health strategy. 2. Outline each company's strategic strengths and risk factors. 3. Identify their potential and actual competitors. Our objective is to determine which of these companies is best positioned for success in the digital health field.

Health Care Entrepreneurship
We designed and developed a marketing strategy for Crush’n Flush, an innovative automated medication grinder and dissolver for patients with feeding tubes. Our pitch deck for Crush’n Flush showcases how it can automatically crush, dissolve, and prepare non-liquid medications for patients with an enteral access device (i.e., a feeding tube).

Big Data Analytics-Machine Learning Model to classify Credit card Fraud
Credit card scams and fraudulent transactions is an increasingly relevant issue with credit card companies facing pressure to identify them and protect their customers. In this analysis, we build a predictive model to use a set of chosen characteristics to classify transactions as fraudulent or legitimate. We employed a variety of machine learning based approaches, carefully analyzing the benefits and drawbacks of each before coming to a final model. Collab file - A predictive model to classify Credit Card Fraud
Presentation - Credit Card Fraud Classifier-predictive model to use a set of chosen characteristics to classify transactions as fraudulent or legitimate

Developing Predictive models for assessing Epilepsy Risk
Research paper