A crepe cake.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s how Camille Cunin describes the polymer-metal \u201csandwiches\u201d that became a highlight of her doctoral thesis at MIT\u2019s Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE). Over close to five years, these composites were a key component of her research on bioelectronics \u2014 devices designed to interface with the human body.<\/p>\n
Cunin completed her PhD in February \u2014 she\u2019ll attend Commencement later this month \u2014 but traces her interest in bioelectronics to a formative summer internship at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston in 2019. There, she saw a patient with Parkinson\u2019s disease struggle to swallow a tethered \u201ccapsule\u201d intended to function as an exploratory gut probe. The device failed, and the gap between lab-based design and real life became all too apparent.<\/p>\n
The incident validated the career path Cunin had already begun to pursue: to make usable products that have a positive impact on people\u2019s lives. It\u2019s a purpose that hasn\u2019t gone unnoticed. \u201cSome might be happy with a sketch of a concept and no actual demonstration, but Camille has a remarkable ability in that she wants to do materials science that can translate to real-world applications,\u201d says her advisor, Aristide Gumyusenge.<\/p>\n
Building blocks<\/p>\n
The daughter of a psychologist and an engineer, Cunin grew up in Paris, encouraged by her parents to be curious about the world around her. Lego blocks featured prominently in her childhood. When her father found some old lights in a box in the attic, 9-year-old Camille strung them to decorate her Lego castle by creating a circuit, complete with a fuse.<\/p>\n
Strong grades earned her a spot in France\u2019s elite post-secondary preparatory classes for admission to the country\u2019s prestigious grandes \u00e9coles. The intensive and competitive prep classes, however, left Cunin with a sour aftertaste \u2014 \u201cfor a while I hated science, because the environment was too competitive for me,\u201d she says \u2014 and a bit rudderless in engineering school.<\/p>\n
It was the research internship thousands of miles from home, at MGH \u2014 part of her master\u2019s in engineering at \u00c9cole Centrale de Marseille in France \u2014 that rebooted her love of science. The open-ended nature of research appealed to her curiosity and helped her regain confidence in solving problems. She was delighted to be accepted at MIT DMSE for her doctoral studies. \u201cIn Boston, I thrived in collaborative environments, and it felt like anything was possible,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Stretching possibilities<\/p>\n
Before starting at MIT, Cunin had a wealth of interdisciplinary experience, from internships and her graduate studies. Unsure about how to slot it all together, she was looking for an advisor at a time when Gumyusenge, the Henry L. Doherty Career Development Professor in Ocean Utilization and assistant professor of materials science and engineering, was himself just establishing his lab at DMSE.<\/p>\n
When Gumyusenge shared plans to work on projects to turn biological signals into electronic data, Cunin was excited to build on her prior research in biomedical devices. \u201cHere was a chance to fine-tune the materials and to optimize the performance of bioelectronic devices. I really felt I could leverage my strengths in Aristide\u2019s lab,\u201d she remembers.<\/p>\n
Gumyusenge proved a great fit, supporting Cunin\u2019s broad research ambitions while helping her shape and integrate them into a coherent doctoral project. She tackled everything from developing and characterizing new materials to fabricating transistors and learning surgery to test the devices in animal models. The final dissertation focused on organic transistors, which boost body signals for easier detection in soft electronics.<\/p>\n
Biological signals, like those from nerves in the body, are weak, and transistors amplify them so they can be measured. The challenge with developing bioelectronic devices is that traditional components are hard and rigid, while the human body is not. Devices must perform as needed and be soft and flexible to avoid irritating human tissue.<\/p>\n
Another complication: Biological processes involve charged ions moving through fluids, while electronics rely on electrons moving through materials. Before transistors can amplify signals, they first have to convert biological signals into electronic ones for circuits to pick up.<\/p>\n
Cunin\u2019s transistor design needed to solve two major challenges: first, to facilitate the movement of electrons and ions in the \u201cchannel,\u201d the hub of all signal activity, in soft, hydrated environments; and second, to be pliable enough to conform to the human body.<\/p>\n
It was no easy task.<\/p>\n
Elegant simplicity<\/p>\n