Grad student profile: Ryan Tennant, PhD, Systems Design Engineering
Finding
a
home
nearby
Growing up in Kitchener, Ryan knew he wanted to attend a university close to home. The University of Waterloo was always his first choice for post-secondary education primarily because of the “institution’s approach to challenging the status quo through innovation.”
Ryan was accepted into the first class of the Biomedical Engineering program within the Department of Systems Design in 2014, which was the perfect program for him as it combined his interests in healthcare and applied science.
Ryan developed a mobile app for COVID-19 clinics as part of his PhD.
During his undergrad at Waterloo, Ryan had the opportunity to worked with Dr. Catherine Burns and Dr. Kate Merceron his fourth-year capstone design project alongside his peers, which eventually extended into his master’s thesis. Later on, when he contemplated pursuing a PhD, his supervisors gave him the reassurance he needed to continue his learning.
Building a strong connection with his supervisors and obtaining industry experience through co-op placements helped Ryan choose graduate studies to focus on human factors in healthcare technologies.
Building his community
Alongside his PhD research, Ryan takes the initiative to give back to his community whenever possible. He is currently the student chapter president for the Waterloo Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, where he leads the coordination of events that provide a space for all students to learn about the diverse field of human factors and its applications in engineering research, academia and industry.
During the pandemic, Ryan was fortunate enough to be working at a research lab that valued collaboration, and through this, he was able to build a strong sense of community on campus.
As a grad student, Ryan stresses how valuable the Waterloo Library can be when developing and planning a research project. By utilizing this resource, he established a strong understanding of how research librarians can support graduate studies.
“The Waterloo Library is a fantastic resource for students conducting research. Department-specific research librarians can help you find resources beyond research articles, ranging from patents and international standards specific to your field, while guiding you in building a robust literature review.”
The study of human factors engineering
Ryan is currently studying human factors engineering, specifically its application in healthcare and medicine in the context of the rise in machine learning and data-driven systems that may be the future of supporting clinical reasoning and decision-making.
Human factors engineering is the integration of knowledge about human capabilities, limitations, and characteristics into design. The overarching objective is to improve human performance in complex systems, thereby protecting the safety and wellbeing of the community, and minimizing the risks of major accidents or adverse events.
Ryan is specifically looking at paediatric sepsis, which is especially challenging to predict compared to sepsis in adults. There are severe long-term effects that can occur if sepsis is not identified early enough and the correct treatments are not given in a timely manner. This challenge poses a significant opportunity to use data to support sepsis recognition.
“Connecting this to machine learning and data-driven tools, there's currently none that have been clinically validated for supporting clinicians predict paediatric sepsis earlier.”
My most memorable experience as a grad student
For Ryan, there’s no doubt that his most memorable experience as a grad student was working with the School of Pharmacy and the Region of Waterloo Public Health on a multidisciplinary COVID-19 vaccine clinic research study, where he engaged as both a student researcher and a volunteer.
The purpose of the research was to observe the clinics and identify ways to improve workflow and reduce stress in the dynamic environment with many changing variables and uncertainties.
His observations lead to designing and developing a mobile app in partnership with the nurses and pharmacists with the objective to keep the clinic staff organized, and helping to create an equilibrium between the vaccine preparation and client intake to ensure the best use of vaccine resources.
“It’s been one of the most visibly impactful community-based projects that I've probably ever worked on,” Ryan said.
Through this project, Ryan saw the positive effects of his research first-hand.
A few words for all those aspiring grad students
Having been through many experiences as a grad student and learned the value of collaboration, Ryan shared valuable advice for those who wish to pursue grad studies in the future.
“If you are thinking about graduate school, seek out opportunities to engage deeper in the subjects that you are interested in while you are still in undergrad. Whether that is through co-op, research assistantships, or even talking to a graduate student or faculty member who is working in the area you are interested in. If you take the step towards putting your foot in the door, you may find yourself stumbling into the perfect opportunity!”