About
I'm Ragul — an Engineering Science student in the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State. At heart, I'm interested in computational modeling: I like taking a messy physical or biological system and finding the right mathematical and computational description of it. More and more, that work runs through deep learning — using neural networks to model behavior that's hard to write down by hand. Neural engineering is where I most love to apply all of it.
I'm also the creator of C.A.R.E., a roughly $50 real-time ECG device built on a simple idea: life-saving technology shouldn't be limited by cost. It reached the finals of the Nittany AI Challenge, but what matters most to me is that it might one day support care in under-resourced settings.
Outside the lab, I serve as Vice President of Penn State's Quantum Society, where we explore ideas that stretch intuition. Alongside, I spend a good amount of time teaching mathematics, too, which keeps me honest about explaining hard things simply.
What guides me
To me, innovation isn't a buzzword — it's a responsibility. Good healthcare shouldn't be a privilege; it should be something we can all count on.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science — Neural Engineering Concentration
Schreyer Honors College, The Pennsylvania State University · Expected Spring 2028
Engineering Science is a deliberately broad foundation — physics, biology, mathematics, and computation studied closely enough to work across them. The neural engineering concentration lets me point that foundation at the brain and the body.
Schreyer Honors Scholar & Dean's List, all semesters
Relevant Coursework: Physiological Systems · Molecular & Cellular Biology · Neurobiology · Differential Equations · Linear Algebra · Calculus I, II & III · Computational Methods · C++ · Circuits & Devices · Wave/Particle Physics · Thermodynamics and Modelling of Systems
Degree Progress
Semester 1 Courses
- Calculus I
- Physics I
- Engineering Seminar
- Rhetoric and Composition
Semester 2 Courses
- Physics II
- C++ & Matlab
- Calculus II
- Chemistry I
- Macro Economics
Semester 3 Courses
- Linear Algebra
- Wave & Quantum Physics
- CHEM-I Lab
- Calculus III
- Engineering Design
- Biochemistry - Cell
Semester 4
- Analysis of Physiological Systems
- Differential Equation
- Thermodynamics Modeling (Honors)
- Statics
- Calculus III
Semester 5
- Dynamics
- Eng. Application of Wave Particles
- Circuits and Devices
- Computer Methods in Eng.
- Research Lab Exp.
- Neurobiology
Skills & Tools
Mostly computational modelling and deep learning — with the signal, imaging, and systems background that lets me point them at real problems.
Computational Modelling & Simulation
- Mathematical modelling
- Physiological systems modelling
- Wave propagation
- Inverse problems
- Simulink
- Schrödinger Maestro
Deep Learning & Machine Learning
- PyTorch
- Neural networks
- Physics-informed neural networks
- CNNs
- Model training & evaluation
- Data pipelines
Programming & Scientific Computing
- Python
- NumPy
- SciPy
- Pandas
- MATLAB
- C++
- Linux
- HPC Cluster Computing
- Bash
- SLURM
Signal & Image Processing
- Fourier analysis
- FFT / DFT
- Digital filtering
- Convolution & correlation
- Transfer functions
- ECG & ultrasound analysis
Experience
Research, teaching, and the work in between. Select a card to read more.
Undergraduate Researcher
- Advised by Dr. Sri-Rajasekhar Kothapalli, studying how the skull distorts functional ultrasound (fUS) imaging of the brain.
- Working on physics-informed neural networks to improve the imaging quality.
- My other focuses includes: signal processing, spatio-temporal model rendering, and image-based inference for clinical integration.
Undergraduate Student Researcher
- Working at the intersection of reproducibility and computational biology.
- Validating mass-spectrometry processing pipelines against published bottom-up proteomics studies — essentially testing how much we can trust high-throughput protein quantification.
- Hands-on with SILAC labeling analysis, peptide-to-protein inference, batch correction, and comparative quantification metrics.
- Advised by Dr. Ian Sitarik and Dr. Alexis Morrissey.
Student Researcher (NRRE)
- Applied graph genome assemblies to bacterial genomics, where single linear references struggle to capture the diversity and rapid evolution of bacterial species.
- Built graph genomes from representative strains using ODGI and vg, then compared alignment against linear references.
- Found clear reference bias in linear alignment and improved biological representation with graph genomes.
- Aimed to show that graph genomes are useful well beyond model organisms like E. coli.
Vice President & Treasurer
- Help plan and run the society alongside the President, and manage its finances as Treasurer.
- Coordinate interdisciplinary seminars and workshops across quantum computing, physics, and engineering.
- Build partnerships with faculty and student groups to make the events and space genuinely cross-disciplinary and welcoming.
Mathematics Grader
- Grade homework, quizzes, and assignments with consistency and care.
- Return timely feedback so students can keep pace with the course.
- Follow faculty guidelines to keep grading fair and dependable.
Mathematics Learning Assistant
- Work with students and faculty to make math click — small-group activities and evening problem-solving sessions.
- Part of Eberly College's Learning Assistant initiative, which puts undergraduates into the classroom as near-peer guides.
- Easily the part of my week that taught me the most about explaining hard things simply.
Risk Management Proctor
- Oversaw and monitored examinations to ensure academic integrity at Penn State University.
- Maintained a secure testing environment, ensuring adherence to exam rules and regulations.
Affiliations
Projects
C.A.R.E. — Compact, Affordable, Real-time ECG
Nittany AI Challenge · 2025 · Finalist
A roughly $50 real-time ECG platform built on a simple conviction: life-saving monitoring shouldn't depend on the size of a hospital's budget. Designed with under-resourced settings in mind.
- Acquisition front-end built on the AD8232 analog stage and an Adafruit Metro (ATmega328p) microcontroller.
- Sampling pipeline running at ~500 Hz with 10-bit ADC resolution.
- Signal-conditioning chain with ~100× gain and a 0.5–40 Hz bandpass to isolate the cardiac signal.
Graph vs. Linear Genomes for Bacterial Analysis
NRRE Program · NSF NCEMS · 2025–2026
A comparison of graph and linear reference genomes for aligning bacterial sequencing data, motivated by how poorly a single reference captures bacterial diversity.
- Aligned 6.9M Illumina reads (SRA: SRR10480733) with
vg giraffeagainst both graph and linear references. - Showed reference bias in linear alignment — 92.64% vs 87.08% mapping rate — with graph genomes giving a more faithful biological picture.
- Analyzed strain-level read distribution, finding dominant similarity to non-reference strains (17.2% vs 3.5% to the reference).
Certifications
Computational Neuroscience
University of Washington · Apr 2025
Credential ID: LZRIENMASKVP
Show Credential
Recognition
People's Choice Award
Capstone Project Showcase, Fall 2025 — voted by attendees for our EDSGN 100 team project.
Nittany AI Challenge Finalist
2025 — reached the finals with C.A.R.E., among 100+ competing teams.
Dean's List
Every semester to date — Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025, Spring 2026.
State Best Child Award — Innovative Science
Jawahar Bal Bhavan — for early work in science and innovation.
Beyond Research
Languages
As a dedicated student of the warrior's tongue, I am honored to be a member of the Klingon Language Institute. I am passionate about learning and preserving "tlhIngan Hol" (the Klingon language). Qapla'!
Teaching & mentoring
Some of my favorite hours are spent at a whiteboard with a student who's one explanation away from getting it. Teaching keeps my own understanding honest.
Coffee & quiet curiosity
I do my best thinking in cafés — from the ones around State College to the small places back home in Karaikal — usually with a notebook and one too many questions.