Nathan Shepard

Education

Many complementary opportunities and experiences have led me towards an interest in the biomedical device field generally and towards neural prosthesis specifically.

High School

I graduated high school in 2003 with a rigorous International Baccalaureate Diploma and as a National Merit Scholar.

Undergraduate

Upon graduation from high school, I was awarded a full, merit-based scholarship from the University of Texas at Austin (UT) to pursue an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering.

It was during my sophomore year at UT that I read an article in Scientific American on epiretinal implants that inspired my interest in visual prosthesis. Upon further research of neuroprosthesis work in progress at Johns Hopkins, USC, and UCSD, I decided to pursue this admittedly narrow field as a career goal.

My education at UT afforded me relevant experience in designing and building high-gain, high-SNR biomedical devices from components, including an electromyogram, an electrocardiogram, an electrooculogram, and an electroencephalogram.  In May, 2006, I graduated UT with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering with emphasis in biomedical engineering and high-speed digital signal and image processing.

Graduate

Successes with biomedical devices furthered my interest; however, my electrical engineering education lacked an in-depth study of physiology. In order to meet this need, I applied for a rigorous masters program in bioengineering at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) working in the Jacobs Retina Center under Dr. Gabe Silva. 

At UCSD, I was exposed to the relevant neurophysiology of the eye, and I was privileged to do my research in conjunction with the Silva Research Group, imaging and quantifying the neural retina. I defended my thesis in September, 2007, and in December, 2007, I graduated UCSD with a Master of Science degree in Bioengineering.