Charmaine Tan

Bioengineering, University of California-Los Angeles

Charmaine Tan grew up in Temecula, CA, and earned her Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering from the University of California, Los Angeles.

During her undergraduate career, Charmaine conducted research in the Intelligent Optics Lab, where she supported the development of advanced imaging systems for biomedical applications. As a Samueli Research Scholar, she helped develop a near-infrared light sheet microscope for non-invasive 3D imaging of tissues to study congenital heart disease. She also worked part-time as an EMT with American Professional Ambulance, gaining hands-on experience in frontline patient care, and interned at Sensydia, a cardiovascular diagnostics startup, where she contributed to the testing and validation of non-invasive technologies for cardiac and pulmonary monitoring.

Her interest in medical devices extended into design work. As co-lead of a project within the UCLA Biomedical Engineering Society, Charmaine helped develop VerteFlex, a soft robotic orthosis to track and support spinal movement in real time. By integrating flex sensors and IMUs, the device offers personalized, non-invasive support for preventing and alleviating chronic lower back pain. VerteFlex earned 3rd place in the 2024 ASME SB3C Undergraduate Design Competition at the Summer Bioengineering Conference for its innovation in assistive technology. Charmaine also worked on prototyping a stabilometric console, a gamified therapy platform created to support balance rehabilitation in elderly patient populations.

Charmaine chose the EnMed program for its unique integration of engineering and clinical training, aligning with her goal to develop patient-centered rehabilitative technologies. In her free time, Charmaine enjoys going to the gym, cooking, and relaxing with her cat, Luna.