Graduate Research Assistants

Andrew Thomson is an M.S. student studying mechanical engineering. He graduated from BYU's undergraduate mechanical engineering program in 2026 and is currently working on defining the scope for his master's degree. Some of his favorite activities are 3D-printing, riding motorcycles, and playing football.

Hector Andres Peña is originally from Bogota, Colombia, and is an M.S. student studying mechanical engineering at BYU. He completed his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering with honors and a minor in German. His research focuses on developing and validating a wearable fetal activity monitor, a maternity band embedded with an array of nanocomposite strain sensors designed to capture fetal movement through the mother's abdomen. Outside the lab, Andres enjoys DJing and backpacking to new countries and cultures.

Jordan is a PhD student in wearable biomechanics. His research focuses on multi-sensor fusion devices that capture higher-dimensional and more diverse streams of physiological data, with the goal of improving machine learning models that link biomarkers to pain. Outside of research, he enjoys playing games, watching movies, and spending time with family and friends.

Nathan graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Western Kentucky University in 2013. He then worked in various engineering roles until coming to BYU to complete a master’s degree. His research includes designing and testing solutions for a novel total disc replacement device which endeavors to mimic the biomechanics of the lumbar spine. When he is not doing research, Nathan enjoys reading to his children, going on long walks with his wife, and eating late night ice cream.

Nick is a student in BYU’s combined MS/MBA program, jointly pursuing a master’s in mechanical engineering and business administration. He earned his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering at BYU in April 2026. His research focuses on using biomechanical data to predict MRI results and patient-reported outcomes for individuals suffering with chronic low back pain. Outside the lab, Nick is passionate about physical health, continuous self-improvement, and spending time with others.

Matt is a M.S. student studying Mechanical Engineering at BYU. His research focuses on creating a wearable garment that is capable of measuring spinal biomechanics as well as utilizing machine learning to identify movement based phenotypes of individuals with chronic low back pain. When not in the lab, he enjoys reading, cooking and playing sports, especially basketball.