In the heat of summer, when most college athletes are recharging or training for their next season, two School of Engineering and Computing students stepped into a lab with a different kind of mission: understanding how to keep athletes in the game before injuries strike.
Anna Paravati ’26 and Quinn McGonigle ’26 are no strangers to the physical demands of collegiate athletics. As softball players and student researchers, they spent their summer immersed in a collaborative project titled Ultrasound Probe and Motion Capture: Mounting and Data Acquisition, working under the mentorship of Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering John Drazan, PhD.
“I created methods of data acquisition,” said Paravati. “Using the Motion Monitor software, various data sets—force plate, accelerometers, EMGs, and motion capture—can be utilized. Using these sets in an integrated fashion creates insightful and developmental research.”
That integration was key. Paravati became, as she described it, a “master” of the Motion Monitor system, learning to collect, validate, and interpret complex data sets. “This was an incredibly valuable skill-building session for me,” she added.
McGonigle, a mechanical engineering major, approached the project from a different angle. “My part of this summer’s research project was to develop a way to securely hold an ultrasound probe to the lower leg while an activity is being performed,” she explained. “We used accelerometers to measure how much the ultrasound probe device was moving compared to the leg itself, so we could collect ultrasound videos of the calf muscle during the same time we collected numerical data.”
While their roles differed, their shared experience as athletes gave them a unique stake in the work.
“Being a softball player offers a unique perspective on this type of research,” Paravati said. “Now, the mechanics of sports in general are pivotal to how I play. The angle of a batter’s swing, sprint starts, and the best method of fielding are, in part, thanks to my ability to understand physics. Instead of just understanding the best method of doing these things, I now understand ‘why’ and ‘how.’”
McGonigle added, “Being a softball player gives me a greater understanding of why injuries like Achilles ruptures and ACL tears are so threatening to an athlete’s career. The work we did this summer is just a small step towards a much bigger project that will hopefully allow us to catch Achilles ruptures and ACL tears before they happen.”
Her takeaway wasn’t just theoretical, it was personal. “I would love to implement what I have learned, like more stretching before and after practice, into my team’s everyday routine,” she said. “Our team happens to get a ton of small muscle pulls throughout the fall season, so hopefully this approach can minimize injuries and stop them before they happen.”
Both students’ paths to research began with an encounter with Dr. Drazan.
“I had a class with Dr. Drazan, but he saw me in the hallway one day and offered the summer research residency,” said Paravati. “I was initially interested in it but ultimately finalized my decision.”
For McGonigle, the relationship began even earlier. “Freshman year, Dr. Drazan was my intro-level engineering class professor and since then we have always stayed in contact,” she recalled. “We had always gotten along since Dr. Drazan was also a college athlete in a very demanding major... One day this past semester we ran into each other and the conversation about summer research came up. After hearing about the work Dr. Drazan had planned, I had to say yes.”
For both students, the summer was a formative experience that blended academic passion, athletic insight, and professional exploration.
“This experience fit completely into all my goals,” said Paravati. “I was able to narrow the field of study that I want to partake in later in my career. I also have learned a great deal about the mechanics and anatomy of injuries. Academically, I discovered a passion for combining the sport I love with the career I aspire to pursue.”
McGonigle echoed the sentiment: “Academically, being a part of this research gave me the confirmation that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life... More than anything, I want to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. And now, I have finally found a way to achieve both those things.”
Both plan to continue the work during the school year. “Yes, at the very least, continue the path that I am on,” said Paravati. “I would love to move into something regarding sports mechanics and development of preventative measures.”
McGonigle added, “Yes, I hope to work with Dr. Drazan throughout this school year so that we can continue the progress we have made and potentially start using what we are creating in a clinical setting.”
