HRA is hosting our first ever HRA Speed Networking Session for our members. This structured, interactive session will include timed rotations where members can introduce themselves to professional peers and learn about other non-profit funding organizations. Bring your business cards or contact information and be prepared to meet new professional colleagues from across our membership in a relaxed environment!

Facilitator

Emily McCabe, MS – PhD Candidate, Vanderbilt University
Emily McCabe is a PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering at Vanderbilt University, where she develops surgical technologies for minimally invasive lung cancer intervention in the Medical Engineering and Discovery Laboratory. Her translational research integrates engineering development with clinical collaboration and industry partnership, and she secured a $50K Medtronic Surgical Technologies & Research Grant—one of two proposals selected from 42 submissions—to advance steerable cryoablation technology through preclinical development. Earlier in her research career, Emily was selected for NSF I-Corps to support commercialization and stakeholder discovery for a low-cost pediatric orthotic. She has also received Vanderbilt fellowships supporting community-engaged research and investigation into the human experience of emerging surgical technologies, through which she has worked directly with patients and community partners. Beyond her research, Emily co-founded Project ENspire and has served as Associate Director for the past ten years, helping grow the STEM outreach program to reach hundreds of elementary-aged girls while developing its volunteer training and mentorship model. She is also an experienced research mentor and former President of Women of the Vanderbilt Institute for Surgery and Engineering, where she led professional development and technical communication initiatives for interdisciplinary researchers.