News: IMES community profile: Alix Wagner

HST MEMP PhD student Alix Wagner shares more about her interests, research and background

Mindy Blodgett | IMES

Alix Wagner is a first year Medical Engineering Medical Engineering program (MEMP) PhD candidate in the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology (HST)—focusing on mechanical engineering—as a member of the Therapeutic Technology Design and Development Lab (TTDD) of  Ellen Roche, Latham Family Career Professor, a core faculty member at IMES, and an associate professor in Mechanical Engineering. Wagner, who grew up in Decatur, Georgia, went to the Georgia Institute of Technology for her undergraduate studies. At Georgia Tech, she majored in Biomedical Engineering and minored in Health, Medicine, and Society, with a particular interest in studying the ethical, social, and political implications of medicine and biomedical research. 

Read on to learn more about Alix.

Why did you choose the HST program? 

I choose the HST program because of its emphasis on clinical translational research and the seemingly endless variety of research topics, which is incredible. The ability to take classes alongside the MD students at Harvard Medical School is amazing and I am loving it. I truly feel like I am gaining a much better understanding of the implications of what we engineer by being so well integrated into the clinical world. I love Boston too, and being in such an academic, athletic, and young city is a blast. 

Can you tell us about your research interests? 

I am interested in medical device development, specifically for women’s health and other underserved populations. The devices we use in modern-day gynecology were invented in the late 1800s, and it's shocking that we still use these devices today; the speculum and the tenaculum were invented by appalling experimentation on enslaved women and inspired by Civil War era bullet extractors, respectively. They are rigid, one-size-fits-all, and can be incredibly painful. I am interested in modernizing these exams and procedures and finally putting these horrific devices in the museum where they belong. 

The Roche Lab (TTDD) has been wonderful. There is such a variety of amazing projects, everyone is so supportive of each other, and the community has made me feel so welcome. I feel so grateful to be a part of this group and am super excited for what is to come! 

What do you enjoy about being at MIT and/or at IMES? Are there any challenges you want to share? 

One of the aspects of MIT and IMES that has been so wonderful is the sheer amount of resources available. Not just equipment, but such a variety of people to talk to and the network available to us. I have had the chance to meet some of the world’s best doctors and clinicians through the HST program, and that is so cool! I am very excited to explore more of these opportunities as I go through my PhD studies. 

What are you hoping to accomplish with your career? 

After I finish grad school, I hope to stay in academia and become a professor with a lab focused on medical device development for women’s health. There has been so little innovation for both obstetrics and gynecology compared to the massive strides we have made in medical device development globally. I want to spend my career focusing on bridging this gap, educating and outreach (specifically for the female reproductive system), and mentoring younger generations of students to think more holistically about medical device design.  

What do you like to do in your spare time? 

Outside of the lab/school, I really enjoy endurance sports and I race Ironman 70.3s, marathons, and everything in between! Other than triathlons, I very much enjoy watching/playing all kinds of sports, baking, going to the symphony, and reading in a hammock. 

What is on your bucket list?  

I hope to qualify for the Ironman World Championships and the Boston Marathon in the next few years! I’d love to race in all 50 states and all major world marathons as well. Outside of sports, I hope to one day learn to play the cello and learn how to sew clothes. 

Can you tell us more about the area where you grew up, what makes it distinctive? 

I love Atlanta! We have the largest aquarium in the northern hemisphere, tons of arts festivals, the largest 10k road race in the world (the 4th of July Peachtree Road Race), and the peaches are truly delicious. I am from Decatur which is six miles east of downtown and it’s such a walkable, supportive community. I was heavily involved in the local municipal government during my time in Decatur and worked at a running store selling shoes during undergrad, which was a blast. 

I have a twin sister who is a fashion stylist! We are opposite in so many ways but she is my best friend. 

What do you hope to be doing in 10 years? 

In 10 years I hope to still be in the MIT/Harvard/Boston area starting a lab of my own!