Dr. Adina Draghici | Human Physiology Awards | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Adina Draghici, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital/Harvard Medical School, United States

Dr. Adina E. Draghici is a biomedical engineer and clinical researcher specializing in musculoskeletal modeling, computational analysis, and translational research. She holds a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from Northeastern University, an M.Res. in Biomedical Engineering from Imperial College London, and a B.Sc. in Physics and Engineering from Smith College. Currently serving as a Research Faculty member at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Draghici has led numerous interdisciplinary clinical research projects focused on non-invasive imaging technologies for bone vasculature and musculoskeletal health. She has secured over $250K in research funding as Principal Investigator and contributed to multimillion-dollar NIH grants. Dr. Draghici has an extensive scientific record, including peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and invited talks at international research and industry events. She is also an expert in regulatory compliance, serving as a voting Scientific Member of the Institutional Review Board at Mass General Brigham. Through her leadership, mentorship, and expertise in clinical trial design, she continues to advance innovations in biomedical engineering and healthcare.

Professional Profile:

GOOGLE SCHOLAR

Summary of Suitability for Best Researcher Award – Dr. Adina E. Draghici

Dr. Adina E. Draghici is an outstanding researcher in biomedical engineering with extensive expertise in clinical trial design, musculoskeletal modeling, computational modeling, and quantitative analysis. Her strong research contributions, leadership in interdisciplinary collaborations, and commitment to advancing biomedical science make her a highly suitable candidate for the Best Researcher Award.

🎓 Education:

• 🏅 PhD in Bioengineering, Northeastern University, USA (2017)

  • 🏆 Dean’s Fellowship (Outstanding Graduate Student)

  • 🏆 DiVincenzo Fellowship (Excellence in Bioengineering)

  • 📜 Thesis: Rescuing Osteoporotic Bone in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury

• 🎖 MRes in Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, UK (2013)

  • 🏆 Graduated with Distinction (Highest GPA)

  • 🏆 Outstanding Academic Performance Fellowship (Full Tuition & Stipend, Top 5%)

  • 📜 Thesis: Shape Analysis of Mouse Knee Joint Using Statistical Shape Modelling

• 🏅 BSc in Physics & Engineering, Smith College, USA (2012)

  • 🏆 Graduated with Highest Honors

  • 📜 Multiple Academic Awards:

    • 🎖 Dean’s List, First Group Scholar

    • 🎖 Outstanding Academic Performance in Physics (2), Mathematics (1), Engineering (1)

  • 🔬 Elected to Sigma Xi (2012)

💼 Work Experience:

🔬 Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA

• Research Faculty (Previously Postdoctoral Research Fellow) (2017 – Present)

  • 📊 Led 10+ translational research projects in clinical populations (diabetes, spinal cord injury)

  • 📑 Principal Investigator for $250K research funding, Co-Investigator for 2 NIH grants (> $2M)

  • 🔍 Developed & led a clinical trial (NCT04083794) on near-infrared spectroscopy for osteoporosis assessment

  • 🏥 Voting Scientific Member of the Institutional Review Board at Mass General Brigham

  • 🧠 Designed machine learning algorithms for automated analysis of human nervous system data

  • 📈 Developed MATLAB & R code for biosignal analysis (heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels, muscle activity)

  • 🤝 Established international research collaborations with NIH, Spaulding Rehabilitation Network, Massachusetts General Hospital, Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging

🔬 Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA

• Doctoral Researcher in Biomedical Engineering (2013 – 2017)

  • 🏋️‍♂️ Designed multi-sensor data acquisition systems for analyzing rowing kinetics in spinal cord injury patients

  • 🦴 Developed 3D musculoskeletal models using OpenSim, SolidWorks, and Abaqus

  • 🏅 Awarded OpenSim 2016 Travel Award (Stanford University)

  • 🔬 Developed novel near-infrared spectroscopy device to non-invasively measure bone vasculature

  • 📚 Conducted literature reviews & feasibility studies for new biomedical technologies

🏆 Achievements & Awards:

• 🏆 Dean’s Fellowship – Outstanding Graduate Student Award, Northeastern University

• 🏆 DiVincenzo Fellowship – Excellence in Bioengineering, Northeastern University

• 🎖 Outstanding Academic Performance Fellowship – Imperial College London

• 🏅 OpenSim 2016 Travel Award – Stanford University

• 📜 Lead Author of 10+ peer-reviewed publications, 1 book chapter, 20+ conference papers

• 🎤 15+ Invited Speaker engagements at international conferences & industry events

• 🏥 Chair & Organizer – International Translational Symposium on Bone Health (ASIA, 2022)

• 🤝 Mentored 30+ students and researchers across engineering, medicine, and physiology

Publication Top Notes: