ASU trainees complete Mayo Clinic residency experience through NSF NRT program
ASU trainees gain clinical experience at Mayo Clinic
Graduate trainees from Arizona State University’s NSF Research Traineeship (NSF NRT) Program completed the Mayo Clinic residency experience during summer 2026, connecting engineering research with real-world clinical practice. The residency gave students firsthand exposure to patient care environments while helping them better understand how medical technologies are used in clinical settings.
Five trainees participated in this year’s residency experience:
- Mia Nguyen
- Dylan Joralmon
- Brandyn Braswell
- Mason Paddie
- Vi Ho Nguyen
Learning directly from clinicians
During the Mayo Clinic residency experience, trainees worked alongside physicians, researchers and health care professionals across a variety of clinical environments. They observed surgical procedures, clinical workflows and diagnostic laboratory operations while gaining valuable insight into how engineering solutions support patient care.
Experiences included rotations in otolaryngology, neurology and diagnostic laboratories, allowing trainees to better understand the challenges clinicians face and identify opportunities for future medical device innovation.
One of the residency’s defining goals is helping graduate researchers understand the people and environments their technologies are designed to serve. By interacting directly with clinicians, trainees gained a deeper appreciation for user-centered design, clinical decision-making and the importance of translating engineering research into practical health care solutions.
Preparing future medical device innovators
Following the residency, trainees reflected on how observing real clinical settings strengthened their research perspective. Understanding clinical workflows, physicians’ needs, and patients’ experiences will help inform the design of future medical devices and implants developed through the NSF Research Traineeship Program.
The Mayo Clinic residency experience remains a defining component of the Arizona State University NSF NRT Program, providing graduate trainees with practical clinical insight while strengthening the connection between engineering innovation and patient care.
