About
Bridging mechanical engineering rigor and clinical impact.
I'm Rany, a Biomedical Engineering MS student at Columbia University, dual-degreed with CentraleSupélec in France. I work as an Assistant Lab Engineer at the Behnia Lab, in Columbia's Zuckerman Institute, where I rebuild behavior rigs and build startup self-checks for the lab's experimental hardware. Before that, I led the mechanical and systems design of Chirobot, a rehabilitation robot, at Columbia's Creative Machines Lab. I also work on the regulatory and commercialization side of medical devices.
My focus is on medical devices and robotics, with a particular interest in systems that bridge mechanical engineering rigor and clinical impact. Through Lab-to-Market coursework, I worked on Class I regulatory pathway analysis and hospital reimbursement strategy for a Ventral Hernia Repair System.
Outside engineering, video editing led me to production manager at Hyris Television and president of the Le Rush Film Festival. I have played classical guitar since I was a kid, and I also play water polo: my team won the New York regional championship and competed at the CWPA Nationals.
Open to full-time roles in medical devices and robotics from January 2027, anywhere in the US.
New York, NY · rany.fouad@columbia.edu
Education
Columbia University
Expected Dec 2026
MS Biomedical Engineering · GPA 4.09
Coursework: Signal Processing for Medical Devices, Deep Learning for Biomedical Signal Processing, Mechatronics & Embedded Microcomputer Control, Computational Aspects of Robotics, Lab-to-Market, Biomedical Innovation.
Audited: Investing in MedTech (Columbia Business School).
CentraleSupélec, Paris-Saclay University
Expected Dec 2026
MEng in Mechanical Engineering (Dual-Degree with Columbia University)
Coursework: Medical Robotics, Control of Dynamic Systems, Signal Processing, Additive Manufacturing, Continuum Mechanics, Corporate Finance.
Projects with the LMPS lab and ULB on medical robotics.
Fellowship & Awards
Oct 2026
Winner, NextGen Innovation Robotics Competition (sponsored by Stryker), The MedTech Conference 2026
Case study →Jun 2026 – Present
No Patient Left Behind (NPLB) Fellow
Feb 2026
Winner, Patient Safety Track, Columbia BME Hacking Health Hackathon
Case study →Experience
Aug 2026 – Present
Assistant Lab Engineer
Behnia Lab, Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University
- Rebuilt a closed-loop Drosophila color-vision rig: disassembled, documented, reassembled and rewired the camera, 850 nm IR backlight, and custom PCB driving 240 LED channels (6 primaries) via 10 TLC5947 drivers on a Metro M4 Express.
- Wrote Python test tools to sweep all 240 channels, located 4 faulty LEDs with a multimeter, and fixed a firmware bug miscounting the driver chain; migrated the code to the lab GitLab with a reproducible conda environment.
- Redesigned the rig as a mobile, cart-mounted cage on metal rails, replacing a fixed desk and desktop PC setup.
- Built startup self-check routines (NI-DAQ, photodetector circuit, Python, Streamlit) for LED mixers on 4+ rigs and for an olfactometer, so ~10 researchers catch hardware anomalies before behavior and imaging experiments.
Jan 2026 – Jul 2026
Graduate Student Researcher
Creative Machines Lab (Prof. Hod Lipson), Columbia University
- Led mechanical and systems design of Chirobot, a holonomic rehabilitation robot for chronic lower back pain: SolidWorks CAD, FDM-printed chassis prototypes, actuator and electronics selection (serial bus servos, Raspberry Pi).
Apr 2025 – Aug 2025
Project Manager Intern
Digital Unicorn, Da Nang, Vietnam
- Managed 13 software and hardware projects (~$330K) as client-facing lead, including Dr. Sirop (VR hospital companion).
Sep 2024 – Jan 2025
Economic Officer Intern
French Embassy in Tunisia
- Analyzed the Tunisian and Libyan healthcare sectors to identify opportunities for French medtech and pharma companies.
Skills
Mechanical Design & Simulation
Electronics & Embedded
Fabrication
Control & Modeling
Programming & Data
Regulatory & Translational