Sossena Wood Ph.D. (she/her/hers)

Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, Biomedical Engineering
Courtesy Appointments: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Neuroscience Institute

Bio

She is originally from the Washington DC metropolitan area. Dr. Wood completed her doctorate in 2018 and was a K. Leroy Irvis Fellow, National GEM Consortium PhD Fellow, Pitt STRIVE Fellow, and received Pitt’s Provost Development Fund. She received a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering in 2011 and believes the platform of her success sprung from the Pitt EXCEL program.

Her research interests involve developing inclusive, multi-modal, noninvasive hemodynamic imaging techniques and data analysis to visualize and quantify vascular disease management and treatment with neural effects and neural disorders, especially sickle cell disease (SCD). By using complementary noninvasive imaging modalities (EEG, NIRS, and MRI), patients and the neurovascular community would benefit from a comprehensive hemodynamic imaging method that allows better large and small vessel visualization to understand 1) the impact of vascular dysfunction (e.g., occlusion, stiffness) on tissue perfusion, 2) neural activity and function, and 3) the patient’s social and behavioral function. Her lab also focuses on developing inclusive neurotechnology that incorporates strategies to overcome the barriers that melanin and hair-type present to fNIRS devices. Dr. Wood’s research group and its collaborators are working to not only focus on fNIRS but other neurotechnology that has excluded certain communities from being well-represented in research due to similar barriers.

Dr. Wood’s dissertation work was featured in more than eight peer-reviewed journal articles, 34 international abstracts, five international talks, and a segment of NBC Learn. Dr. Wood is an awardee of the following awards: 2013 University of Pittsburgh’s Rising African American Leaders, National Institutes of Health (NIH) F31, New Pittsburgh Courier’s FAB 40, NSBE’s 2017 Mike Shinn Distinguished Member of the Year (Female), Professional Women’s Network, and 2021 Women of Color STEM Conference Technology Rising Stars. Dr. Wood served two-terms as the National Chairperson of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) as well as other leadership roles within the organization. While committed to advancing neurological health, Dr. Wood is also committed to engaging and empowering youth from marginalized communities to pursue STEM degrees locally and globally.

Dr. Wood enjoys creating with her hands and laughing in her spare time. She enjoys exercising, art, cooking, braiding, music, water, and new experience while traveling.

Education

• Postdoctoral Training: Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biomedical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (Professor Jana Kainerstorfer)
• Doctoral Training: PhD in Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh (Professor Tamer S. Ibrahim)