Audrey Cui

Audrey Cui is a graduate student in mechanical engineering working at the intersection of neuroscience and precision engineering to support next-generation brain mapping technologies. Their research focuses on femtosecond laser microtomy, a cutting-edge approach that replaces traditional mechanical slicing with ultrafast laser ablation to enhance accuracy and scalability. As a MathWorks Fellow, Audrey will model and optimize laser parameters to achieve consistent nanometer-level precision and will package these methods into a MATLAB-based tool for use in laser machining and biomedical applications. Audrey’s work utilizes MATLAB to simulate ablation dynamics, evaluate system sensitivity, and analyze trade-offs across various performance metrics. Audrey uses the Optimization Toolbox to identify globally optimal control settings and validate them experimentally. Their contributions could make it possible to reconstruct the human connectome in full detail—an achievement with profound implications for neuroscience—and could advance precision techniques in surgery, imaging, and microfabrication.