Three Northwestern students presented research at the 2026 Chicago Area Undergraduate Research Symposium on Saturday at the Palmer House.
Weinberg sophomore Sepehr Khavari, Weinberg senior Ethan Brazelton and SESP senior Sanad Alshubbak presented work on topics such as social media and medical devices.
More than 200 undergraduate students, including some from NU, gave poster presentations on their research throughout the day. Eleven were selected to give oral presentations, including the three from NU.
Khavari said giving the presentation was not only a resume achievement, but also a chance to practice an often overlooked aspect of research: presenting results.
“No matter how great your ideas are, if you cannot articulate them to the general scientific community, then their impact is not going to be as significant,” Khavari said.
Khavari’s presentation, “Early Detection of Pedicle Screw Loosening Using a Tri-Axial Smart Fixation System” was about a new screw for spinal injuries that can self-detect when it begins to loosen.
Pedicle screws are used heavily in spine surgery to keep the vertebrae in line, Khavari said. He conducted his research in collaboration with the Ahuja Spine Innovation Group and Rogers Research Group.
Brazelton’s presentation, “Structure-Switching Aptamers for Continuous Monitoring of Small Molecule Circadian Rhythm Biomarkers,” described his work in the Kelley Laboratory Research Group, where he worked on creating a sensor which detects biomarkers in the body related to circadian rhythms.
“This kind of technology — it definitely enables us to study disease mechanisms at a molecular level, but there’s just that really powerful application for actual clinical tools that can be used by patients and clinicians alike,” Brazelton said.
Alshubbak researched how social media affects career choices among Gen Z men. His presentation was titled “Scrolling Into the Future: Social Media and Gen Z Men’s Education and Career Pathways.”
Before his research, Alshubbak said he saw a lack of studies on career aspirations, and found the potential trend especially important with the concern of AI impacting job prospects.
His preliminary takeaway, he said, is that social media implicitly informs people’s career decisions.
While he recognized the concerns about the impacts of social media and AI, Alshubbak said being “adaptive and accepting” to such technologies would be beneficial.
“One of the best approaches that we can take that I’ve found is realizing that this is going to stay with us for a while,” Alshubbak said. “And rather than trying to eliminate social media usage or try to prevent XYZ, we should really learn how to live with it.”
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