Fischell Institute Intern Spotlight: Minh Nguyen

Minh Nguyen, a sophomore studying computer engineering, spent his summer interning in Fischell Institute Fellow Giuliano Scarcelli’s Optics Biotech Lab through the Fischell Institute’s Summer Research Internship Program.

Nguyen’s research uses machine learning and deep learning to detect keratoconus, a progressive eye disease that causes corneal distortion, from Brillouin microscopy data. During his internship, he developed Python pipelines for data processing and feature extraction, implemented machine learning models, and built a neural network to improve disease classification.

“Knowing that the tools and models I'm developing could one day help physicians make more informed diagnoses and improve patient outcomes is incredibly rewarding,” Nguyen said. “It's exciting to see how code can be applied to solve real-world problems and potentially make a difference in someone's life.”

Nguyen worked primarily in the lab’s Baltimore research space alongside bioengineering doctoral student Ronald Yang. Through the internship, Nguyen gained skills in applying computational techniques to biomedical research while learning what it is like to work in a collaborative research environment. He hopes to carry the technical skills, problem-solving experience, and mentorship gained into future internships and a career as a software engineer.

Nguyen’s interest in STEM began in middle school, where science, technology, engineering, and math were consistently his favorite subjects. That passion led him to earn an Associate of Arts degree in computer science while still in high school. As he continued gaining hands-on experience through research and engineering projects, Nguyen realized he wanted to broaden his technical foundation, which led him to pursue computer engineering at the University of Maryland.

“Computer engineering gives me the flexibility to work across both hardware and software while opening the door to a wider range of engineering opportunities in the future,” he said. ”As one of the nation's top-ranked public engineering schools, I knew the Clark School would challenge me, help me grow as an engineer, and prepare me for the career I want to build.”

Outside of engineering, Nguyen enjoys trying new restaurants and spending time with friends. Whether exploring new food spots or playing basketball, volleyball, or pickleball, he likes to stay active and make the most of his free time.

Published September 22, 2026