Sarah Cao, an undergraduate researcher with the Nano-Cybernetic Biotrek (NCB) research group at the MIT Media Lab, has received the Outstanding UROP Student Award from the MIT Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). Sarah won this award under the category of the “First-Year Undergraduate."

The Outstanding UROP Student Awards honor students for exceptional contributions as undergraduate researchers. Awardees are selected based on nominations submitted by UROP supervisors and mentors. “Sarah, though only in her first year of undergraduate studies, works at par with the finest of the graduate students,” said Prof. Deblina Sarkar, who heads the NCB research group and nominated Sarah for this award. “She is a highly talented researcher and has a bright future ahead," Prof. Sarkar added.

Sarah joined Prof. Sarkar’s group in September 2022 through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. Her research is focused on developing and characterizing novel wireless devices for interfacing with the brain.