Cultural and Language Challenges That Researchers Working in Other Countries Face

Join us for an exciting session featuring three UFFC members with professional lives across the Americas, Asia, and Europe. They work in academia and industry and are at different stages of their careers. They will share their experiences studying, working, and participating in everyday life across different continents. Time will be given for Q&A with the speakers after initial questions so please bring your questions to the webinar.

Date: 3 March 2026

Time: 7:00–8:00 AM Pacific

Sponsored by: Collaboration and Engagement Committee

Speakers

Dr. Karla P. Mercado-Shekhar did her PhD at Boston University in the  USA. She works as an Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology  (IIT) Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India. In the Medical Ultrasound Engineering (MUSE)  Lab, which she co-leads, she focuses on developing and translating ultrasound  techniques to support the diagnosis, treatment, and management of diseases. She  is currently Chair of the Young Professionals Committee at UFFC.

Dr. Miguel Bernal is currently Head of Ultrasound Science at Verasonics, Inc., WA, USA. He is involved in developing innovative imaging methods to better understand tissue functionality, measure the mechanical properties of organs, and analyze physiological processes. His previous professional positions include a PhD study at the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in the USA, and postdocs at Institut Langevin, France and Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Columbia.

Victor Regis de Moraes finished his undergraduate studies in physics at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2021, he enrolled in doctoral studies at the Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and is employed as a research assistant at the Jožef Stefan Institute. His research focuses on aerosol deposition of electrocaloric ceramic thick films and their characterization.