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hi, i'm mitchell

  • software engineer
  • builder
  • business professional
  • creator
  • outdoorsman

About Me

Hello! My name is Mitchell. I'm a software engineer based in Spokane, WA. I'm also a trained scientist with a Ph.D. in neuroscience. In 2020, I left my business development role in biotech to pursue web and software development full time.

I'm currently a software engineer at Epion Health.

The uniting theme of my career is a passion for mastering new technologies and techniques to solve interesting and complex problems.

Here are a few technologies I've been having fun with:

  • Ruby
  • Rails
  • JavaScript
  • React
  • Redux
Picture of Mitchell and his dog Rusty

Projects

Check out some of the things I've built.

Digital

Analog

This Website

my personal website

Check out the code powering this site.

Don't forget to play with the background using the controls in the "What's Next?" section!

Technologies used:

  • HTML
  • CSS
  • JavaScript
  • jQuery

Constellation

constellation project

Constellation is a JavaScript library used for creating dynamic line art images. It started out as the code for the background image of this website. However, I wanted to add additional capabilities and optimizations so it could be used in other projects.

Constellation has the added ability to include polygons, invisible points, dynamic scaling, and flexible line endpoint styles. It has also been stripped of code that is highly specific for this personal website.

Future updates will reside in this repository. Check out the README for instructions on how to use it.

Technologies used:

  • JavaScript
  • Canvas

More to Come...

My github

I'll be adding more projects here, as I develop them.

In the meantime, here is a link to my GitHub repository, where you'll find additional stuff I've been working on, including a coding challenge to build a slimmed down Ruby on Rails, Rails-Lite.

Mud Kitchen

mud kitchen draft
mud kitchen final
mud kitchen parts
mud kitchen framing
mud kitchen progress
mud kitchen
mud kitchen draft
This was the initial concept; two sinks were necessary so each nephew could have their own space.
mud kitchen final
This is the final redesign. After a few iterations, I settled on a concept with some fun features: "burners" to cook the mud pies, cabinets for storage, hooks to hang pots and pans, and a better overall aesthetic.
mud kitchen parts
Breaking the project into smaller, more manageable tasks made the project easier to execute.
mud kitchen framing
The frame is less visually exciting, but easily the most important part of the whole project. It's impact is felt by every downstream part, so getting it right was crucial.
mud kitchen progress
This is prior to the plumbing, hardware, and staining.
mud kitchen
The finished kitchen matched the design pretty closely. The design of the plumbing was constrained by what was available at the hardware store.

My nephews wanted a mud kitchen and the lockdowns were a perfect time to learn some woodworking. There's no code here, but a good exercise in project planning.

Click on the images to read the captions for more commentary on the process.

Where I Worked

Want to see a detailed resume? Contact me!

2006 - 2010  Western Washington University

B.A. Behavioral Neuroscience

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At WWU, I worked in a lab where we studied dopamine levels in the medial prefrontal cortex and behavior in mouse and rat models of schizophrenia.

2010  QuantaLife, Inc.

Summer Intern

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The summer between undergrad and graduate school, I took an internship at Quantalife. I worked with a team and built an early digital droplet PCR prototype to test the effects of various microfluidic circuits on droplet formation and transport.

2010 - 2016  Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Ph.D. in Neuroscience

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My main research focus was on the basic biology of autophagy regulation and how neurodegenerative disease impacts autophagic signaling.

Working in the lab trained me how to think like a scientist, how to troubleshoot difficult issues, how to use best data practices to draw sound conclusions, and how to work with teams across various disciplines.

2016 - 2018  The Scripps Research Institute

Technology Transfer Officer

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Technology Transfer is best described as the intersection between science, business, and law. The purpose of which is getting technology out of the lab and into a commercial setting. A big part of my role was in assessing the patentability and marketability of new technologies developed at the institute.

Once a patent was filed, I was responsible for drafting and negotiating license agreements, confidentiality agreements, material transfer agreements, and research funding and option agreements with start up companies, established biotech companies, and other research institutes.

2018 - 2020  Thermo Fisher Scientific

Manager, Business Development

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At Thermo Fisher, I worked with a team that was responsible for bringing antibodies to market in the research or diagnostic space. My role was in negotiating license agreements for the commercial rights. I also worked to maintain existing agreements and relationships with our external patners.

2020 - 2021  Web Development Career Switch

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Early in 2020, I decided to make the career switch into software and web development. This is something I've been dreaming about for quite a long time.

I leveraged App Academy Open, the Odin Project, CodeAcademy, and many other resources to teach myself the fundementals of software engineering. My main focuses were on Ruby, Ruby on Rails, Rspec, JavaScript, React/Redux, SQL, Git, HTML, and CSS/SCSS.

2021 - current  Epion Health

Software Engineer I

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At Epion Health, I'm fortunate enough to work with an amazingly talented and passionate team that's building out Epion's patient access, check-in, and telehealth solutions.

What's Next?

contact me

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