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Biography
Dr. Maribel Torres Velázquez is a biomedical engineer specializing in biomedical image analysis, machine learning, and neuroengineering. She earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where her research focused on multimodal imaging and advanced computational techniques to study epilepsy, sports injuries, and postoperative delirium. As a postdoctoral scholar at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, she developed experimental and computational methods to map retina-brain circuitry in mice, combining viral tracing with advanced microscopy imaging. Her interdisciplinary work spans engineering, neuroscience, and clinical and translational science, revealing patterns in complex biomedical data.
Dr. Torres Velázquez has received numerous honors for her research and leadership, including the ARVO/SACNAS Eye and Vision Research Award, a NURTURE Postdoctoral Fellowship at Northwestern, a NIH Predoctoral Fellowship at UW–Madison, and recognition as a Rising Star in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science by MIT. Passionate about inclusive STEM education, she has led outreach and recruitment efforts supporting underrepresented students in engineering. Originally from Puerto Rico, she brings a bilingual, multicultural perspective to her teaching and mentorship. Outside the classroom, she actively mentors young scientists and engages with her community to promote equity and representation in science and engineering.
Education
Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering
University of Wisconsin-Madison (2022)
B.S. Biomedical Engineering
University of Wisconsin-Madison (2018)
B.S. Electrical Engineering
University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez (2016)
Recent Publications
Torres-Velázquez M., Wille C.M., Hurley S.A., et al. 2023. “MRI Radiomics for Hamstring Strain Injury Identification and Return to Sport Classification: A Pilot Study”. Skeletal Radiology. 1-12.
Torres-Velázquez M., Parker M., Bo A., et al. 2021. “Amyloid deposition on positron emission tomography correlates with severity of perioperative delirium: a case-control pilot study”. British Journal of Anaesthesia 21: S0007-0912
Torres-Velázquez M., Chen W., Li X. & McMillan A. B. 2020. “Application and Construction of Deep Learning Networks in Medical Imaging”. IEEE Transactions on Radiation and Plasma Medical Sciences.
Torres-Velázquez M., Hwang G., Cook C. J., et al. 2020. “Multi-channel Deep Neural Network for Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Classification Using Multimodal MRI Data”. IEEE 17th International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging Workshops, pp. 1-4.
Torres-Velázquez M., Sawin E. A., Anderson J.M., Yu J-P.J. 2019. “Refractory diet-dependent changes in neural microstructure: Implications for microstructural endophenotypes of neurologic and psychiatric disease”. Magnetic Resonance Imaging 58:148-155.
Barnett, B. R., Casey C. P., Torres-Velázquez, M., et al. 2020. “Convergent brain microstructure across multiple genetic models of schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder: A feasibility study”. Magnetic Resonance Imaging 70:36-42.