When I was a little kid, I thought that magic was real and wanted to be a magician. Now, sometimes, during the incredible studies I’ve been fortunate enough to be involved in, I get to see magic firsthand.”
Hendrik Dewald
Postdoctoral Scholar in Biomedical Engineering
Dr. Hendrik Dewald is a postdoctoral scholar in Biomedical Engineering in the McCormick School of Engineering. He currently studies how ultrasound can be used to measure muscle stiffness and stress, working toward better methods for diagnosing and tracking neuromuscular conditions. Hendrik serves as treasurer for the Northwestern University Postdoctoral Association (NUPA).
How would you describe your research and/or work to a non-academic audience?
My current research is aimed toward investigating the use of ultrasound in non-invasively measuring the stiffness of and stress within a muscle. The overarching goal is that clinicians could eventually use specific ultrasound techniques to help both with diagnoses and with tracking long-term recovery of individuals with neuromuscular pathologies or injuries.
What have been some of the most memorable twists and turns of your career?
I studied electrical engineering during my undergrad but wasn’t entirely certain of where I wanted to apply this big set of engineering tools I’d just learned how to use. And while I had managed to see some of the cool biomedical research going on at Northwestern during previous employment/volunteering stints at the university, I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life.
It was during a big backpacking trip with some buddies of mine, when I was practically delirious after having had a very strong cup of coffee so soon after recovering from a particularly bad bout of food poisoning, that I said to myself, “That’s it! I’m going to graduate school!” I imagine that says it all, both about me and graduate school.
What inspires you?
Honestly, three things: science programming like NOVA, interesting research seminars, and Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. Watching shows like NOVA (or shorts like PBS Eons) reminds me of just how big the world is and how fun it is to learn new things in any field. Attending seminars—whether from my current department, my alma mater Case Western Reserve University, or conferences—always reminds me of the exciting scientific advancements being made by my peers and colleagues in the field. And Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series just reminds me of what it means to be a human, and to try to make the world, in a small way, a better place.
How would your closest friends describe you?
I’ve been told twice in my life, by two different friends of mine who’ve never met, that I whistle like a Disney princess. But my siblings would probably think that’s too kind and instead describe me as a broken jukebox stuck on repeat. Neither of these have anything to do with science or academia, but that’s what came to mind.
What did you originally want to be when you grew up?
When I was a little kid, I thought that magic was real and wanted to be a magician. Now, sometimes, during the incredible studies I’ve been fortunate enough to be involved in, I get to see magic firsthand. “It doesn’t stop being magic just because you know how it works.” – Terry Pratchett.
What advice would you give your younger self or someone considering a similar path?
If you’re considering academia, be aware that you’re going to be living on different scales, both regarding time and finances, compared to friends of yours who may go into industry/finance/etc. Do it out of love for science. If that isn’t part of what drives you, you may find it difficult to stay continuously motivated. If you do have that passion, just be sure to remember to make time for friends and relationships. And maybe open a 529 plan.
Tell us about a current achievement or something you're working on that excites you.
Right now, I’m busy looking at next steps career-wise, and while it often feels quite daunting, I am also finding the potential directions my life may take exciting. In particular, I recently went through some rather interesting interviews that involved demonstrating some experimental design skills and data analysis firsthand, essentially by doing some homework with example data provided to me! I had to learn some new approaches in a hurry, and while I hope I don’t have to do something like it for every position I consider, I definitely found it interesting!
What are you most proud of in your career to date?
Throughout 2019 I had been pushing to switch my PhD field of research from Prosthetics to Stroke, in the hopes of pursuing a new line of inquiry I was excited about that I had proposed to my committee. When the pandemic hit at the beginning of 2020, quite a lot changed rather quickly regarding how I could still make this happen. But by the end of my PhD, I had managed to devise an experimental protocol, get Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, program the experimental setup, acquire a whole bunch of additional equipment, and complete a study that had just been an idea a few years before. I had a lot of help, but I’m still proud of the fact that I headed getting an entire study off the ground throughout all that pandemonium.
Publish Date: February 11, 2024
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