Grad Student Gabby Reina Earns Recognition for Advancing Medical Robotics and Maternal Safety

Gabriella Reina, a mechanical engineering student in the U of A's College of Engineering and graduate student researcher at the U of A's Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research (I³R), is making significant contributions to the future of healthcare through her groundbreaking research in medical robotics and maternal health.

Reina's award-winning research focuses on developing advanced robotic tools for orthopedic surgery that improve surgical precision while making procedures less invasive. Her work earned the Computer-Aided Product and Process Development (CAPPD) Award at the 2026 ASME IDETC-CIE Conference.

Working alongside researchers Mehran Armand, professor of mechanical engineering; Joshua Liu, robotics research engineer; and Justin Ma, graduate researcher from John Hopkins University, Reina's research addresses a major challenge in medical robotics by developing systems that allow surgical tools to remain sterile while enabling surgeons to quickly swap instruments during procedures. This advancement could help make minimally invasive robotic surgery more practical and accessible for patients.

"Gabby is an outstanding graduate student who exemplifies academic excellence and early research initiatives. Her remarkable first-year achievements include winning a poster award for her presentation at the ASME IDETC conference and submitting an article for publication in the SPIE proceedings based on her research," Armand said.

In addition to her award-winning work at I³R, Reina was selected for the highly competitive National Institutes of Health (NIH) Graduate Partnerships Program Predoctoral Fellowship, receiving a stipend, health insurance and a relocation benefit through the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).

"Gabby was a stellar undergraduate student leader, so it is no surprise that she continues to excel in her graduate studies," said Steve Tung, Mechanical Engineering Department head. "These prestigious research honors further demonstrate her commitment to scholarly excellence, and we are incredibly proud to count her among our alumni."

Under the mentorship of Dr. Amir Gandjbakhche, senior investigator and chief of the section on translational biophotonics at NIH, Reina will conduct research focused on fetal health monitoring and maternal care.

Reina's NIH research centers on developing minimally invasive intrauterine tools capable of monitoring fetal oxygenation levels during labor. The goal of the project is to provide physicians with more accurate, real-time information during deliveries, improving outcomes for both mothers and babies while helping reduce medically unnecessary emergency cesarean sections.

"For me, engineering is about solving problems that genuinely improve human wellbeing and clinical outcomes," Reina said. "As a woman in engineering, I have a strong personal interest in pushing research forward in women's health. Historically, this field has been significantly underfunded and underserved. I want my work to help fill those gaps, bringing better technology, safety and accessibility to an area that needs a lot more attention."

About the College of Engineering: The University of Arkansas College of Engineering is the state's largest engineering school, enrolling 4,701 students, including 3,608 undergraduate students and 1,093 graduate students. The college has more than 150 faculty and researchers and nearly 200 staff. The college ranked 65th among public institutions in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Engineering Schools rankings and had $66.6 million in new research awards in fiscal year 2026. Its strategic plan, Vision 2035, will dramatically increase the state's engineering graduates by 2035, an outcome that will add $3.9 billion annually to Arkansas' economy.