Ashika Srivastava came to Georgia Tech with a clear goal: to make a meaningful impact in healthcare through engineering. Growing up in Georgia, she had long set her sights on the Institute and its top-ranked biomedical engineering program. After attending a Society of Women Engineers (SWE) high school program on campus, she was confident Coulter BME was where she wanted to develop as an engineer.
“I’ve always been interested in healthcare, but I knew early on that I didn’t want to pursue a traditional clinical role,” Srivastava said. “Biomedical engineering allowed me to stay connected to healthcare and still make a difference through medical innovation.”
During her time at Coulter BME, Srivastava paired rigorous academics with hands-on industry experience and leadership. She completed a co-op with the Georgia Tech Research Institute and an internship with Siemens Healthineers, where she strengthened her interest in systems-level thinking, product development, and human-centered design in medical technologies.
Her engineering work also extended into global health. As part of the Global Health Device Innovation Vertically Integrated Project (VIP), Srivastava contributed to the development of a low-cost fetal heart monitoring device, gaining experience designing accessible technologies for resource-limited settings.
Beyond industry and research, Srivastava played an active leadership role within the BME community. She was involved with the Georgia Tech SWE throughout her undergraduate career and served on its executive board during her final two years as vice president of industry relations and vice president of technical development. She also held leadership positions in the Biomedical Engineering Society Geogia Tech chapter and served as a BME Student Ambassador, helping introduce prospective students to the program through tours and outreach.
In recognition of her independent work, Srivastava earned a President’s Undergraduate Research Award in 2024 and was selected as a 2024 Millennium Fellow. She also presented research related to a Biomedical Engineering Outreach Kit project at the 2025 Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting in San Diego.
After graduation, Srivastava will continue at Coulter BME as a student in the Master’s in Biomedical Innovation and Development (MBID) program. She hopes to pursue a career in the medical device industry, focusing on systems engineering or human factors roles that integrate technical design with an understanding of how people interact with technology.
Reflecting on her time in Coulter BME, Srivastava encourages students to take ownership of their path. “Customize your BME degree,” she said. “If something genuinely interests you, get involved—you never know what a single conversation or opportunity can lead to.”
