Ask Assistant Professor Caroline Cao what department she studies in, and she might have a hard time answering.
In an educational world that is rapidly becoming more interdisciplinary, Cao is at the forefront of a multi-departmental field in the engineering department that instructs the design of ATMs, medical devices and even nuclear power plant systems. The discipline, referred to as "human factors," transcends the barrier between engineering and liberal arts at Tufts.
For Cao, human factors, also known as engineering psychology, is more than just a unique area of study - it is a lifelong passion. As the co-director of the Tufts Human Factors Program, Cao has been working to create innovative new medical methods that have the potential to save lives.
"Human factors is the study of the interaction between machines and humans," Cao explained. "Very few [schools] have a dedicated degree program. We're unique."
The soft-spoken professor and director of the program was born in Vietnam, where she lived until her family moved to Vancouver, Canada. Cao established a broad background in biochemistry, kinesiology, mechanical engineering and human factors ergonomics.
"There's a big mix," she said of the range of subjects in which she has specialized. "In terms of doing this kind of research, that's what you need."
Cao came to Tufts in 2001 after receiving her Ph.D from the University of Toronto. She continued her research on the practice of minimally invasive surgery, focusing on "how surgeons perform surgery remotely, without being able to see directly what they're doing."
"Our research is mainly about how to design medical or surgical technology so that surgeons can do their jobs better," she said. "At the time it was so new ... so that was a really exciting time to get into it."
Cao has dedicated a large amount of her efforts to surgical research. Cao's doctoral focus on colonoscopy finds its roots in a personal story; her aunt passed away from complications related to colon cancer.
By developing technology that allows surgeons to more closely track locations in the body while doing remote surgery, Cao has made it possible for patients to experience much less discomfort during check-ups.
"If [the patients] aren't averse to getting screened, [the doctors] are going to be able to detect precancerous tissue beforehand," she said. "And then we can improve the cancer death rate."
Robots have also played a large part in Cao's research goals, especially in regard to surgical safety, which is another major concern for her and her team.
"The bottom line is to increase safety and increase patient safety in particular," she said. "Using robots to perform surgery is one way to increase the capability of the surgeon and make things safer, but it really depends on how you design the robot."
Cao explained that unlike most modern technological systems, medicine is still dangerous. "In fact, medicine is one of the only complex systems that is unsafe. All the other major systems like aviation, nuclear power plant control, chemical plants - those systems that are critical and dangerous are so safe now ... but not medicine. It's tough to understand," she said.
This confusion over a medical culture that she called "resistant to safety change" is the driving force behind Cao's research, which also involves creating surgical simulators similar to those needed by pilots.
"How do you train the surgeon to do the job when he or she can't see or feel?" she said. "Training pilots, they spend hours and hours on a simulator before they actually fly a plane, because a plane is expensive.
"Well, in surgery, for some reason, it's not like that," Cao said. "You don't need to train hours and hours, you just go and do it. So you can imagine, it's not a good idea to be practicing on patients."
Cao has been evaluating new ways of using surgical simulators, working to accommodate the needs of the surgeons who are training for the operating room. "We need to collaborate with the surgeons, or else it's impossible to get in and collect data," she said.
In addition to working closely with surgeons themselves, Cao said that the help of her own students has been an integral part of the research project.
"I have undergraduate students doing research with me," she said. "They help a lot in addition to the graduate students who are doing the research."
Cao is looking to spread the word on the study of human factors, noting its breadth of focus and the increasing need for individuals trained in the field. "A lot of people actually come to Tufts for the human factors program because they know about it. It's got a really good reputation," she said.
"Human factors is definitely a growing field," Cao added. "I've gotten so many job postings in the last few months. These students have their choice of employment ... I'm excited about it."
