Maya Eusebio
MIT Department: Media Arts and Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Canan Dagdeviren
Research Supervisor: Aastha Shah
Undergraduate Institution: University of Central Florida
Hometown: Orlando, Florida
Website: LinkedIn
Biography
Maya Eusebio is a Computer Science major at the University of Central Florida, with a minor in International Engineering from the Australian National University. She will graduate in 2026 as a Provost, Honors, and Bright Futures Academic Scholar. At UCF, she works as both a TA and an undergraduate research assistant at the Interactive Systems and User Interfaces Lab, where her main research interests are programmable matter and haptic feedback for VR. At MSRP, she develops electronics that conform to the human body under the supervision of Canan Dagdeviren. Maya’s passions lie at the intersection of technology, art, and community, demonstrated by her ongoing involvement in UCF’s Fashion Society and co-founding a social page highlighting local artists in Orlando. She aims to combine these experiences into an undergraduate thesis with applications in both haptics and fashion technology, before moving on to postgraduate study.
Abstract
Optimization of Mucoadhesive Interface for Drug Delivery
Maya Eusebio1, Aastha Shah2, and Canan Dagdeviren, Ph.D.2
1Department of Computer Science, University of Central Florida (UCF)
2 Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
The inner mucosal surfaces of the human body abound with valuable information and drug delivery sites, but few electronic devices can adhere to these linings long term. Flexible drug delivery systems have been created for the outer skin, but inner mucosal tracts pose additional challenges including mucus turnover rate and potential biofouling. As a result, most mucoadhesive devices are designed for short-term biodegradation, leaving unexplored potential for noninvasive devices that exist passively within the body for long-term sensing or actuation . This project proposes a design rationale for optimized mucoadhesion, conformability, and resistance to biofouling. A general approach to mucosal linings is proposed which can be adapted to specific tracts in future research. Physical and chemical material modification strategies are explored for their ability to wick bodily fluid away from a delivery site and into designated channels to encourage mechanical locking. Analysis of contact angles and spreadability of a simulated bodily mucus are used to characterize these traits. These approaches open avenues for personalized and robust mucosa-interfacing device systems.
