Johnny Clapham - PhD Candidate

Hello! I'm Johnny Clapham

📧 jmclapham@wm.edu | 📞 +1 (434) 218-9522

I'm a Computer Science Ph.D. at William & Mary. I successfully defended my dissertation in November 2025. I have been a research assistant in the HealthComp lab and am advised by Dr. Gang Zhou.

I am looking for research and development opportunities in product management and postdoctoral positions. I am able to start work immediately.

I design and deploy machine learning systems for real-world environments. I create intelligent, ubiquitous sensing and modeling pipelines that collect and interpret sensor data for health and wellness applications. My systems perform mobile decision-making to grade movement ability biomarkers, supporting healthy aging and clinical decision-making for conditions such as Parkinson's disease. I have also created a new mobile sensor that tracks electrolyte levels.

I'm translating this work into real-world impact through Motion Medix, a Virginia-based startup developing mobile sensing tools for health and aging.

Movement Measurement

Healthy Aging Through Movement Insights

We develop wearable sensor technology that tracks movement patterns and analyzes key biomarkers. Our system helps older adults and individuals with movement-related conditions—like Parkinson’s disease—monitor changes in their mobility over time. By turning everyday movement into actionable data, we empower users and their care teams to make more informed decisions and improve treatment outcomes.

Learn more in our peer-reviewed publication. Read it here.

Electrolyte Measurement

Electrolyte Sensing, Anywhere

Our unobtrusive mobile sensor turns almost any container or surface into a real-time electrolyte tester. From smart water bottles and fruit probes to medicine flasks and hydration tanks, the system instantly measures electrolyte content and delivers clear, actionable data to everyday users—no lab or expertise required. By democratizing electrolyte analysis, we give athletes, patients, and wellness-minded consumers the insight they need to make informed decisions about hydration and nutrition.

Learn more in our peer-reviewed publication. Read it here.

Skills

I turn ideas into results.

Create End-to-End Machine-Learning Sensor Systems Interview target users and domain experts to define the problem. Capture and label sensor data. Architect and train models that perform the target action (e.g., localize and measure movement actions). Select hardware and build the software pipeline to integrate data collection and model inference.

Prototype, Deploy & Assess Usability Build a field-ready prototype and deploy it in the target environment. Stream live sensor inputs and run inferences to evaluate performance against KPIs. Collect runtime performance metrics and conduct user interviews to validate UX and workflow. Iterate on hardware and software based on real-world feedback.

Take Over & Maintain Existing Systems Meet with stakeholders to gather technical insights, expectations, and goals. Review and update existing codebases, hardware setups, and documentation. Refine requirements and evolve functionality based on learned information. Deploy updates to production, monitor live performance, and troubleshoot issues. Onboard and train new team members on system architecture and workflows.

Commercialize Technical Innovations Ideate and refine product concepts that fit market needs. Identify and prioritize target customer segments. Test and iterate value-proposition hypotheses via customer interviews. Craft and deliver pitches to angel investors, funding committees, and competitions. Produce engaging video demos and secure funding.

Communicate & Engage Audiences Tailor content to varied levels of technical knowledge. Engage in community events and public presentations. Lecture graduate seminars and mentor academic discussions. Present papers and posters at conferences and symposiums. Conduct outreach and recruit participants for user studies.

Mentor Students & Support Team Development Guide students through technical problem-solving and pair-programming. Coach presentation skills and teaching-assessment projects. Provide code reviews and debugging support. Assist new students with success strategies.

Visualize & Simplify Complex Systems Create clear, engaging architecture diagrams and workflow visuals. Distill detailed processes into intuitive, easy-to-understand schematics. Balance aesthetic appeal with all necessary technical detail. Design visuals and explanations to help non-technical stakeholders understand complex systems.