Daniel Ribeirinha-Braga

What do you do at the Laboratory?

I started out as a basic Application Programming Interface and database developer, but quickly started moving from project to project and learning different forms of software development. The projects ranged from mobile development to things like embedded systems. I have had to wear multiple hats on multiple teams, but every time I learn something new.

Now I primarily work as a software architect. Some projects I have worked on include the Private Automated Contact Tracing framework, where the team and I were responsible for standing up a system to better understand contact tracing in a private, anonymous way. My primary task was to build a mobile application that provides users a way to run through some testing scenarios, collect data, and upload that data to our servers. I also worked on building an emergency remote sensing tool and a testbed architecture.

What do you enjoy about working here?

The aspect of my work that I take the most pride in would have to be designing software. Through my experience I have been exposed to and responsible for developing a wide variety of software applications and integrating them together in order to meet the project’s needs. With so many different technologies, finding the proper solution that provides robustness, flexibility, and scalability is always a fun and rewarding challenge.

Do you have some advice for someone looking to work in your field?

Individuals who are interested in this field should research and build as much as possible. By staying up-to-date on current technology, folks can have an idea on what new features, functions, and capabilities are possible. Building allows you to take what you have learned and actually put it into practice. Finally, make sure you are passionate about what you are doing. Burnout is real thing in this industry, but finding things that give you intrinsic motivation make you feel as though you have all of the energy in the universe!