![Erik and Niku enjoy the view in Shenandoah](/content/images/size/w1140/2023/05/erik_strand_crop.jpeg)
Erik Strand
Erik is a founding member of NikuAI, and a primary caretaker of Niku the cockapoo. He is currently a PhD student at the MIT Center for Bits and Atoms, where he works on particle based physics simulations and volumetric electronics design tools. Outside his research, Erik enjoys playing jazz piano and bass, as well as spending time outdoors. He started playing with Stable Diffusion the day the weights were released, and was soon smitten by the combination of creative outlet and technological challenge presented by generative models.