Hometown: New Jersey, United States.

What is your academic background? What research experience did you have before grad school?

As an undergraduate, I studied Computer Science and Statistics at the University of Maryland, College Park. I was a member of the Leiserson Research Group at UMD and contributed to research projects related to analysis and visualization of mutational signatures in human cancer.

Why did you choose BIG?

I chose BIG due to its integration with the enthusiastic and diverse research community in the Boston area: the hospitals and labs investigating both basic science questions and tackling translation to the bedside. My interests in data visualization and human-computer interaction in the context of biology also aligned with the interests of researchers at HMS working to enable visual exploration and access to large biomedical datasets. Coming from an undergraduate experience consisting of mostly computational classes, I appreciate that the BIG program will challenge me to become a well-rounded bioinformatician through foundational biology and genomics courses.

What advice would you give to college students who are interested in a PhD in genomics/bioinformatics?

I would encourage students to take advantage of any exposure to research available at your undergraduate institution, for example by seeking out research-in-progress seminars or faculty candidate "job talks" in areas that may be tangential to your studies. You never know what will spark your imagination, and often there is important research going on right under our noses.