Hello and welcome to my website! I built this page to highlight and supplement some of the material on my resume. I am a senior at Purdue University studying Biological Engineering. I am actively looking for full-time employment in the field of computational biology as well as research and development in biopharmaceuticals. I have a vast array of experiences in both programming and biochemistry research that make me fully-equipped to become a fucture leader in the field.
At Purdue, I have spent the past 4 years studying the latest trends and topics in Bioengineering. The first two years were spent building a foundation of mathematics and bioscience including linear algebra, ordinary differential equations, and partial differential equations, biochemistry, microbiologoy, immunology, and food science. The last two years I have learned to apply this knowledge to mathematically model biological systems and predict their behavior, research new therapeutics in medicine, design new processes and scale up for the large-scale production of biological products, and I have even started as a teaching assistant, working with a professor in our mathematical and computational modeling course.
During the Summer of 2018, I worked in Indianapolis at Eli Lilly's main research laboratories. There, I helped lead the development of mathematical models to describe, characterize, and predict the behavior of various nicotinic receptors in the nervous system. My supervisor and I were looking at identifying mechanisms and key parameters in the models. I developed a series of ordinary differential equations and utilized python to numerically integrate the series. The data were then used to analyze mechanisms and behavior. I loved this project because it allowed me to flex two areas of my studies that I love: The fundamental science and biochemsitry with advanced mathematics and computer science.
This course was taken during the Spring of my Junior year on campus. This class utilized our understanding of electricity and magnetism and applied it to the growing field of mechatronics. This was one of the most "out-of-my-element" courses that I have ever taken! The semester-long project was to build and design a robot that could navigate a predefined course. Using an Arduino microcontroller, my team and I successfully built and coded a robot which could follow a dynamic path laid out on the ground, avoid objects, and could stop given external optical stimuli.
Perhaps my favorite course I have yet to take at Purdue is Practical Biocomputing. In this class, we use Python to anaylze biolgical data and learn how we can apply bioinformatics into our research. Some examples of programs written include: Scripts to read and analyze FASTQ/FASTA sequence files, search algorithms for restriction digest sites, and data analysis techniques for various data metrics taken in the lab. In addition, we are completing a final class project that takes biological phenomena and models the transient behavior of the system.
One of my first projects with Dr. Tantama was to help optimize tandem fluorscent protein structure linker lengths. In short, we were looking to develop a unique fluorescent protein (FP) biosensor to be used in nuerodegeneration studies to sense oxidative stress changes in different cellular compartments. This sensor relied on two FPs being joined closely together to generate a FRET response. The short peptide linker between the two FPs was key to maximizing the FRET response. Using MATLAB, I analyzed the spatial dynamics of the FPs to predict which structures would promote the highest possible FRET. Data files were inputted into the script, relevant atoms coordinates were extracted, and mathematical calculations were conducted on their positions to predict the level of FRET that would occur.
In addition, I have written numerous python scripts in lab to help expedite experiment setup, data analysis, and data storage on our server. One specific example is a python script that I wrote to conduct the data analysis on DNA concentration from spectroscopy measurments.
Coding is one of my favorite hobbies, and I am always working on personal projects on the side. Some examples include numerical integration algorithms, games of hangman, coding challenges, and even Twitter Bots to post about my favorite TV show, The Office! Check out my github for all of my current projects!
My undergraduate research is perhaps my favorite extracurricular activity at Purdue. I began as a freshmen and have been working in the lab of Dr. Tantama ever since. Our work focuses on designing unique fluorescent protein (FP) biosensors for future use in the study of Parkinson's disease. My specific project is looking to examine the link between oxidative stress inside the mitochondria and the onset of the disease via neurodegeneration. I worked with graduate students to design, develop, and optimize the fluorscent protein shown below. This engineered protein utilizes Forster Resonance Energy Trasnfer (FRET) to red-shift the emission of the well-known roGFP2 - a redox sensitive FP. Red-shifting the FP allows for simultaneous imaging of intracellular compartments, and also improves analysis by providing a more practical emission spectrum.
Below is an example image analysis of our engineered proteins inside neurons. One can see neuronal cytosol and mitochondria being imaged with only the roGFP (cytosol), only the RFP (mitochondria), and the tandem sensor (cytosol + mitochondria). It can quickly be seen how we can differentiate the intracellular compartments by using our sensor and exciting with a single emission wavelength. In adddition, we can see actual data analysis to the right of the imaging showing cellular response to oxidative stresses.
My 3+ years of experience in the Tantama Lab has given me immense experience in many areas of experimental biology. I am highly compotent in working aseptically with bacterial and mammalian cell cutlure, cloning recombinant genetic material into baterial and mammalian cell lines, expressing the recomninant DNA, and extracting/purifiyng the protein from bacteria to conduct characterization assays. Specific skills that I have obtained include:
I recently took on a postition as a teaching assisitant for my college's main course on computational modeling of biological systems. I love this job because it allows me to work with students and teach in an area of passion for me - computational biology. I help to lead in-class discussions, assist students with their semester long project, and provide help on techniques used to solve the mathematical models using many numerical integration techniques. Taking a class on numerical modeling is one thing, but teaching it gives me a whole new perspecitve and appreciation for the power of computational biology.
Music has always been a passion of mine. Ever since I was 7 years old, I have been playing instruments. I used to make music with my friends all the time in high school and even started a band which played together for 2 yeras. Once I got to college, I had to set this hobby aside. However, in my Junior year I rediscovered this hobby I love so much with Purdue Music Producers (PMP). I went to all the meetings, and everntually I worked my way up to Vice President. During my first 2 months as VP, I worked to restructure the club and increased membership by 500%. We are now one of the largest music clubs on campus and growing.
Being an ambassador of my college allows me to brag about my major and studies to new prospective students. I get to talk about Biological Engineering and help inspire younger kids - not just for engineering, but STEM in general. I think that giving back and instilling excitment in the younger generations is essential to scientific progress. They are the upcoming generation of innovators, and I want to help be the one to set them on that path! I get to lead labs, conduct presentations, and speak to families about why I love Biological Engineering, and what I want to do with my degree. As Vice President, I am responsbile for ensuring that all of our labs and outreach events are the best htey can be, and I help to organize the daily activities of the club.
Boiler Gold Rush (BGR) is Purdue's new freshmen orientation program that everyone takes part in when they first step foot on campus for their first year at college. BGR's goal is to provide a network of support and opportunity for everyone at the begining of their college career. It helps introduce new students to Purdue's culture, campus, and values. As a team leader, I was tasked with leading a team of new students for an entire week. I led discussions, provided students with opporutnities to fit in on campus, and was their guide for the first week of college.
Please feel free to contact me! My email is below, or you can use the form underneath to send me a message directly to my email. I look forward to hearing from you!