1st-Year MCSB Students
Patrick Boada
Univ of San Francisco
Hi, I’m Patrick Boada. I grew up in Orange County, and I have a passion for leveraging advanced machine learning methods to detect disease signatures in clinical studies. I graduated from University of San Francisco with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology as well as a Master of Science in Health Informatics. While living in San Francisco, I worked at various biotechnology companies, specializing in assay development and machine learning methods to evaluate preclinical pharmacological candidate efficacy. My most recent work was with the Surgery Department at UCSF, where I managed bioinformatics analyses for clinical omics studies in kidney disease, kidney transplant rejection, and infectious diseases. I’m interested in continuing research on machine learning models and software development to elucidate disease phenotypes and resolve neurological disease models. I am particularly interested in how NGS technologies can drive advancements in personalized medicine and improve our understanding of disease pathology. Beyond my scientific interests, I like to stay active. I enjoy training and spending time at the beach with family and friends.
Ashish Dalvi
Univ of California, San Diego
Hi! My name is Ashish and I’m originally from Cupertino, California. I recently graduated from UC San Diego with a degree in bioinformatics and a minor in computer science. At UC San Diego, I worked on a research project in the Han Lab at the Salk Institute where I created a computational tool to monitor neuronal activity. I also worked at the Chun Lab at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Institute where I conducted single-cell RNA-seq analysis of Down Syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease data and developed a pipeline to find gencDNAs, a type of insertion. At UCI, I look forward to applying deep learning and mathematical modeling approaches in genomics and drug development. Outside of school, I enjoy cooking, traveling, and going to the gym.
Akarsh Dash
Univ of Hyderabad
Hello! My name is Akarsh, and I’m from Bhubaneswar, India. I earned a master's degree in systems biology from the University of Hyderabad, where I learned to approach biology from an interdisciplinary and system-centric perspective. For my master’s thesis, I conducted research under Dr. Moumita Saharay, using computational techniques such as molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to assess the feasibility of nanomaterial-based immobilization of cellulase for improved biofuel production. My research interest lies in understanding the structure, movement, and dynamics of biomolecules in relation to their function (or dysfunction in disease). I am particularly keen on applying computational techniques in this broad area of biology. At UCI, I hope to further develop and apply MD simulations and related techniques across different scales to improve understanding of biomolecular dynamics and functions. Outside of academia, I enjoy listening to music, reading fiction, and playing open-world video games.
Ana Espeleta
Macalester College
Hello everyone, my name is Ana Espeleta. I was born here in the U.S., but my family and I have moved between the U.S. and Costa Rica many times due to my dad’s work in ecological research. I came to the U.S. for college, where I attended a small liberal arts school called Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota and majored in Computer Science and Biology. Most recently, my work and research interests have centered around molecular modeling. Last year I interned at Stanford University, working with the Rosetta Commons and the Das Lab on RNA structural modeling using AI. I really enjoyed my experience and am excited to explore broader areas of research where machine learning and mathematical modeling can be applied to drug design and discovery. During my free time I enjoy trail running, functional conditioning classes, climbing, and listening to all sorts of music.
Melika Gorgi
Shahid Beheshti University
Hello! I'm Melika Gorgi from Tehran, Iran. I completed my master's degree in physics at Sharif University of Technology, where I delved into the understanding of population dynamics. My research focused on the mathematical modeling of finite populations, aiming to unravel how a cascade of events and population structures influence species growth. This work ignited my passion for using math to understand complex biological systems. I'm excited to continue my studies at UCI, where I plan to work on mathematical modeling of biological systems with the goal of contributing to advancements in public health. I'm particularly interested in how these models can inform our understanding of disease spread and prevention, ultimately benefiting communities worldwide. Beyond academics, I love cooking, hiking, workouts, and enjoying movie nights.
Caleb Hendrick
Univ of Maine, Orono
Hi! I’m Caleb Hendrick. I came here all the way from Orono, Maine. I graduated from the University of Maine with a degree in Biomedical Engineering and minors in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics. I have worked on mathematical models for organ systems, primarily focusing on the relationships between fluid dynamics and the biomechanics of the lower urinary tract. Additionally, I have conducted research in education and ways to teach higher-level engineering modeling classes. I enjoy finding ways to connect biology/physiology to the language of the universe—mathematics. In my spare time, I love to paint and draw, particularly handmade biological and physiological diagrams. If I’m not working with math, you’ll probably find me with a paintbrush, creating an anatomically accurate eye.
Sinai Lee
Univ of California, Irvine
Hello, my name is Sinai Lee. I graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a bachelor’s in mathematics. I originally wanted to study financial engineering in graduate school and work in asset management, but I began to gravitate towards biological sciences during my last year as an undergraduate. I’ve been investigating the structural changes that the HIV-1 virion undergoes during its maturation phase by developing a computational model of the virion for molecular dynamics simulations. Once my project is complete I would like to continue working with MD simulations and explore other areas in biology and engineering where theory and experiments complement each other. During my free time I try to stay in shape, and so I’ll either play tennis, run, or lift weights. I also enjoy science-fiction movies very much; my favorite movie of all time is Blade Runner (1982).
Chun Shing Lo
City Univ of Hong Kong
Here is Shing LO. I earned a BSc in Computing Mathematics with a minor in Biomedical Engineering from City University of Hong Kong. Under the supervision of Prof. Wing-Cheong (Jon) Lo, I conducted research in traditional Chinese medicine theory, radiotherapy, single-cell analysis, neural differential equations, and manifold learning. In addition to my academic pursuits, I held various positions within my department and college, including event helper, math help center tutor, tutor for extra tutorials for first-year students, academic tutor for SEN students, and student mentor. I also taught STEM and Olympic Mathematics classes to secondary school students. During the pandemic, I worked in a medical laboratory performing RT-qPCR tests, where I conducted operations research and implemented automation. My research interests span a wide range of fields, including but not limited to mathematics and biology. Outside academics, I enjoy playing video games, reading, watching anime, and practicing archery.
Chelsea Nguyen
Univ of Hawaii, Manoa
Intro: Hi everyone! My name is Chelsea Nguyen and I was raised in the small town of Hilo, Hawaii. I completed my bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, alongside a mathematical-biology certificate at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. During my undergraduate studies, I collaborated with my math professor and biologists to mathematically model the movements and triggers of zooplankton in response to clownfish larvae predation by utilizing fluid dynamics and MATLAB. Additionally, I have also employed machine learning methods to conduct a study on Lyme Disease survey data in collaboration with the National Lyme Disease organization at UCLA. While I am unsure about which specific field of biology I would like to focus on due to my primarily mathematical background, I am excited to explore and learn more. In the future, I hope to continue using mathematical modeling to quantify and understand the natural world. Outside of research, I enjoy cooking, watching TV, and spending time with my cat, Percy.
Gautham Prabhakar
UC San Diego
Hi! My name is Gautham Prabhakar from San Diego and a 2024 graduate at University of California, San Diego majoring in Bioengineering: Bioinformatics. I have a deep passion for developing algorithms and pipelines to perform bioinformatics analyses related to disease prevention. In my undergraduate research I worked on two major projects under PIs Dr. Milton Saier and Dr. Reem Khoja. In Dr. Saier's lab, I developed a full bioinformatics pipeline that can take gblast results and determine with high confidence the entire transport protein profile of an organism. This tool was used to find links between 29 gut microbes and how their transport systems impact the immune response to COVID-19. In Dr. Khojah's lab, I utilized AI and computer vision techniques to perform live imaging and classification of organoids throughout a culture, storing images and analysis in a cloud that can be accessed from anywhere. At UCI, I hope to further explore my research interests and work on more algorithms that can be used in applications of disease prevention, with a specific interest in cardiovascular disease. In my free time, I enjoy basketball, going to the gym, singing and playing poker.
Yun Sawa
Michigan State Univ
Hi! I’m Yun! I have a diverse background in cancer biology: both hands-on and computational research. Originally from China, I’ve lived in different areas of the US like Michigan and now, SoCal. I completed my Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering at Michigan State University and later pursued graduate studies at the University of Southern California, specializing in Biomedical Engineering and Data Analytics. My research journey has been varied: I spent three years as a bench worker conducting oncology research using patient-derived xenograft models. Then, I transitioned to computational biology and worked on projects such as population genomics in diabetes groups, drug discovery targeting GPCRs and oncology research on testicular cancer. My current interest lies in addressing analytical challenges in experimental data, such as combining multi-omics data to build comprehensive biological networks. Outside of work, I enjoy traveling, attending painting classes, and exploring new restaurants.
Kate da Silva
Cal State Univ Fullerton
Hello! I’m Kate da Silva, and I was raised in Palm Springs, CA. Prior to pursuing my bachelors, I received an A.S. in architecture from College of the Desert, which urged me to explore the intersection of design and science. I earned my B.S. in Biochemistry from CSUF, where I investigated copper metabolism in PMC42 cells in the Linder Lab and served as an SI leader for calculus, awakening my interest in mathematics. During an internship at UPenn in the Penn Imaging Computing and Science Center under Dr. Alison Pouch, I used interdisciplinary approaches to develop an ovarian tissue slicer to improve anatomical segmentation of the ovary. This experience influenced me to further explore computational methods within biological systems, leading me to pursue the MCSB program. During my free time, I enjoy arts and crafts (primarily painting and sculpting), hiking, dyeing my hair, and exploring architecture.
Ethan Wang
Univ California, Riverside
Hi, my name is Ethan and I grew up in Orange County, California. I graduated from University of California, Riverside with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. During my undergrad, I originally wanted to conduct research on gene expression in animal biology but I eventually leaned toward developing computational models. My first experience with molecular modeling was investigating the viral structure of the HIV-1 capsid lattice. This experience sparked my interest in computation and systems biology and encouraged me to delve deeper into the crossroads between biology and computational modeling as a method to solve complex problems. Currently, I am researching the mechanisms that surround the formation of a lipid nanoparticle around a strand of mRNA as a newly synthesized method of delivering vaccines to the human body. When I’m not in the lab, you can find me playing tennis, exercising, or exploring new music genres.
