Q. What aspects of your MCB degree program best helped you prepare for your career?
A. Berkeley's emphasis on undergraduate research was a major asset. I participated in research projects that allowed me to apply classroom knowledge to real-world problems, particularly in computational biology and population genetics.
Q. How did you decide on your current career path?
A. Early in my undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley, I was drawn to both molecular biology and computer science. I found biology fascinating because of its complexity and relevance to human health, and I enjoyed computer science because of the power of computing. Combining these two interests naturally led me to explore computational biology, where I could apply computational methods to biological questions.
As I became more involved in research I recognized that cancer genomics was a rapidly growing and exciting field. With the advent of large-scale sequencing technologies, there was a tremendous amount of data available, and computational methods were crucial for making sense of it. After spending my junior summer at Weill Cornell Medicine, I saw cancer genomics as a field where I could make a meaningful impact, and thus I eventually decided to join MSK Cancer Center to further my interest.
Q. Share your favorite Berkeley lunch place, coffee shop, landmark study spot...etc.
A. Banh Mi Bite