Natalie D - Research Program Mentor | Polygence
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Natalie D

- Research Program Mentor

PhD candidate at University of California

Expertise

Medicine, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Genetics, Genomics, Data Science

Bio

I received my PhD in Biomedical Sciences with a specialization in Bioinformatics from the University of California, San Diego in 2023, and earned a BSc in Pharmaceutical Chemistry with a minor in Quantitative Biology & Bioinformatics, summa cum laude, from UC Davis. My research background centers on complex and highly prevalent metabolic disorders, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurodegeneration, with a focus on leveraging cutting-edge genomic technologies and machine learning to improve our understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of these conditions. By applying human genetics, I am interested identifying disease-related genes that may serve as potential drug targets or offer insights into underlying disease mechanisms. My work combines data science approaches including data cleaning, computation, and visualization with biological and clinical knowledge to extract meaningful insights from large, diverse human datasets. I additionally have extensive experience of involvement in the broader scientific community by publishing my findings in peer-reviewed journals and developing public-facing research websites that make complex data and findings more accessible. Outside of research, I enjoy spending time outdoors, especially playing tennis, rock climbing, and hiking.

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Identification and Prioritization of Novel Type 2 Diabetes Genes

With the advent of the internet and data sharing platforms, several public human genetic databases have been established (i.e. GWAS Catalog, Common Metabolic Disease Knowledge Portal) in which scientific researchers have deposited their research findings for others to examine. Much of this data remains under-utilized but researchers still continue to add more data to these databases. In this potential project, one could aggregate the genetic findings from type 2 diabetes studies from existing public databases to identify and prioritize novel genes of interest which may be play crucial roles in type 2 diabetes development. Such a project could also extend to different diseases, depending on the student's research interests!

Coding skills

R, python, bash

Languages I know

Chinese (beginner)

Teaching experience

While working on my PhD I have mentored several undergraduates and high school students which has involved teaching them necessary skills to succeed as well as guide and support them in conducting their research projects. Additionally during my graduate education, I have served as a teaching assistant for an undergraduate bioinformatics course. Furthermore I have experience as a STEM tutor and mentored incoming first-year Chemistry majors on navigating college education, including coursework and finding research opportunities.

Credentials

Work experience

Gilead Sciences (2018 - 2018)
Research Intern - Drug Metabolism
UC Davis (2016 - 2018)
STEM Tutor
UC Davis Department of Chemistry (2016 - 2018)
Undergraduate Honors Researcher

Education

University of California
BS Bachelor of Science candidate
Pharmaceutical Chemistry/Quantitative Biology and Bioinformatics
University of California
PhD Doctor of Philosophy candidate
Biomedical Sciences - Bioinformatics

Completed Projects

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