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Chynna S

- Research Program Mentor

MD/PhD candidate at Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Expertise

Medicine, genetics, cancer biology, epigenetics, cell biology, statistics, population genetics

Bio

My name is Chynna and I am a current 3rd year MD/PhD student at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. My academic passions are highly correlated to identifying important biological mechanisms of disease and their correlations with health disparities. Specifically, I am interested in studying genetic population variation and its implications on women's disease states. I am passionate about using diverse datasets to uncover existing disparities in our understanding of diseases in groups often underrepresented in research. My personal interests include playing basketball (I played in undergrad), taking care of my plants, and watching the newest seasons of Love is Blind. I also enjoy finding new places to eat in the city.

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.

Understanding Disparities in Human Genomics Data Gathering

To understand how populations are influenced differently by their genetic makeup, we first need to know what their genetic make-up is. Many of the existing genomic studies (genome wide association studies to name one) are done on groups that have been extensively studied. This lack of diversity in the cohorts being studied can lead to bias in data collection and our subsequent understanding of disease. Question to answer: What is the demographic make up of the existing genomic datasets used widely in genomics research? In this project you will learn to do a literature review of important papers in genomic data gathering, gather publicly available genomic datasets used in genomics research. This would include datasets from sources like the 1000 Genomes Project, UK Biobank, and others. You would use statistical methods to analyze the demographic information within these datasets, including ancestry, geographic origin, age, gender, and socioeconomic status. And finally compare these findings to the general global population. You would compile these findings and comment on the ethical implications and challenges these findings provide to genetics research.

Coding skills

Python, R

Teaching experience

Previously I have served as a tutor, mentor, and teaching assistant. As a tutor I assisted with classes including Chemistry, Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Biology. I also assisted with MCAT tutoring in all sections. As a mentor I have helped students complete applications to medical school and NIH fellowships.

Credentials

Work experience

Albert Einstein College of Medicine (2022 - Current)
MD/PhD Student
Mentoring in Medicine (2021 - 2023)
Mentor/Tutor
National Institutes of Health (2020 - 2022)
Postbac Research Fellow

Education

Columbia Union College
BS Bachelor of Science (2020)
Biology, Chemistry, Honors Interdisciplinary Studies
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
MD/PhD Doctor of Medicine and of Philosophy candidate
Population Genetics/Epigenetics

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