Yilan W
- Research Program Mentor
PhD at Harvard University
Expertise
method development to better understand the disease causes, applications of machine learning/deep learning in biology
Bio
I'm a computational biologist interested in developing and evaluating machine learning and rule-based approaches, in order to study how variations in the human population can contribute to evolution and diseases. My research experience spans academia and industry and involves analysis of data types such as genetic and genomic sequences in human and yeast, pathology images of autoimmune diseases, and electronic health records of cancer patients. Outside of work, I enjoy watching and playing sports with friends, such as badminton, soccer, and baseball. I'm also learning how to be a solo pop/musical singer and play piano for fun. Happy to learn about different cultures and perspectives through traveling and hosting parties.Project ideas
Why do people have epilepsy?
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disease in the US, affecting 1 in 26 people. Epilepsy patients typically have temporary abnormal muscle stiffness, twitching, or limpness and abnormal behaviors and sensations (called seizures) and some even lose consciousness temporarily. These symptoms are highly disrupting and would need effective effective treatment. To develop such treatment, it is necessary to understand the causes of epilepsy. This project will focus on surveying existing publications on a specific type of epilepsy -- there are many types of epilepsy based on where in the brain the seizures occur -- and the student can choose to write a review paper or conduct a scientific presentation. This project is great for someone interested in getting into the weeds of medical research, where both genetics and environmental factors play intricating roles.
Are COVID vaccines worth it?
Ever since the onset of COVID-19, many controversies have arisen as to whether or how many times one should receive a vaccine and which vaccine(s) one should choose. Serious side effects of vaccines, whether temporary or long-term, have been reported and received many attention, as well as long-COVID symptoms, such as brain fog. To form one's own opinions about such issues, it would be helpful to understand the following questions: How many different types of vaccines are commonly used for COVID? What happens after vaccine injection? Why did they work in the beginning but have become less so when more people contract the disease? Why are booster shoots recommended every once in while? As a society, what lessons can we learn and apply to the next global pandemic? Some of these questions are already answered by scientists, while others remain open-ended. The project is great for someone who is interested in immunology, infectious diseases, public health and society. This can be a great topic for a blog post, a review or perspective paper, or a scientific presentation.