Charting My Path in Bioinformatics
March 2025 (191 Words, 2 Minutes)
I’m currently pursuing an Applied Bioinformatics certificate at UC San Diego, building on my background in computational biology and data-driven research. This website will serve as a space to document what I’m learning, share projects, and reflect on my journey.
My Background
My bioinformatics journey began in high school with an internship at the Molecular Sciences Institute, a research lab that combined genomic experimentation with computational modeling. While earning my B.A. in Sociology at UC San Diego, I also worked in a genetics lab at the Salk Institute. Later, my career took me into the tech industry, where I worked as a Product Manager at Workday, focusing on data warehouses and large-scale system integrations.
Now, I’m transitioning back to what I’m truly passionate about—bioinformatics. I’m excited to bridge my experience in data systems with computational biology, exploring how technology can drive discoveries in genomics and health.
My First Project: Building an AI-Powered Chatbot for FDA Guidelines
I recently participated in the precisionFDA Challenge, where I built a chatbot designed to help users navigate FDA guidelines for cosmetics. This project was an incredible learning experience that deepened my understanding of GenAI, NLP, and machine learning in the public health space.
One of the most exciting aspects was implementing a system that allows users to upload large PDF files—even massive regulatory documents—and have them automatically broken down into manageable sections. Using LangChain and Ollama, the chatbot then feeds the processed content into a large language model (LLM) to answer user questions based on the document’s information.
Through this project, I gained hands-on experience with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems and explored how AI can make complex regulatory information more accessible. You can check out the project and explore the code on my GitHub!
Follow Along!
I’m figuring out my path in bioinformatics by exploring a mix of courses, hands-on projects, and challenges. Along the way, I’ve found some incredible resources that have helped shape my learning, and I plan to share them here along with my own projects and ideas.
If you’re also navigating bioinformatics, machine learning, or AI, let’s learn and explore together! Feel free to reach out via LinkedIn, GitHub, or my contact page. 🚀