Here is what our grads have to say about the Summer Institute. Also see Seeding the Field: HMS summer bioinformatics program builds careers, improves health care.
Year of Participation: 2024
Anushka Poddar
Undergraduate Institution: University of Maryland, College Park
Major: Bioengineering
Currently: Sophomore
Contact: apoddar2@terpmail.umd.edu, anushkapoddar76@gmail.com
SIBMI 2024 was one of the most impactful and memorable experiences of my academic career thus far. I arrived in Boston as a wide-eyed freshman with many doubts about whether I wanted to pursue a career in research, clinical practice, or both. But over 9 weeks, I refined my career goals, gained immense exposure to contemporary issues in biomedical informatics, improved my research skills, and met some of my best friends. I am deeply grateful to Dr. Susanne Churchill and Jamie Gunnerson for their tireless efforts in making this program possible.
I was placed with the Farhat Lab, and conducting research under the guidance of Dr. Maha Farhat was truly a privilege. Through my project on genetic determinants of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, I learned how to think critically about genome analysis and apply genomics techniques. But perhaps more importantly, I developed confidence in leading my own project, learning independently, navigating setbacks, and presenting my work to different audiences.
The mentorship I received at SIBMI was also invaluable, and among the brilliant, close-knit DBMI community, I felt constantly seen and supported. Weekly lectures and lunches from distinguished researchers and clinicians provided a unique window into the intersection of medicine and computer science, as well as the multitude of career opportunities in this field. Conversations with Dr. Farhat, Susanne, and other members of the department also enriched my perspective and helped me gain clarity about the path I want to pursue after graduation.
The cohort is what made the summer particularly special for me. Being surrounded by peers from around the country who were equally passionate and driven was truly inspiring. And after long days at Countway, we wandered the city and gathered in apartments, sharing food, conversations, and laughs. I am glad to say that the friends I made at SIBMI remain some of my closest friends today.
Overall, SIBMI opened my eyes to the breadth of biomedical informatics and strengthened my resolve to contribute to this exciting field. I highly recommend the program to any student who is interested in using computational techniques to advance health and medicine. If you’re thinking about applying or have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out—I’m happy to share my experience and help however I can!
Aryan Shaik
Undergraduate Institution: Texas A&M University
Major: Bioinformatics
Currently: Junior
Contact: aryanshaik@tamu.edu
Participating in the 2024 SIBMI program has been one of the most transformative and rewarding experiences of my academic journey. This unique opportunity allowed me to immerse myself in the exciting intersection of medical and computational research, equipping me with invaluable skills and a clearer sense of direction for my future. During the program, I had the privilege of working under the guidance of Dr. Maha Farhat and an exceptional team of mentors, including Dr. Brendon Mann, Max Marin, Haoyang Hu, and Shandu Mulaudzi. My project focused on analyzing a novel dataset of paired genomes and metagenomes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis directly obtained from patient samples with and without intervening culture. This deep dive into tuberculosis research not only broadened my understanding of computational biology but also revealed the potential of interdisciplinary approaches to address critical challenges in global health.
One of the most rewarding aspects of the program was the creative freedom I was given to explore ideas within the project’s framework. Balancing computational methodologies with the tangible implications of medical research was an incredible experience that fueled my passion for blending these two fields. Whether brainstorming innovative approaches or troubleshooting challenges, I always felt supported by my mentors, whose expertise and encouragement played an instrumental role in my growth. Beyond the research, SIBMI provided an environment of collaboration and inspiration. Interacting with fellow participants—brilliant, motivated peers from diverse backgrounds—was a highlight of the summer. The cohort’s energy, curiosity, and camaraderie created an inspiring environment that fostered meaningful connections and collaborative growth. I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the entire program, especially Susanne, Jamie, our TA Shandu, the Farhat Lab, and the entire DBMI staff, whose dedication made this summer productive and incredibly memorable.
SIBMI 2024 has left a lasting impact on both my academic and personal journey. It has deepened my appreciation for the synergy between medicine and computation and reaffirmed my aspirations in this field. I highly recommend this program to anyone curious about how computational approaches can revolutionize medicine. If you’re considering applying or have any questions, please feel free to reach out, as I’d be more than happy to share more about my experience and help in any way I can!
Anya Sharma
Undergraduate Institution: Pitzer College
Major: Biology
Minor: Data Science
Currently: Senior
Contact: asharma@students.pitzer.edu
Participating in SIBMI was by far the most impactful summer of my academic career, and I owe a huge thanks to Susanne Churchill, JamieGunnerson, Shandu Mulaudzi, and especially my PI and mentor, Arjun Manrai. This summer, I tackled scalable mitigation strategies for addressing race-based medicine propagation in Large Language Models. It was a chance to explore a vital aspect of clinical AI deployment—one that I’m now deeply passionate about and plan to pursue further in graduate school. Currently, I’m still engaged with the lab, working to expand the project through a collaboration with Beth Israel, and we’re aiming for a possible publication.
Although I’m not on the MD or PhD track, the SIBMI program was incredibly enriching. Weekly talks from guest lecturers not only gave insight into various research areas and career paths (MD, PhD, MD-PhD, MS, and more), but also helped me build valuable connections within the industry. One of the lectures even led to a future opportunity that I’m planning on pursuing next summer!
Working alongside graduate students in the lab was another highlight. Kyla Gabriel, a past SIBMI student herself, offered me guidance on everything from project work to career advice, making me feel supported throughout my time there. Most importantly, the close-knit community within the SIBMI cohort gave me friendships with like-minded peers who share similar academic and career goals, and I’m excited to keep in touch with them as we all move forward in our careers.
Richard Zhu
Undergraduate Institution: Harvard College
Major: Statistics and Neuroscience (double major)
Minor: English
Currently: Junior
Contact: rzhu@college.harvard.edu, richardyxz@gmail.com
My summer at SIBMI was a transformative experience that has substantially influenced my research interests and career direction. Coming into the program, I was not sure whether I wanted to pursue an MD, PhD, or MD-PhD. Moreover, I had tried out a variety of computational and wet lab research fields, but I had never delved deeply into deep learning for biomedicine. I came to SIBMI wanting to try out this research frontier and to clarify my career path.
The summer exceeded all of my expectations. The community at Harvard DBMI is extremely tight-knit and, as a SIBMI intern, you have an unparalleled opportunity to interact with and learn from leaders in the field of biomedical informatics. In 2024, we heard from a wonderfully diverse group of physicians, academic researchers, and industry scientists through the lecture series. Each speaker had a unique story to tell about how they chose their research interests and ultimate career path—this was invaluable in helping me define what kind of impact I want to have in my future career. If you are interested in this specific intersection of quantitative reasoning, computational implementation, and biomedical applications, there is no better place to spend a summer than at SIBMI, as you can learn from not just the faculty at DBMI (who are at the forefront of their respective fields) but also leaders across the Harvard teaching hospitals, MIT, affiliated research institutes (e.g., the Broad Institute) and biotech companies in this space (e.g., Recursion). Moreover, Susanne, Jamie, and the program’s TA (shoutout to Shandu!) do a superb job organizing the program and bringing everyone together through socials, lunches with the speakers, and activities around Boston. The program is small enough that you will get to know all the members of your cohort, and these friendships will last beyond the program. Since SIBMI ended, I have gone on hackathons with friends from the cohort, met up with others outside of Boston, and learned an extraordinary amount from my peers.
Regarding the research project itself, I worked in Professor Marinka Zitnik’s lab under Dr. Shanghua Gao. My project, which I am continuing into the academic year, focuses on developing LLM-based AI agents for personalized drug understanding and repurposing. Working on this project allowed me to explore the forefront of biomedical AI agents research and has significantly expanded my perspectives on how computation can be applied in healthcare contexts. Professor Zitnik and Dr. Gao are fantastic mentors that have shown me how to conduct research in this interdisciplinary space and helped me feel prepared for my future research pursuits.
To anyone interested in the field of biomedical informatics or applying/admitted to SIBMI, I am more than happy to answer any questions about my experience in SIBMI. The program has had a profound and lasting effect on my scientific journey, and I would encourage you to apply if you are interested in quantitative thinking and want to make a positive impact in the biomedical space. Please feel free to reach out to me at the listed emails!
Year of Participation: 2023
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Kyra Fetter
Undergraduate Institution: University of California, San Diego -
Jiayue Liu
Undergraduate Institution: Vanderbilt University -
Chase Mathis
Undergraduate Institution: Duke University -
Andrew Shen
Undergraduate Institution: University of California, San Diego -
Kian Weihrauch
Undergraduate Institution: University of Michigan
Year of Participation: 2022
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Skylar Chan
Undergraduate Institution: University of Maryland -
Kyla Gabriel
Undergraduate Institution: University of Alabama at Birmingham -
Isuru Herath
Undergraduate Institution: Cornell University -
Nicholas Ho
Undergraduate Institution: Arizona State University -
Kira Nagoshi
Undergraduate Institution: Harvard College -
Satvik Tripathi
Undergraduate Institution: Drexel University -
Jonathan Williams
Undergraduate Institution: Stanford -
Julian Zulueta
Undergraduate Institution: MIT
Year of Participation: 2021
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Samantha Chin
Undergraduate Institution: Princeton University -
Justin Du
Undergraduate Institution: Yale University -
Clara Kim
Undergraduate Institution: Wellesley College -
Karan Luthria
Undergraduate Institution: University of Maryland Baltimore County -
Owen Queen
Undergraduate Institution: University of Tennessee, Knoxville -
Arjun Somayazulu
Undergraduate Institution: Johns Hopkins University -
Diane Zhang
Undergraduate Institution: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Year of Participation: 2020
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Payal Chandak
Undergraduate Institution: Columbia University -
Nolan Cole
Undergraduate Institution: Brigham Young University -
Conlan Olson
Undergraduate Institution: Harvard University -
Naomi Rankin
Undergraduate Institution: Howard University -
Harrison Zhang
Undergraduate Institution: Columbia University
Year of Participation: 2018
Year of Participation: 2017
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James Diao
Undergraduate Institution: Yale University -
Eliana Marostica
Undergraduate Institution: Wellesley College -
Robert Minneker
Undergraduate Institution: University of Washington -
Sachit D. Saksena
Undergraduate Institution: The University of Texas at Austin -
Teddy Younker
Undergraduate Institution: University of Pittsburgh