September 2024 - June 2025

Research Fellow @ Allen Institute for Neural Dynamics

Perform automated error detection in lightsheet microscopy volumes using computer vision methods.

October 2022 - June 2025

Undergraduate Researcher @ Orsborn Lab

Code and debug a tablet-based "cursor tracking task/game" for rhesus macaque monkeys. Leverage machine learning techniques to predict subjects' future performance on task and improve the design of training regiments. Analyze additional behavioral and neural data, focusing on motor learning and feedback & feedforward control. Train and supervise subjects to interact with tablet.

October 2023 - June 2025

Undergraduate Researcher @ Noble Lab

Build a state-of-the-art model to predict Hi-C contact maps for intrachromosomal (cis) and interchromosomal (trans) loci. Experiment with encoder-decoder architectures and tune hyperparameters. Decrypt and interpret traditionally blackbox models to better understand predictions.

June 2024 - August 2024

Research Intern @ Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Build Cheephys3D, a novel tool to generate three-dimensional models of facial muscles alongside subcortical neural recordings in mice. Created a command line tool for synchronizing signals. Perform manual spike sorting and develop a quality control pipeline to verify good clusters. Design a pair of autoregressive models to predict (1) future neural states and (2) future facial muscular states. Compare the models’ hidden state matrices using statistical shape analysis. Design a decoder model to directly predict geometric facial features from neural time series data.

October 2023 - June 2025

Undergraduate Researcher @ Makeability Lab

End-to-end project to design a novel VR-based language-learning platform and conduct user studies.

June 2023 - August 2023

AI Intern @ NASA JPL

Leveraged deep reinforcement learning methods to automate the scheduling of mission communications on the Deep Space Network. Missions are heavily constrained based on viewperiods, required equipment, antenna availability, "fairness" between competing missions, etc. with many special cases.

March 2023 - October 2023

Undergraduate Researcher @ Behavioral Ecophysics Lab

Analyzed high-speed camera trap and GoPro footage of honeyeaters (birds) feeding at flowers, with the goal of determining whether honeyeaters were present in video frames, identifying honeyeater species, and counting the number of flowers probed per each bird's visit. Also worked on artificially augmenting datasets with randomized transformations and external data sources.

March 2021 - June 2022

Web Designer @ Highline College, Journalism Dept.

Worked as a student employee to build and maintain a web edition of the Thunderword, the school newspaper. Occassionally wrote for the tech column as a staff reporter for fun!

Synaptech • President

A neurotechnology & neuroengineering club! I put together weekly meetings, usually centered around a project tutorial I created. We work with lots of hardware, from Arduino kits, electroencephalograms, TENS devices, etc. Sometimes I also host journal-club style meetings, hackathons, or bring in guest speakers!

Synaptech also runs quarter and year-long projects that anyone can join. I'm leading the Opticars project (controlling Arduino cars with eye movements) and the Looking Glass project (a novel research project about neural and ocular responses to different visual stimuli, to be published in IMPULSE). I'm also a part of the SmartMusic project, where we're working to generate original music compositions from a user's neural feedback!

LUX Film Production Club

A film-making club! In addition to weekly meetings (usually technical in nature), I get the opportunity to join a crew and produce a new short film every quarter! So far, I've been involved in three productions with experience as a director, screenwriter, camera operator, and gaffer. My favorite genre is psychological horror. Here's my film portfolio .

SPACE • Vice President

SPACE (Scholars Pursuing Academic and Celestial Exploration) is a space science club! Most recipients of the WA NASA Space Grant, including myself, are involved with SPACE. One of my favorite events with SPACE was having a live Q&A with an astronaut on the ISS.

Highline College

AS in Computer Science | GPA: 3.9 | 2020 - 2022

Related Coursework: Calculus I, II, III; Linear Algebra; Physics I, II, III; General Chemistry I; Obj-Orient Prog with Java I, II; Survey of Computing; Web Development; Intro to Python; Animation

Computer Science Club

I attended a few hackathons and helped host Highline's first CS club hackathon with Stadium High School's Girls Who Code Club! I also prepared a workshop on creating art with Java for Highline's Spring Hacks hackathon.

Cyber Competition Club

I competed in the NCAE Cyber Games and learned about white-hat hacking through online training and weekly meetings.

Stadium High School

GPA: 3.9 | 2018 - 2022

Related Coursework: AP Computer Science Principles; Web Design; Graphic Design

Girls Who Code Club • Founder & President

Led weekly meetings and group projects. Examples of projects included games, website building, and AR/VR apps. I also hosted hackathons and coordinated guest speaker events with industry professionals.

Math Club • Vice President

Competed in math competitions and worked on logic/math puzzles during weekly meetings.

Key Club • Secretary

Volunteering club. Helped fundraise for the Thirst Project. Took meeting notes and kept track of students' volunteering hours.

National Honor Society

Volunteering club.

I'm a super active hacktivist, having participated in upwards of 70 hackathons! I'm also part of Major League Hacking's Top 50 Hackers. You can read more about my MLH bio here.

Left is me presenting at Hack Club's Assemble hackathon in San Francisco, CA. I hosted a couple workshops (including one on data science), submitted my own project (dealing with ML and Marvel/DC Superheroes), and even had an act for the talent show!

Browse my hackathon projects...

.

1. 🚧 SmartMusic

   This Synaptech group project aims to generate original music compositions based on neural feedback. First, a user trains their own ML model by listening to music they like and dislike, while wearing an EEG. As they start listening to more music, we can use their neural data and the features of the piece they are listening to, to iteratively improve the music, so that we eventually only output music that the listener enjoys.

2. ✅ Opticars

   Mini Arduino cars controlled by eye movements - including saccades to set directions and blinks to control stop/go actions.

3. ✅ Painting with Brainwaves

   I made this Synaptech project on my own to host at UW's "Dawg Daze" events and the "Engineering Launch" event. It is an app that translates your brainwaves into emotions, and then into pictures -- like a waterfall surrounded by birds or a castle on fire! Alternatively, for a less "random" and more rule-based result, I can turn your brainwave activity into fractal patterns with changing colors. I made a nice & intuitive UI for the app too!

4. ✅ Music and Mental Health (MxMH)

   This was my first solo long-term machine-learning project! The goal was to analyze the correlation (if any) between music taste and mental health. First, I created a survey to gather data (700+ instances) and deployed a website to advertise the project and boost the number of survey responses. Then, I published an exploratory data analysis notebook with my conclusions. I published a second notebook with some ML experiments, aiming to predict depression, anxiety, OCD, and insomnia scores from music habits. Finally, I deployed the top-performing model to the web, which included visualizations comparing its predictions of a new individual to the 700 data points I previously collected.

Here are some of the short films that I've worked on! My favorite genre is horror, more psychological than gore though.

Use Case

Drama • Au 2022

Camera Operator

Although she seems happy to help her friends, Taylor is crumbling under her belief that her friendships are merely transactional relationships.

Paranoia

Psychological Horror • Wi 2023

Director, Screenwriter

A woman becomes increasingly convinced that she is being followed, but her therapist dismisses her claims, concealing his own stalkerish habits.

From the Depths of Space

Horror, Supernatural • Sp 2023

Gaffer

When a young woman is invited to a dinner party by old friends, she must navigate a night of manipulation and evil secrets to save herself.

Green Trace

Sci-Fi, Thriller • Au 2023

Assistant Camera

Unable to sleep, Alice decides to go for a nighttime walk. Fearing she is completely alone in the world, she encounters something extraterrestrial.

Coming Soon

Sp 2024

Coming Soon

Sp 2024

In addition to writing code or writing screenplays, I write for my own Medium blog. Lately, I've been self-publishing but I've also worked with publications like ILLUMINATION, The UX Collective's Bootcamp, Everyday Science, Newtonian Curiosity, etc.!

I'm also a 2x "Top Writer" on Medium for the "Space" and "Innovation" topics.

I also enjoy writing for the quarterly Smore magazine, which is a STEM magazine for kids! I mostly write on astronomy topics.

Browse my recent articles...

Definitely feel free to contact me! I'm always looking to collaborate on hackathons, films, or other projects.