Informatics program transformation brought student to YSPH

Why did you choose the Yale School of Public Health?

I chose YSPH because of its budding role in the field of informatics! It’s been really exciting for me to watch our medical informatics center (Yale Center for Medical Informatics, YCMI) blossom into a full section (Biomedical Informatics & Data Science, BIDS), and to participate in that transformation in my own little way.

What were you doing before enrolling at YSPH?

I was doing a bit of this and that. After I finished my bachelor’s in math at the University of Pennsylvania, I wasn’t really sure where to go next. I was very fortunate to have found a post-baccalaureate fellowship at YCMI, where I got to work with some awesome informatics faculty, who encouraged me to apply for the Master of Science program.

What are your favorite aspects of the YSPH academic program?

There’s something here for everyone! We have people here who come from every background, ranging from math and computer science to clinical methods and epidemiology. The informatics program is flexible enough to allow me to pursue my own areas of interest in the curriculum.

What was your most impactful experience outside of class?

By far, my favorite part of being at YSPH is the ability to do research with our faculty. Informatics is so interdisciplinary, so you can probably find research opportunities to match any set of interests. I’ve had the pleasure of working with the Krishnaswamy Lab, doing machine learning, and the Xu Lab, doing natural language processing. These have both been very rewarding experiences.

Do you have a favorite Yale place or New Haven food?

Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria Napoletana has the best food in the city. I will die on this hill.

What do you hope to do after graduation?

I’m hoping to continue doing research, and to pursue an informatics PhD program.