Interested in doing cutting edge research at the intersection of Biology and Computer Science? Come join the Seelig Lab!!
Description of Research: This opportunity is in the lab of Professor Georg Seelig in CSE & EE. Seelig lab is a Synthetic and Systems Biology lab working on developing experimental and computational methods for studying (and modifying) biological systems. We are presently developing Machine Learning tools for two different Computational Biology projects in collaboration with Dr. Su-in Lee (CSE & Genome Sciences) and Dr. Sreeram Kannan (EE). Both projects involve working with large publicly available Single Cell Sequencing data sets and developing machine learning algorithms for such data. Problems we are looking to solve include (but not limited to) i) identifying new cell types ii) identifying key genes responsible for stem cell differentiation iii) lineage reconstruction for stem cell differentiation. Students will receive training in both the underlying biology problems as well as machine learning tools for their analysis. Through the course of the research, students will learn to work with large biological datasets, conduct literature searches and implement novel machine learning algorithms in different programming languages. We also have regular lab meetings where members of the lab present their research, which is a great opportunity to improve presentation skills and learn about other research. One potential outcome is becoming a co-author in any publications arising from these projects.
Requirements/Qualifications: Due to the training required, we need at least a 2 quarter commitment and a minimum of Sophomore standing as of Autumn 2016. No prior biology background is necessary but interest in biology and machine learning is recommended. Essential skills are a working knowledge of any one (or more) of the following programming languages: MATLAB, Python and R. Some prior experience in machine learning and Javascript programming is useful. Priority will be given to Juniors and Seniors who have a good programming background and an interest in pursuing graduate training in computational biology/ machine learning. We are currently looking for 1 undergraduate research assistant for these projects.
Method of compensation: Undergraduate research assistants may receive course credit.
Expected start date: Around mid-September or Autumn quarter (whichever works best for the student).
Contact Information: If interested, please contact Dr. Alberto Carignano (ac86@uw.edu) and Sumit Mukherjee (mukhes3@uw.edu) with a copy of your resume, detailing relevant coursework, previous programming experience and prior research experience.