High school student Avery Mills took a bold step this summer into the world of scientific research through the CompBio Academy. This program, a site within the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Academy, enhanced her technical skills and opened her eyes to the interdisciplinary world of computational biology.
Exploring Computational Biology
At CompBio Academy, the 11th grader from The Ellis School gained hands-on research experience in both computational and wet lab research. She worked in the lab of Fritz Roth, professor and chair of the Department of Computational and Systems Biology. Her research focused on variant effects mapping of proteins associated with Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD).
Transitioning into a college-level research environment was initially challenging for Mills, but the learning curve was worth the effort.
“They told us at the beginning of the program, you’re going to know more than 99% of the world on your specific subject, and I think that’s true,” she said. “This was such an enriching experience that I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else.”
CompBio Academy’s interdisciplinary focus resonated with Mills’ background in robotics. She is a member of her high school robotics team, where she has learned foundational coding experience in Python and Java and honed a problem-solving mindset. She enjoyed learning from her cohort’s diverse projects, including computer modeling of diseases and cancer drug research.
“The people that you meet there are very similar to you in that they’re really motivated with the work, and they’re very happy to be there,” she said. “We bonded while talking about our projects and nerding out over being in a research lab.”
Building Connections
Mills’ advice to prospective CompBio Academy applicants is to take advantage of opportunities to connect with others. She said she benefited from the support of mentors in her lab, especially Warren van Loggerenberg and TECBio student Andrew Pilat, whose advice gave her the confidence to deliver a great final presentation.
“I think sometimes it can be daunting with high schoolers going into a lab with adults, but talking to the people in my lab and learning more about their research helped me a lot because there’s only so much you can get from a paper without talking to somebody else,” she added.
Aiming High
Looking ahead, Mills is excited about the possibilities within computational biology and biomedical engineering. She envisions pursuing research as an undergraduate, with hopes of continuing in academia or even aiming for a PhD. Her experience at CompBio Academy has set the stage for these ambitions, providing both technical skills and a community of peers that she continues to connect with.