James Hsieh turned his enthusiasm for computer science into the exploration of cancer research this summer. The junior from Taylor Alderdice High School spent eight weeks learning and working in a research lab at Pitt through the CompBio Academy. This program, a site within UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Academy, opened his eyes to the potential of a career in computational research.
Building New Skills
Hsieh was drawn to the CompBio Academy program because computer science and biology classes are some of his favorite subjects in school. He wanted to gain real-world experience in those areas, and studying computational biology seemed like a great way to combine his interests.
Throughout his time at Pitt, Hsieh worked in Assistant Professor Keisuke Ishihara’s lab. Ishihara mentored him through the process of modeling the mechanical interaction of cancer cells with Python.
Hsieh said he enjoyed working in an interdisciplinary lab as a high school student. “It really helped me learn about fields relevant to the lab. So, for example, I got to meet computational biologists in the wet lab,” he said. “I got to look at what they were working on and see what the day-to-day looks like for them, and it was pretty interesting.”
He also learned professional skills from the program, like coding in different languages and becoming more confident with presenting. One of his favorite memories from CompBio Academy was attending weekly lab meetings, where lab members shared what they were working on over a series of presentations. He loved seeing the infinite possibilities of research.
“It opened up a new path for me because previously I wanted to go into deep AI research, but now I’m also thinking about how it can be applied to different medical contexts,” Hsieh said. “That’s another potential way for me to use computer science that broadened my perspective a little.”
Discovering a Passion for Research
Prior to CompBio Academy, Hsieh hadn’t had exposure to computational biology. However, his time working in a dry lab sparked his interest in the field.
“I would definitely recommend CompBio Academy if you’re planning on going down a more computational route, or if you want to discover your passion for research because it’s a great start for that,” he said.