Gaeun K. Email & Phone Number

New York, New York, United States

I work on developing force fields for molecular dynamics simulations of biological systems, toward the broader goal of drug discovery.

In the Myhrvold Lab, I engineered Cas13 orthologs with enhanced enzymatic activity. Continued close collaborations with the Broad Institute on COVID-19 related projects. As a starting member of the lab, set up research infrastructure and took on management duties.

In the Fordyce Lab (Dept. of Bioengineering), my projects spanned:- Developing an assay that uses spectrally encoded beads for the multiplexed identification of pathogens responsible for infections and sepsis, with cost and speed comparable to current clinical methods. Trained in PCR/RT-PCR, imaging, microfluidic fabrication, and bioinformatics.

In the Covert Lab (Dept. of Bioengineering), I worked on improving the predictive accuracy of a whole cell model of E. coli through computational approaches. Gained experience in systems biology techniques, version control, and large-scale software optimisation.

In the Sabeti Lab, I designed and developed a cell-free assay to characterise the cleavage activity of Cas13 variants and guide RNAs in high-throughput. Also part of a larger team optimising an at-home version of SHINE, a sensitive and specific diagnostic tool for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Trained in molecular cloning, clinical sample preparation.

Trained tutor for undergraduate students in a variety of courses involving writing. Ran workshops on writing personal statements, honours theses, and fellowship applications. TA'ed for a course ("PWR 1 Studio") to supplement first-year writing instruction for multilingual students for whom English is a second language.

Served as a member of a 50-person board that helped launch the Khan Academy free SAT preparation program. Reviewed and provided feedback for design, features, and practice problems

Participated in a fully-funded, highly selective summer research programme for rising high school seniors. Developed an independent project at the Harvard Visual Attention Lab, computationally simulating the phenomenon of 'gist' that radiologists use for breast cancer detection.

Stanford, California

In the Willmann Lab (Translational Molecular Imaging Lab), I researched image registration techniques for 4D volumetric contrast-enhanced ultrasound methods to improve treatment response assessment in colorectal cancer patients.

Member of a 5-person team representing South Korea at the 2016 World Schools Debating Championships. Advanced to the octofinals at WSDC 2016, a record high performance for South Korea since 2006.

Master Of Science - Ms, Bioengineering

Bsh (Bachelor Of Science With Honors), Bioengineering, Mathematics

Activities and Societies: Stanford Debate Society (President 20-21), Writing tutor @ Hume Center for Writing and Speaking.

High School Diploma

Activities and Societies: Student Ambassador, Student Tutor, President of Debate Team, Founder and President of the Philosophy of Physics.