Title: Post-Master’s Research Assistant ​​​​
Employer: Los Alamos National Laboratory
Previous Role: Bioinformatics and Genomics Graduate Student, University of Oregon Knight Campus Graduate Internship Program

Justine is currently a Research Assistant at Los Alamos National Laboratory where she analyzes bacterial and fungal multi-omic datasets to characterize unknown and uncharacterized bacterial-fungal interactions. 

After graduating from UIUC in 2022, Justine started attending the University of Oregon to obtain a Master's of Science in Biology with a focus in Bioinformatics and Genomics as part of the Knight Campus Graduate Internship Program. The program consists of 9 months of classes focused in genomic data analysis and techniques followed by 9 months of a paid internship where students can apply their skills learned in class while also developing new real-world skills on the job. The program is set up to prepare students of diverse backgrounds for bioinformatics and data science positions in academia, government, and industry following graduation.

“I had very little programming experience before attending the University of Oregon. This was my biggest concern while applying to graduate programs, however there are several graduate programs that will train you how to code from ground-zero, so if students are in the same position don't be afraid to apply!”

During the coursework learned how to think algorithmically by writing Bash, Python, and R scripts to analyze next generation sequencing (NGS) data. She also recently started working on a group project in collaboration with the Guldberg Lab at the University of Oregon Knight Campus titled "Identifying Markers for Therapeutically Targeting Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells (MDSCs) in a Model of Musculoskeletal Trauma". For this project, Justine and her group members will be performing de-multiplexing, alignment, counting, analysis, and exploration of scRNA sequencing data to determine markers expressed by MDSCs that could be used to target myeloid-derived suppressor cell populations and sub-populations.

“As a confused sophomore that was unsure of what I wanted to do with my biology degree post-graduation, majoring in Integrative Biology showed me the diversity of biology and its applications, guiding me to my decision to pursue my current career in Bioinformatics. IB also gave me the critical foundation in genetics, genomics, and evolution that I need to understand the biological data I analyze in my graduate-level courses at the University of Oregon.”

Justine would love to help any students applying to graduate school for a Master's in Bioinformatics or any students interested in pursuing Bioinformatics in general. She went through the application process during the fall of 2021 and can provide insight on personal statements, interviews, or finding programs that are right for you! Contact Christina Swanson at alumnimentor@sib.illinois.edu if you would like to connect with Justine.