Degree: Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with Specialization in Biochemistry 
Research Professor: Research with Professor John Fu

Biography

Eric is from Boston Massachusetts but graduated from Oakton high school in Fairfax Virginia. He is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with a specialization in biochemistry and a Bachelor of Art in Computer Science with distinguished major. 

Eric joined Prof. John Fu’s lab in the Department of Pharmacology since his second year. His projects oriented around studying the mechanism and variants of Ciliogenesis associated kinase 1 (CILK1), with several main themes including the function of CILK1 c-terminal domain (CTD), the cellular effects of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JVM) variants of CILK1, and the importance of Kif3a protein as a direct substrate of CILK1 in mouse models. Eric’s work with Dr. Fu has resulted in two co-first author publications and one more to be submitted. 

For his CS DMP with Prof. Yanjun Qi and QData lab, Eric studied the application of deep learning on CRISPR off-target prediction, protein folding and interaction, and epigenetic. His thesis discussed a novel dual-NeuralNet model that uses DNA sequence with epigenetic annotations and Hi-C map to rank variants based on their likelihood of causing coronary artery disease.

Outside of lab, Eric volunteered for the Department of Cardiology at the UVa hospital. He was also a committee member for Uva FoodAssist, a club that bridges food waste and food insecurity by gathering and donating food. Eric was a member of Team Virginia at iGEM2017. 

Upon graduation, Eric will apply to MD-PhD programs and spend his bridge year in Charlottesville as a lab technician for Dr. Lawrence Lum.