Meet the Year 2 Students of the BD2BMI Program

Eric Park

I am a senior at New York City College of Technology, majoring in biomedical informatics. Ever since I was young, I have always been fascinated by science and technology; how it advanced the way human race lived and continue to make our lives more productive, more efficient, and more connected than ever before. Growing up in both South Korea and the U.S., I am fortunate to experience the technological innovations that each country contributed to the world.

Mark Urbina

Presently, I am a senior enrolled in the NYC College of Technology obtaining a degree in Biomedical Informatics. During my time here, I have become familiar with various programming languages including SQL, Python, Java and more. My goal is to gain hands-on experience to develop these skills even further through the BD2BMI program. Working towards analyzing links between chronic diseases and at-risk populations using big data is most interesting to me. I believe improving public health within under-served and under-researched communities can have a great impact in our utilization of resources and delivery of care. I am very excited and proud to be given this opportunity to be a part of something that can catapult my career in this ever-expanding field.

Rosemary Pichardo

I am a senior majoring in Biomedical Informatics at The New York City College of Technology. I have always wanted to pursue a career in science. My goal is to understand how big data in healthcare provides new insights into patient’s health, which can be translated into personalized medicine and prevention of diseases. I am humbled by the opportunity to be a part of the BD2BMI program and hope to contribute to the wellness of patients. After the completion of my undergraduate degree, I plan to work within the field of Biomedical Informatics while pursuing a master’s degree.

Kanta Haque

I am a senior attending New York City College of Technology and majoring in Biomedical Informatics. As the world changes to accommodate more interactions with technology, the field of Biomedical Informatics is also evolving to take a part in the most recent advances in technology. Innovations such as Next Generation Sequencing allow for increased reproducibility and accuracy and also allow researchers to send their results across the world. I first became interested in the field of Biomedical Informatics during my freshman year. I hope to be able to continue my studies in Biomedical Informatics for my graduate degree.

Mohammed Rahman

Passion, dedication and love are words that embody my desire and motives in the bioinformatics field. It also applies to everything I try and dream about in life. Each time I work with a person, as it relates to genetics, or simply interacting with another, there is a deep connection that words cannot explain. Each person has a unique trait that genetics continues to linger on. Hence, I wish to use bioinformatics and my knowledge to bridge this gap of mystery and help humanity learn a bit more about each other.

Penina Gavrilova

I am currently enrolled in the Biomedical Informatics program with a concentration in Medical Informatics at New York City College of Technology. I have been working in the medical field for several years, and as a result I have proliferated a strong passion for the discipline. Medical informatics is an actively growing part of healthcare. Its implications lead to improvement in health care for both physicians and patients. Being a part of the Big Data program is a great privilege to enhance my skills and knowledge as well as my experience working with physicians. Once I obtain my degree, I plan to continue my education in medical informatics at the graduate level. My goal is to already be immersed in the practice and be a valuable asset to the team.

Shaina Raklyar

I am a junior enrolled in the Biomedical Informatics program at City Tech. I am currently working on a biophysics research both independently and as a part of the Emerging Scholars program. The research is focused on the effects of Tetrodotoxin (a type of neurotoxin contained in Fugu fish and other marine organisms) on the initiation and propagation of action potential in nerve cell of the model organism. This research is particularly challenging because it requires the biology knowledge as well as physics knowledge. I am interested in the way molecular level changes can cause variations in the whole organism and how micro life affects macro life. My career aspiration is to get a double degree MD/PhD since I am very enthusiastic and curious about both fields. Also, I believe that this degree is a bona fide marriage of science and a noble calling of the medical profession that applied lab knowledge to real life cases.

Brittany Taylor

I am currently a senior at New York City College of Technology pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Informatics. In addition, I work full-time as a nurse at a city hospital. My interest in big data lies primarily in electronic health records, and one of my goals is to work on improving patient portals and learning more about the methods of retrieving and analyzing data from patients and providers. I am also interested in creating better smartphone apps to help patients become more active in managing their own health. My experience in hospitals and clinics has shown me that health maintenance is a problem for many patients, resulting in worsened chronic illnesses and repeated hospitalizations. I hope the BD2BMI program will give me the opportunity to work on a project in this area. After graduating from City Tech, I plan to complete a Master of Science degree in medical or health informatics and work for a healthcare facility.