Statement of Purpose
Ever since I was in high school, I have been dedicated myself to bio-genetic
researches. I have found it intriguing to use computer programming in data analysis, as it
involves the application of modern data processing in advanced biological researches. I
still can remember the time when I first conducted the research guided by Dr. Zhihai Qin
from the Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Science about fusion protein
in high school. Since then on, my dream of becoming a researcher in biology started. At
that time, I had access to the most advanced biogenetic instruments and research
approaches in China and made meaningful and influential achievements. It was exciting
to complete my paper Construction of TNF –alpha and IL-6 Fusion Protein Gene Clone
and honored to present my research results at the fifth Beijing Aoxiang Science Seminar.
Motivated by the attainments, I was determined to pursue my career as a biomedical
researcher because I knew that my work would benefit the whole world one day.
Therefore, during my undergraduate period, I choose biological science as my major.
After completing a genetics course in my sophomore year, I gradually discovered what I
was interested in most, and focused my research on bioinformatics. In order to strengthen
my ability in biomedical informatics field, firstly, I joined Dr. Michael Demetriou’s
laboratory at UCI to start my undergraduate research. After three years of comprehensive
studies, I published my paper, Rejuvenating Immunity to H1N1 Influenza-a in Aged Mice
by Inhibiting N-Glycan Branching, on the Journal of Undergraduate Research in
Biological Science in 2018 before I graduated. Moreover, although University of
California, Irvine does not have major in biomedical informatics, I still took some
courses which are relative to this field, such as computation biology, linear algebra,
python introduction and computation system biology. Furthermore, I worked in Dr. Pierre
Baldi’s lab, who focuses on his study in bioinformatics, for two quarters, during which I
learned to use Cyber-T a web server which can do the differential analysis of highthroughput data collected from biological experiments. By combining computer tools
with biological researches, I was able to summarize the data sets that I could not analyze
before.
From my undergraduate researches, I have not only gained a thorough grounding of
biological science, which will pave the way for my further study of the MS program but
also aid me to realize the importance of continuing study. At University of Chicago,
while strengthening my biological research skills, I hope to obtain a better understanding
of data analysis approaches that can be applied in various fields in my career. Thus, I
intend to apply for the MS program in biomedical Informatics at University of Chicago to
extend my education, which will equip me with essential skills and experience in
biomedical researches that would facilitate the biomedical studies in my future career.
Besides helping me to gain the enough knowledge and guiding my future pursuits,
my undergraduate research and experience also presented my strengths and weaknesses
in academic work. To be honest, I am not a very good programmer. I started learning my
first programming language, Python, in my sophomore year. Comparing with other
students who have already trained their programming ability since high school,
apparently, I lack enough previous experience. Although, in the following two years, I
tried my best and worked hard to learn the various computer silks such as Linux,
Mathematica, R and Cyber-T, I still cannot claim I am a very good programmer.
However, I believe my wet lab experience to some extent eases my shortage of
programming. Working in Dr. Michael Demetriou’s lab teaches me a lot. Through a twoyear training, I achieved a certain proficiency in Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), flow
cytometry and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA), gel electrophoresis, mice dissection, and frozen cells.
Moreover, successfully completing the Excellence in Research Program in UCI
which is one of the highest academic goals undergraduates can attain trained my ability to
design, execute, and summarize an experiment. Comparing with most of undergraduate
students, this experience improves my academic capacity. I could become more
professional to conduct research, analyze the data sets, and write an academic paper.
These strengths in academic work will be a very significant tool for my future study in
University of Chicago.
Among all the graduate school I am applying to, the biomedical informatics graduate
program at University of Chicago attracts me the most. The excellent faculty staffs and
strong academic background in here can provide me more chance to develop my future
career. The capstone project offering me a chance to complete a biomedical informatics
project under an industry or University partner, or with their workplace’s supervision
catches my eye and inspires me to work hard to fulfill my dream. For example, through
participating in Web-based tracking interface for resident acute acre surgery patients
(TRACS), I could work with other excellent students and professors to help develop webbased database management system. Moreover, unified annotation database for nextgeneration sequence annotation is also a very intriguing project for me. If I have
opportunity to join in this project, I could assist clinical genomics group by developing a
new tool which handles the large volume of patient genetic data in healthcare system.
Thus, immersing in biomedical informatics program at University of Chicago serves me
many extraordinary sources and chances to gain some essential traits for my future
pursuits, whatever in the professional academic research field or career field.
As my dream career, biomedical informatics plays a critical role in my life. Since I
was little, my open-minded parent instilled in me the beautiful world of science. For
example, my dad, a computer programmer, taught me primary programming languages. I
also received the birthday gift of a toy microscope from my parents at the age of six,
which ignited my passion for biology. Therefore, since then on, dedicate my life to
science firmly rooted in my mind. When I have entered the college, the opportunities to
do research in the top labs in the world, learn from smart brains, and enjoy the interplay
between theory and practice assisted me in finding my truly loved-biomedical
informatics. Thus, I am confident that if I can pursue bioinformatics as my career, I could
fulfill my dream to explore further in this domain and achieve a success in the biomedical
informatics field.
Purchase answer to see full
attachment