Karina_Bhavsar - Bioinformatics Pathway

Certificates June 2020 Certificates Bioinformatics Workflow Self-Assessments
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1

Concise Overview of Things Learned:

Technical Area

In the technical area, I was able to read a research paper which detailed how bioinformatics was used in order to determine the expressions of various genes in order to find which genes corresponded with certain cancers (colorectal cancer in the research paper). I was able to refresh my Python skills with practice activities, and become accustomed to using various platforms, such as Asana and the STEM-Away Platform.

Tools

The tools that I used included: R, Python, Google Suites, Calendar, Asana, STEM-Away forums, and Slack.

Soft Skills

The soft skills which I improved upon included communicating efficiently with professionals in the field and with other leads on various platforms (Slack, Asana, STEM-Away, etc.). I also worked on guiding participants and observers on how to become more comfortable with Asana by explaining certain features of the application on the Asana Training Guide document.

Three Achievement Highlights:

  • Read the research paper, and familiarized myself with the project by understanding context, methods of data analysis, and the conclusions that can be drawn.
  • Brushed up on my Python skills, and became more comfortable with R through various activities and practice.
  • Became comfortable with Asana (and other platforms), and communicated with the leads for the next steps in the project.

List of Meetings/Trainings Attended:

Team Meetings (Gene Team, earlier Team Meetings, Leads Meetings)

Technical Training with Mentors Meetings

6/5 Preparation for Monday’s Webinar

6/8 Webinar Prep

6/9 BI Leads Merger Meeting

6/16 Asana Training

Goals for the Upcoming Week:

My goals for the upcoming week include speaking with the other leads in order to determine the breakdown of tasks for the various teams, and assigning the tasks on Asana.

Tasks Done:

The tasks done include: completing R and Python tasks and explaining some Asana features on the Asana Training Guide document.

2

Concise Overview of Things Learned:

Technical Area: In the technical area, I was able to become more comfortable with using Asana, and I continued to work on practicing my R and Python skills (by completing activities on my own).

Tools: The tools that I used stayed consistent: R, Python, Google Suites, Calendar, Asana, STEM-Away forums, and Slack.

Soft Skills: I was able to apply multiple soft skills, such as resolving issues, communicating efficiently on multiple platforms, and being flexible/adaptable. In Asana, there was an issue with putting assignees for each task, so we had to try to communicate the various possible solutions or work-arounds for the issues, and learn to assign subtasks to groups.

Three Achievement Highlights:

  • Improving R and Python skills with various programming activities.
  • Spending time understanding how the languages are used to analyze data in the field.
  • Troubleshooting issues with designating tasks on Asana with group members.

Meetings/Trainings Attended:

The Gene Team Meetings

Technical Training Webinar

Leads Sync Up Meeting

BI PM Leads Meeting

Watched the recording for the Technical Training With Mentors Meeting

Goals for the Upcoming Week:

My goals for the upcoming week include logging the tasks, subtasks, descriptions, and assignees in Asana for The Gene Team and Bioinformagics team.

Statement of Tasks Done:

The tasks that I completed this week include logging the Quality Control tasks for The Gene Team and the Bioinformagics team on Asana, communicating with group members to troubleshoot issues, and improving my R and Python skills.

3

Concise Overview of Things Learned:

Technical Area: In the technical area, I became more comfortable with using GitHub; I also learned how to complete data matrix transformations.

Tools: The tools that I used stayed consistent with those previously used: R, Python, Google Suites, Calendar, Asana, STEM-Away forums, and Slack; I also used GitHub in conjunction.

Soft Skills: I communicated more with the teammates, and participated more in group discussions. In addition, I also helped elucidate the tasks and responsibilities of various leads (PM Lead, Project Lead, Task Lead) to interested candidates.

Three Achievement Highlights:

  • Entering tasks for participants according to the Week 5 Tasks Spreadsheet.
  • Getting accustomed to using GitHub, and exploring the basic functions.
  • Communicating with participants who were interested in applying for a lead position what duties it entailed.

Meetings/Trainings Attended:

The Gene Team Meetings

Technical Training Webinar with Mentors

GitHub Training

Watched the recording for the R Training

Goals for the Upcoming Week:

My goals for the upcoming week, similar to last week, include logging the tasks, subtasks, descriptions, and assignees in Asana for The Gene Team and Bioinformagics team, along with participating in discussions for the outline/plan for the next session.

Statement of Tasks Done:

The tasks that I completed this week included logging the tasks for The Gene Team and the Bioinformagics team on Asana, learning the basics of how to use GitHub, and explaining the work of different leads to those who were interested in pursuing a lead role in the next session.

4

Final Self-Assessment

Things Learned:

Technical Area

  • Reading a research paper
  • Reading data from GEO database
  • Performing microarray analysis
  • Understanding how to contextualize data analyses
  • Using R for data visualization
  • Understanding how Python can be used to further data analysis
  • Differential Gene Expression Analysis
  • Interpreting PCA plots, volcano plots, heat maps, dot plots, and bar plots
  • Completing quality control and data normalization

Tools

  • GEO database
  • Google Suites
  • Calendar
  • Asana
  • STEM-Away forums
  • Slack
  • GitHub
  • Jupyter
  • R
  • Python

Soft Skills

  • Networking on LinkedIn
  • Attending bonding events with the teams
  • Learning how to work with team members with time differences
  • Communicating the various tasks, and deadlines, to team members
  • Learning how to encourage team members to work with each other and ask questions during (and after) team meetings
  • Helping team members understand the tasks and responsibilities of various leads (PM Lead, Project Lead, Task Lead), and helping members figure out which role would be best for them

Achievement Highlights:

Over the course of the internship, I was able to deepen my knowledge of bioinformatics, and gain more experience with R. I was able to apply the textbook information I have learned about biology through the data analysis portions of the deliverables, while simultaneously familiarizing myself with R. My predominant focus during the internship, as a PM Lead Support, was to improve my leadership abilities, which I succeeded in doing, as I helped assign the tasks and deliverables to team members, and helped team members understand which roles would be best for them to pursue. The experience was very insightful, as I learned about and performed practical applications of bioinformatics, expanded my network, and gained leadership experience.

Goals for the Future:

I have accumulated so many skills over the June BI session, and I hope to be able to apply my skills as a lead in the July BI session. After completing the deliverables, I found out how much data and information is accessible online, and I would like to continue performing data analyses and learn about bioinformatics beyond the scope of what was covered in the internship. The internship created a solid foundation for me, and I am thankful for being able to have the opportunity on the STEM-Away platform. I hope to continue learning more about bioinformatics as a lead in the July session, in conjunction with improving my leadership skills.