Shalini Yagnik

Year in School
Senior

Major
Computer Science

Research Interests
Artificial Intelligence Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Computers and Education Programming Languages, Formal Methods, and Software Engineering Theory and Algorithms

Research Mentor
Prof. Nancy Amato

Research/Engagement Experience
My first introduction into reseach was a research program through my high school where I was working in a lab which used various software applications to analyze the number of DNA contigs in a specific segment of DNA. This was the first time I was able to see how computer science was used in other fields, which changed my perception of what Computer Science entails. After this, I had the opportunity to do research in the Bioengineering department on campus to further spark my interest in research.

Interests
Within school, I am really interested in Biology and Neuroscience along with Computer Science, and enjoy taking classes in those subjects to learn how they all interact with one another. Outside of school, I love music and am greatly involved in Indian Classical Dance and Singing.

Project Title
Mind in Vitro Project

How did I get interested in Computer Science?
My interest in Computer Science sparked from the research program I did after my junior year of high school. As I was previously only interested in Biology, I chose to work with a professor who's research focused on working with DNA, but later learned that there was also a coding component involved in the project. This experience summarized how important Computer Science is in every field and how it interacts with various subjects. This inspired me to learn more about Computer Science and its' different applications.

What social interests matter to me?
I am very passionate about equal education. I believe everyone has the right to equal opportunities within education and want to help give students living in under-privileged areas the chance to learn and grow in educational areas.

What is my most impactful college experience?
My most impactful college experience was staying on campus the summer after my freshman year to do research. Although I was previously working with the same professor the prior semester, staying over the summer was a very unique experience for me as it was the first time I was working in a completely different environment, since many people were not on campus. Through this experience I was able to learn the importance of time management and was able to take greater initiative on the work I was doing, as I had greater independence. This experience made me made me feel very involved within the school and eased my transition into college.

These are a few of my favorite things!
Music, Brownies, Reading, Sitting on the Quad on a Sunny Day, Coffee Shops

Research Description

Biography
Hi, my name is Shalini Yagnik and I am a senior in Computer Science from St. Louis, Missouri! Some clubs I am currently involved in at school besides CS Stars are NeuroTech, Phi Chi, and the Dean Student Advisory Committee. Within school, I am greatly interested in biology and medicine, and aim to use Computer Science to help improve medicine. In the past, I have done research involving Genomic Editing and am greatly interested in incorporating Computer science into Biology. The creativity and problem solving skills that I am able to utilize while learning in greater depths about my interests stemmed my passion for research. Along with that, the research that is being conducted by the faculty here is extremely impactful and is something I am really excited to be a part of. While on campus, I really enjoy sitting at the quad on a sunny day and reading! I also love music and learned Indian Classical Dance and Singing throughout my school years. I am really excited for CS Stars this semester!