Stories

The Endless Quest for the Unknown

A lifelong curiosity about the natural world has fueled my passion for science, shaping both my academic pursuits and career. Captivated from a young age by the mechanics of how things work, I excelled in physics throughout high school, achieving top honors and a national physics competition award. This foundational curiosity has drawn me into diverse fields that bridge science and technology, with each step driven by a desire to uncover the principles governing nature.

The course of my academic journey reflects a sustained commitment to interdisciplinary study. Initially, I saw physics and mathematics as the closest languages to capturing nature’s truths. However, as my knowledge grew, I began to appreciate how other disciplines, particularly life sciences, bring invaluable perspectives to understanding the world. Life sciences, for instance, seem to encode the fundamental laws of physics within a latent space that can generate diverse life forms in response to environmental cues. A striking example lies in how cells use protein molecular machines to establish and maintain electrochemical proton gradients, powering cellular motion—an “invention” so complex and precise that it compels me to consider whether underlying physics processes, perhaps linked to concepts like entanglement, are at work, providing nature with an inherent sensitivity to both space and time. By learning the language of biology, I hope to draw closer to understanding nature’s deepest truths.

My interest in biological engineering has been further inspired by groundbreaking work in stem cell biology, such as the landmark study on inducing pluripotent stem cells from adult fibroblasts. This remarkable process—reprogramming cells using defined factors—unlocks new possibilities in regenerative medicine and cellular engineering. While it aligns with my understanding of physical principles, I am especially fascinated by how cellular identity can be transformed, with profound implications for developmental biology, therapeutic interventions, and molecular reprogramming. For me, this work exemplifies biology’s capacity to harness complexity and precision, reinforcing my desire to explore biological engineering as a field of study and research.

I began my academic journey with a bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering and later earned a master’s in Computer Science, all the while maintaining my passion for physics. Though my initial applications to U.S. physics programs were not successful due to my limited background, I dedicated myself to mastering core principles through self-study and coursework, eventually this persistence allowed me to gain admission to Washington State University’s Ph.D. program in 2013.

At WSU, my Ph.D. research in physics began with experimental work in cold atom physics, specifically Bose-Einstein Condensates (BECs). This research gave me firsthand experience with the principles of quantum mechanics in a tangible setting, as I developed skills in manipulating ultra-cold atomic systems and conducting precise measurements to probe their properties. Later in my doctoral studies, I shifted to theoretical simulation work, focusing on quantum superfluidity. In this phase, I simulated quantum many-body systems to understand the behaviors of superfluids under various conditions, which further refined my analytical abilities and introduced me to advanced computational techniques in quantum physics.

These research experiences in both experimental and theoretical quantum physics honed my scientific rigor, problem-solving skills, and ability to approach complex problems from multiple perspectives. I developed expertise in designing and operating intricate experimental setups and conducting theoretical simulations, a skill set that I believe aligns strongly with the interdisciplinary demands of biological engineering.

Currently, I am a Senior C++ Software Engineer at KLA, where I lead projects in EUV source control, designing and developing sophisticated system control software for high-value machinery. This role requires expertise across multiple disciplines, including computer science, electrical and mechanical engineering, optics, laser technology, and vacuum systems, demanding a strong multidisciplinary approach. My experience has strengthened my technical skills and deepened my problem-solving abilities, empowering me to tackle complex challenges that integrate diverse scientific domains.

Throughout my studies and career, I have developed a solid foundation and extensive experience in machine learning. As an undergraduate, I implemented core algorithms from scratch, including back-propagation and FFT, to build a voice recognition system, and during my master’s studies, I focused on computer vision applications. My proficiency with modern frameworks, such as PyTorch, along with my experience in machine learning—including reinforcement learning—has empowered me to tackle complex computational tasks and explore predictive modeling methods applicable to scientific research.

As my scientific interests evolved, I became increasingly captivated by the molecular intricacies of biological systems and the potential connections between quantum principles and biology. The parallels between DNA’s structure and computer code fascinate me—a molecular language orchestrating the behaviors of proteins, ions, and other molecules in perfect synchrony. The recent advances in AI, particularly tools like AlphaFold 3 for protein structure prediction, have brought incredible potential to biology, providing powerful new ways to accelerate our understanding of life at a molecular level. The prospect of combining gene editing and protein engineering to investigate these molecular mechanisms excites me, as I hope to contribute to breakthroughs that further our understanding of biology’s most fundamental processes.

The field of biological engineering feels like a natural evolution of my interdisciplinary interests. I am especially eager to connect insights from quantum physics with biological processes, leveraging my computational and software expertise to advance biological research. My background in software engineering and physics uniquely positions me to bring fresh perspectives to research at the molecular level, particularly as the fields of biology, physics, and computation converge.

I am deeply committed to scientific discovery and to unraveling the mysteries of life at a fundamental level. With my interdisciplinary background in physics, software engineering, and computational problem-solving, I am confident in my ability to make meaningful contributions to this exciting and rapidly evolving field.