Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
References
Timeline
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Ava Desouza

San Francisco,CA

Summary

I am a bioinformatics researcher committed to centering the human stories within the data. I pair technical proficiency in R-based genomic analysis with a compassionate approach to clinical research, driven by a mission to improve vulnerable lives. I am eager to master clinical operations and ethical study management as a foundation for my future career in graduate school.

Overview

2
2
years of professional experience

Work History

Newborn Medicine Research Intern

Boston Children's Hospital
Boston, ME
06.2025 - Current
  • Used R to conduct differential abundance analyses on raw 16S rRNA sequencing data, facilitating the identification of key variables in neonatal sepsis research.
  • Spearheaded data dissemination for a tri-institutional research consortium (Harvard, Yale, Penn State), to guide the next phase of analysis.
  • Gained immersive clinical insight by shadowing my PI in the NICU, observing bench-to-bedside research at a leading pediatric teaching hospital.

Research Assistant

The Council on Strategic Risks
Hybrid
06.2024 - 09.2024
  • Conducted research for the Janne E. Nolan Center on Strategic Weapons focused on the nonproliferation of biological weaponry.
  • Synthesized expert discussions on global biosecurity and emerging tech threats from the Foreign Policy Security Forum into a high-level analytical summary.

Education

Bachelor of Arts - Digital And Computational Studies & Biology

Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME
05-2026

High School Diploma -

Urban High School of San Francisco
San Francisco
06-2022

Skills

  • Bioinformatics and data analysis (R programming, Excel)
  • Microbiome research (normalization and visualization of high-dimensional microbial datasets)
  • Strong foundational knowledge of Good Clinical Practice, HIPAA patient privacy regulations, and IRB compliance
  • Stakeholder communication (adept at translating complex technical finding into actionable insights for PIs and cross-functional lab teams)
  • Ethics and patient safety (trained on the ethics of working with vulnerable populations in a clinical research setting)

References

References available upon request.

Timeline

Newborn Medicine Research Intern

Boston Children's Hospital
06.2025 - Current

Research Assistant

The Council on Strategic Risks
06.2024 - 09.2024

Bachelor of Arts - Digital And Computational Studies & Biology

Bowdoin College

High School Diploma -

Urban High School of San Francisco
Ava Desouza