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Forum: I'm looking for a mentor in Bioinformatics

Hi. I'm a Biology student on her first year with basic knowledge of programming, and I've been looking for a mentor to guide me through the journey that is bioinformatics.

Thanks
Cony

mentor teaching
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updated by alva • alva • written by cwaingartentrabajo • cwaingartentrabajo

Hi Cony, If you are still looking for a mentor in bioinformatics. I am helping students through a mentorship program. You can apply here.

https://mentorcruise.com/mentor/alvaranijames/

I have over nine years of experience in the field. Holds a Ph.D. and a post Doc in bioinformatics.

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written by alva • alva

1 answer

Hello Cony,

While I generally agree that having a mentor (and also being one) is a very rewarding experience, I fear, that your request might be a little too unspecific. It would certainly help, if you'd elaborate a bit on your motivation and interests, your skills and what you are specifically looking for in a mentor - somebody to teach you particular analyses, somebody to provide some guidance regarding the peculiarities of academia etc.

Given that you said you are a first year Biology student, somebody local from your university (e.g. a PhD student) might be a reasonable choice to start with - in person meetings are very helpful to get the sentiment right.

If you are also interested in some general advice and life lessons, then this is a short list of talks which I personally cherished:

Lykka till!

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written by Matthias Zepper Matthias Zepper

"It would certainly help, if you'd elaborate a bit on your motivation and interests, your skills and what you are specifically looking for in a mentor - somebody to teach you particular analyses, somebody to provide some guidance regarding the peculiarities of academia etc."

Sorry for not claryfying this things, it was because I wanted to start with little projects. My ultimate goal is to create a bioinformatics model that takes into account each interaction inside the cell, from atoms to molecules to whole metabolic paths. I want a mentor that teaches me what I need to know about informatics and guides me through the process.

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updated by GenoMax GenoMax • written by cwaingartentrabajo • cwaingartentrabajo

Sorry for not claryfying this things, it was because I wanted to start with little projects

That's a good approach because, as Randy Pausch explains, getting the fundamentals down is paramount.

My ultimate goal is to create a bioinformatics model that takes into account each interaction inside the cell, from atoms to molecules to whole metabolic paths

Sadly, this is not my field at all. However, in January, I was fortunate to attend a lecture by Joana C. Xavier, who simulates the metabolism of very early life forms, ultimately with the goal to answer how life and the first cells emerged on Earth. I was deeply impressed by her scientific achievements (e.g. her work with cofactors), but also by her extensive knowledge spanning biotechnology, bioinformatics, as well as philosophy. She also founded a network of early-career researchers on the origin of life, which might be a place to find a mentor, considering your research interests.

Her lecture was part of an amazing lecture series called "What is life?" at the Karolinska Institutet, for which Zoom links are usually available. For this term, most events are already over, but you might want to keep an eye on the event calendar for future announcements.

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written by Matthias Zepper Matthias Zepper

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