PhD candidate Sophia Hu delivered a talk at the International Conference on Systems Biology (ICSB), which was held at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. This conference brought together outstanding systems biology researchers from around the world for workshops, talks and poster sessions.
This was Hu’s first experience at an international conference, but she left feeling excited for the future of the field. “This was a great systems biology conference,” Hu said. “I think people either appreciated the biology or were really interested in the methodology that we applied and were interested in trying to apply that to their own system.”
Hu, who is a fifth-year student in the Joint Carnegie Mellon-University of Pittsburgh PhD Program in Computational Biology (CPCB), is a member of Professor Jianhua Xing’s lab. Her research focuses on using single cell RNA sequencing data to understand how cells change from one phenotype to another.
Hu presented a talk titled “Inferring cell state transition dynamics from single cell data requires proper representation and dynamical information.” This talk explores the Xing lab’s Dynamo method, which involves constructing vector fields to understand how cells are moving in a single cell RNA sequence data set.
In addition to delivering her own talk, Hu appreciated the chance to learn about the latest research in systems biology from international colleagues.
“It’s nice to be reminded that other research is going on. You’re not just stuck in your little bubble,” Hu said. “I enjoyed seeing what other people are doing to understand the same problems.”
The ICSB conference not only provided a platform for Hu to present her research but also gave her the opportunity to travel to a new country. She explored India by tasting local cuisine, touring a temple and relaxing at a nearby beach. She also made connections with students and professors from around the world.
“Initially I was a bit nervous traveling by myself, but everyone was super nice. I ended up meeting a lot of people just by talking about research,” she said.
For those interested in staying updated on Hu’s research, she plans to submit her findings for publication in early 2025.