Luke Nguyen is a graduating senior in computational biology who has spent his time at Brown exploring computational biology through research with the Bailey Lab and supporting student communities like the Vietnamese Student Association and the Brown Research Club. 

Luke is passionate about finding patterns in health data that can improve patient care, and he hopes to become a physician scientist in the future. 

Luke plans to take the collaborative and innovative spirit of Brown with him in his future endeavors, and he urges current and future students to step outside their comfort zones to explore all that Brown has to offer.

Fields of Interest

I would like to work in translational computational biology research. There is just so much health data out there. There are countless interesting patterns and trends that can improve patient care, and we just need to go out there and find them!

How did your Concentration in Computational Biology impact your time at Brown and your future path? 

The computational biology degree really let me specialize and allowed me to explore a field that is not typically catered towards undergraduates. When I came to Brown, I was really unsure of what comp bio would entail, but the CCMB and associate faculty gave me a great personalized education that allowed me to explore what I found most interesting.

Which research and extracurricular experiences have shaped your time at Brown?

I really liked my time in research. Specifically, my work in the Bailey Lab at Brown and the Schultz Lab in New York. They gave me the space to explore the scientific process and do research on topics that genuinely interested me. 

I also enjoyed my time in the Vietnamese Student Association and the Brown Research Club, as they gave me spaces to help support those around me! I hope that wherever life takes me, I carry the same collaborative and innovative nature that I learned here at Brown.

What has been your favorite part of being a student at Brown?

The warm Fall and Spring days outside!

What is next for you? 

I will be working as a computational biologist for two years with the longer term goal of becoming a physician scientist.

What advice would you give to the students who come after you?

Don't be afraid to try new things! There is so much out there to learn and do, especially if you step a bit out of your comfort zone.

Which advisors or mentors have inspired you throughout your degree?

I would like to thank Jeff Bailey, Cliff Oduor, Nikolas Schultz, and Eric Salomaki for being amazing research mentors who have guided my journey as a beginning scientist. I'd also like to thank Professors Daniel Weinreich, Christina Cuomo, Katherine Siddle, Sorin Istrail, and Eric Morrow for teaching me the groundwork of such an expansive and exciting field.