Work Experience

1. Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA

Graduate Research Assistant, Computer Science (August 2019 to Present)

Responsibilities

• Developed hybrid genome assembly pipelines using short-read NGS data, integrating cutting-edge sketching techniques (e.g., minhash, minimizers), and achieved ~99% consensus accuracy while reducing scaffolding errors by over 20% compared to baseline tools; contributed to improving genome completeness and assembly reliability across multiple datasets.

• Engineered scalable long-read assembly workflows with PacBio and Oxford Nanopore data, optimizing read overlap detection, graph construction, and contig assembly steps; reduced genome assembly time significantly and improved contiguity by 2.3x (NG50, NGA50) metrics while reducing runtime and memory by 3.5x in complex genomes compared to the state-of-the-art.

• Designed and implemented graph-based heuristics for distributed genome assembly, including vertex reordering, batch partitioning, and novel sparsification techniques; leveraged high-performance computing clusters (Kamiak, Aeolus) to lower memory usage, accelerate runtimes, and enhance parallelism, achieving efficient large-scale genome reconstructions.

2. Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA

Teaching Assistant, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (August 2019 to May 2022)

Responsibilities

• Courses handled: Introduction to database systems (CPTS 451), Advanced Data Structures (CPTS 223)

• Conducted office hours and provided one-on-one tutoring to students to clarify course material and address academic challenges

• Supported course logistics, including managing online learning platforms like Canvas, handling student inquiries, and facilitating group discussions.

3. National Taiwan University, Taipei, TAIWAN

Research Assistant in the Centre of Genomic Medicine, Department of Bioinformatics (August 2018 to May 2019)

Responsibilities

• Developed a web-based genotype imputation tool using Django and Snakemake, enabling automated, scalable genomic data processing pipelines and improving ease of use for research teams working with high-throughput sequencing datasets.

• Performed large-scale analysis of >5,000 TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) datasets to identify mutation patterns and genomic biomarkers across diverse cancer subtypes, contributing to a deeper understanding of tumor heterogeneity and potential therapeutic targets.

• Processed and interpreted metagenomic datasets (SILVA, Greengenes, ITS) from >200 environmental samples using QIIME, generating high-resolution microbial community profiles and enabling comparative diversity analyses across multiple ecosystems.

• Applied machine learning models to forensic SNP datasets, improving variant classification accuracy and enabling more robust identification of genetic profiles in forensic and population genomics studies.

4. SRM University, Chennai, INDIA 

Teaching Assistant (February 2016 to May 2017)

Responsibilities:

• Supervised undergrad students in their programming lab classes on C/C++, Python, Operating systems

• Worked with teacher to optimize learning plans based on student test grades and evaluations

• Designed course logistics, assignments and graded assignments, one-on-one office hours.