Senior student Stephanie Pozuelos will be graduating in Spring 2025 with a degree in Biomedical Informatics from the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics (BMEI) and is hoping to pursue a PhD in infectious disease or microbiology next. This past summer, she participated in a research program at The Ohio State University. Her lab experience involved a combination of wet lab research and statistical data analysis using R, which she helped present in a poster session (photo above).
“I am in the process of applying to infectious disease and microbiology PhD programs. My academic goal is to attend graduate school after completing my bachelor’s degree. I would like to focus on research that combines both wet-lab and computational work. My career goal is to work in the infectious disease field. I would love to do research for the CDC at some point in my career,” she said.
Pozuelos also holds two research jobs at IU School of Medicine and said that the technical skills she has learned (through coursework at Luddy) were very useful for that experience. She is a Research Assistant in the Department of Pediatrics through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), where the research group is focused on health care access for children with autism in Spanish-speaking families across Indiana. Some of her work involves recruiting patients, conducting interviews, and performing statistical analyses using SPSS. She is also a Research Technician in the Microbiology and Immunology Department, working in a pathogenesis lab studying bunyaviruses, essentially determining how this group of viruses replicate and how disease progresses in humans.
Pozuelos chose the Biomedical Informatics major because she wanted to study something related to science, biology, and technology. “I have liked biology ever since high school when I took a few biomedical science classes. I really enjoyed learning about diseases and human biology. I also took an introductory computer science class in high school,” she said. “When I first heard about biomedical informatics, I thought it was the perfect major for me since it combined my passion for biology and interest in technology. Biomedical informatics is a relatively newer field with a high projected job growth. The demand for bioinformaticians is increasing rapidly and will continue to do so since they possess a wide range of skills and knowledge in both the life sciences and computational fields.”
Biomedical Informatics has an emphasis on data analysis, programming, and computation. Pozuelos said her technical background will set her apart when it comes to applying to PhD programs in Biomedical and Biological Sciences. “I decided to pursue a degree in Biomedical Informatics because of my passion for biology and interest in technology. My career goal is to be an infectious disease research scientist. A degree in Biomedical Informatics will provide me with a biological and technical skillset in research,” she said.
Pozuelos said the courses in the BMEI department are challenging but rewarding. “Within the Biomedical Informatics program, I have gained experience with programming languages such as Python, R, and SQL. In our courses, we have the opportunity to create our own projects and work on them throughout the semester. These types of projects take a real-life approach where we can analyze real data and report our findings. Applying the skills learned in these courses has helped me gain confidence with my computational skills. In addition to all the technical skills, I really enjoy my area of study because it pushes me to think logically and solve problems. These skills are vital in the workforce and can be translated to any other field,” she said.
Luddy Indianapolis offers much more than a degree
Pozuelos chose Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering at Indianapolis due to its prime location at IU Indianapolis and in Indianapolis. Indianapolis is a biotech hub with a lot of opportunities in informatics, public health, biomedical and pharmaceutical research, and much more.
Luddy offered the very first Biomedical Informatics undergraduate degree in the Midwest. In addition, the school has an Accelerated Degree program that allows students to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in 5 years. “As a first-generation student, this was a major factor that influenced my decision to choose Luddy. Navigating the educational system as a minority is challenging, so having access to such opportunities is pivotal for students who want to further their educational career through graduate school or even professional school,” Pozuelos said.
“The Biomedical Engineering and Informatics Department as a whole has been helpful and has prepared me the most. All of the professors in the department are very passionate about bioinformatics and the work they do, making the learning environment more engaging.”
In addition to courses and research, Pozuelos holds three executive board positions for student organizations at IU Indianapolis. She is the Event Coordinator for the Biomedical Informatics Club, Public Relations Officer for Luddy Student Council, and Secretary for Latino Student Association, and said she really likes staying involved on-campus since it is a great way to meet other students and plan events for the community.
Her advice for other students is to get to know the other students in their program. “The BMEI Department is smaller so you will very likely have class together for various semesters. Get involved with research on campus. There are various opportunities across the whole university, so you are likely to find something that interests you. Stay involved on campus and engaged with your community. Lastly, take courses that you enjoy, and you will have a great time!”
Media Contact
Joanne Lovrinic
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