Name: Sofia Acosta
Pronouns: she/her
Institution: Creighton University
Department: Physics
Biography:
I am Sofia Acosta, a senior at Omaha North High School in Omaha, Nebraska. I am currently working as a pharmacy clerk. During the summer of 2023, I worked as a researcher at Creighton University in a computational molecular biophysics lab studying prion protein-lipid interactions. I am currently applying to college and plan to major in data science. I envision using my scientific computing skills to improve timeliness and access to health data and to develop systems for rapid response to public health threats. I am a very curious and driven student, employee, and researcher. I am very involved in my school and in the greater Omaha community. I love new experiences because they give me the opportunity to learn new things, understand new perspectives, and meet new people. I am a fast learner and very coachable – a skill I learned from participating in softball, tennis, swim, and marching band. I have plenty of leadership experience as drum major for band, team captain of my sports teams, student council officer, and in summer leadership workshops. I am passionate about understanding and improving the world around me, and I am looking forward to a future career in public health.
Academic Status: other
Other, specify: Undergraduate starting fall 2024
Year in program: 1st
Research Area/Department: other
Other, specify: Biophysics
Major/Specialty: Intended major: Data Science
Degrees Earned or in Progress: High School May 2024
What courses or academic preparation have you completed to prepare for a summer internship experience?
My completed computer science coursework includes AP Computer Science Principles and Honors Cybersecurity at my Omaha North High School. I also completed a Python I course at Metro Community College. My science coursework includes AP Biology, H Principles of Bioscience, H Human Body Systems, H Physics, and H Chemistry in progress. My math coursework includes Calculus I, II, III, Differential Equations, and AP Statistics in progress. I have also successfully completed Community Health, Medical Imaging, Pathology, and Cadaveric Anatomy as a part of the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s High School Alliance Program. I completed the Haddix STEM Corridor Summer Research Program at Creighton University during summer 2023. My 10-week long internship under Dr. Patricia Soto focused on figuring out the mechanism of interaction between the prion protein and plasma membranes.The focus of our research was prion disease, a fatal neurodegenerative disease classified by the misfolding of the prion protein, which is anchored extracellularly to cells in the brain. We studied the interaction of the prion and Doppel proteins with two lipid membrane types: phosphoglycerol and sphingomyelin. We characterized the main binding modes of interaction of the proteins with the surface of the membrane. The summer internship culminated with a symposium and poster presentation. My experience this summer taught me what it means to be a computational researcher. I have learned how to develop a workflow and how to troubleshoot. I have also learned how to be productive in the lab and how to work with others doing research. I have become more comfortable with the unknowns and uncertainties that accompany research.
Have you published any research or worked on research/technical projects? Yes
Where has your research been published or where have you conducted research/technical projects?
Creighton University Research site: Computational Molecular Biophysics lab, June 1st 2023 – August 5 2023 PI: Patricia Soto, PhD Affiliation: Physics department Poster presentation: Haddix STEM Corridor Summer Research. August 5, 2023 at Creighton University I plan to participate in the 2024 MSEF Science and Engineering Fair in Spring of 2024
Describe your research/academic interests:
I am interested in a future career in public health, and I am looking forward to expanding my knowledge and skills of how to use scientific computing and data science to study population dynamics. I would like to utilize analytical tools to conduct impactful research. Public health is a field that depends on reliable and fast data to make informed decisions that impact the health and lives of entire populations. Currently there is existing data and databases that are underutilized, misused, or are inefficient. Working to improve these, with the goal of improving community health, is a career interest of mine. I am also interested in conducting research in a variety of topics, especially research that can help improve the quality of life for many people.
Faculty: Patricia Soto