Lindsey Alexanian shares their Northeastern experience in the Master of Science in Bioinformatics program, one of our professional master’s program offerings.

Q: Why did you decide to enroll at Northeastern University and pursue this degree?

I experienced my undergraduate degree at Northeastern, and I wanted to stay if possible. I knew that I enjoyed programming and data science, and I wanted to study this as it pertained to biology, so I chose bioinformatics.

Q: What has been your favorite part?

I’ve enjoyed being a teaching assistant (TA). I love programming, and I’ve found that finding other people’s coding mistakes has made me better. I’ve also thoroughly enjoyed my machine learning class; the material was so fascinating that I decided I wanted to pursue a PhD to perform research involving machine learning.

Q: Are there any particular faculty or resources that have helped you succeed in this program?

My new advisor Tricia has been excellent! I also thought the lectures given by Professor Chesley Leslin and Professor Amin Assareh have been highly informative and interesting. I’ve also had the privilege of working with some very helpful TAs (especially Zanetta and Ashwini!)

Q: What are your post-graduation plans?

I plan to pursue a PhD in computer science and do research involving the use of machine learning in preventative health studies.

Q: What advice do you have for students in similar fields?

The best advice is to pursue what part of the field interests you the most. The people I know who enjoy the program the most are the ones who choose the concentration (or set of electives) that best caters to their skills and interests. Also, attend office hours! As a TA, I can confirm that the students who attend office hours and ask questions tend to be the most successful in their courses.

Learn more about our graduate programs and student experiences here.