STEM stories: Jeremiah Longino
Each year the Bridge to Engineering Success at Tufts (BEST) program welcomes a new cohort of students from groups underrepresented in STEM. Over the course of their undergraduate career, the BEST program provides a comprehensive, thriving environment for the students to support their personal and academic growth. BEST operates through the Center for STEM Diversity (CSD) at Tufts in conjunction with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and the School of Engineering, and is led by CSD Associate Director Sehba Hasan.
This series highlights the work that BEST students are doing at Tufts.
For a science fair research project, computer science major Jeremiah Longino, E27, delved into predictive health genomics in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In his study, he used summary statistics from the transcriptome wide association studies (TWAS) to infer which genes were significantly associated with IBD susceptibility. He identified 16 genes associated with IBD, six of which are potentially novel genes.
Longino’s research supports his initial interest in how predictive health genomics research can detect genes for certain diseases, which can lead people to seek medical care. Although there is no cure, there are treatments that can slow the progression of IBD. Early detection is critical to manage the disease more effectively. Deriving from his personal experience, Longino developed an interest in predictive health genomics in IBD, and hopes to use these tools to better predict the possibility of developing certain diseases and the likelihood of passing them on.
Department:
Computer Science