Hello :) I’m Adriana, a bioinformatician and microbial scientist who loves to collaborate and solve complex problems regarding data generation, analysis, and interpretation.

Bioinformatics (/ˌbaɪ.oʊˌɪnfərˈmætɪks/): “Bioinformatics, as related to genetics and genomics, is a scientific subdiscipline that involves using computer technology to collect, store, analyze and disseminate biological data and information, such as DNA and amino acid sequences or annotations about those sequences.” Source: https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Bioinformatics

My work

I am a motivated and solution-oriented bioinformatician passionate about research that aims to improve the quality of life. I am driven to apply my background in project management, experimental design, and laboratory/computational analyses towards research with direct impacts on human health. I also love working with scientists from various disciplines.

Over the course of my career, I have led and collaborated on a variety of genomic sequencing projects and gained a breadth of bioinformatic research experience. Since I have worked in sampling and analyzing a variety of microbial samples derived from a multitude of hosts (humans, soil, seawater, corals, damselfish, algae, wood frogs), I have developed a strong work ethic and resolve to take on and finish novel research projects, particularly ones that are computationally intensive and out of my comfort zone.

Being in this field for the past seven years, I have seen how quickly genomic sequencing and bioinformatics grew and became increasingly important for conducting many types of research. Getting to work as a bioinformatics specialist at the Rutgers NJMS Molecular and Genomics Informatics Core (MaGIC), I can help researchers generate, organize, and interpret all types of sequencing data. In addition, this collaborative position will allow me to expand on what I think is one of the most important parts of research: communication. In bioinformatics, good communication involves proper annotation and dissemination of your work so it is comprehensible and reproducible. With the growth and higher need for this resource, it is crucial that bioinformatics is conducted and shared in a way that is understood by everyone. I am excited and grateful that I get to be a part of a facility that helps researchers by performing the extra bit of “magic” needed to manage genomic data.

Things I love (outside of my work)

• Walking while listening to music, dancing even
• Swimming
• Playing guitar/making music
• Spending time with my family (especially newest additions like my nephew :)
• Eating delicious food and trying out new restaurants
• Watching streaming/TV shows and nature documentaries