How are Emory’s computational biology offerings in terms of coursework, research opportunities, internships, study abroad, and student run activities? I noticed that Emory doesn’t have a separate computational biology major but I assume one can assemble opportunities on one’s own. Am I right?
@BiffBrown : Most schools (medium sized privates) don’t have that(even places with engineering), but at Emory I guess you can construct one using the QSS major with a bio substantive area. From there, there are classes such as computational modelling (in biology and physics, bio 212), physical biology (biol 434…challenging but I enjoyed it), a bio-informatics course offered in CS. Also, graduate courses are easily accessible to Emory students. If you want to do things like that, you may also want to consider the math courses you take. A partial differential equations course may be really helpful (there is a guy who teaches it who tries to focus on relevant biological applications). Computational biology is a growing thing at Emory but the undergraduate curriculum and opps are not particularly developed. Overall a student into computational neuroscience will have a better time as there are internships and research fellowships for those folks. The research opps are there as they’ve been hiring more faculty in it, but it also depends on what you mean by “computational biology”, if something like statistics and informatics, you’re fine because you can use the public health school as a resource (http://www.mathcs.emory.edu/programs-undergrad/degrees.php). If you speak of more structural biology, then being a chemistry or biophysics concentrator is more ideal and from there you have plenty of people in the biochemistry dept (affiliated with med. school) who could take you for UG research. I would speak to or e-mail someone such as Ilya Nemenman to figure a pathway to train you in that field. He’s one of the leading computational and biophysical folks they recruited and is himself trying to expand its role in the UG curriculum. Simply ask what are current ways to do something in the field and also if he thinks any course offerings will come along that will be of interest in the near future.
Thanks. What’s the name of the partial differential equation class and professor?
What kind of opportunities are there as a chemistry or biophysics major for something interested in computational biology?
Chemistry has more opps and scholarships because it (and its faculty) is larger, wealthier, and more well connected.
Also, it isn’t about specific opps for those who are into something as niche as computational biology (my field which is kind of like that but mostly structural biology and computational chemistry angle). The best you can do is find your “angle” and receive good physics, computational, and mathematical training or else you will end up like me and have to just teach yourself a lot of math and physics when you join a lab (I have the benefit of knowing non-mathematical chemistry concepts very well, but the interface is a struggle), so you’ll mainly need to take courses that are kind of challenging and build that foundation or at least something for you to work with and adapt from (I would say physical biology helps me to be more resilient in picking up mathematics and computational skills much like my strong ochem instructor helps me to understand molecular conformation and electrostatics better). Without good training, the already large learning curve will be even bigger. So when it comes to courses that can help in your areas of interest, you don’t want to take the instructors that you know for sure you’ll just skate through.
You want to get training before and during a research experience that will enhance your productivity on your projects. Unfortunately the “skate” instructors usually teach at such a low level or manage to skim the surface of the topic so much that students don’t really learn much or retain much. They’'ll make your transcript look good, but you will have to compensate with self-study if you join a lab (it is like when students who take the current freshman ochem instructors join organic synthesis research labs and are asked to read primary literature on their project yet have no idea what they are looking at despite two semesters of the course when, if they had take a more rigorous instructor, would be able to do so with extreme ease). If you are pre-med, you’ll have to do more of a balancing act to keep a high GPA (maybe like top instructors for every pre-med core or relevant course that also helps for your future research plans and then easier instruction for everything else?). If not, then simply getting solid training and doing decently in your courses and well in research is much more important.
Veneziani is his name…he isn’t known to be a particularly good lecturer, but every friend of mine or more serious students taking the class really appreciated how he emphasized applications.
Thanks. That’s very useful. I have a few more questions if you don’t mind.
So who’s a rigorous instructor in organic chemistry?
And who’s a good instructor in biochemistry?
Should I take calculus based physics (Physics 151 & 152) or will trig-based physics (Physics 141 and 142) suffice?
As far as mathematics is concerned, should I take courses from the math department (multivariable calculus and differential equations) or should I take courses from QTM (more statistics based)?
Likewise, should I take Math 116 (calc 2 for biological sciences) or just take Math 112 (regular calc 2) at Oxford College?
Does it help to take intro CS (which I understand is taught in Java rather than Python)? I’ve heard that Bio 212 (computational bio) is taught in Python?
@BiffBrown Soria or Weinschenk are a must in ochem. But seriously, for 221, you shouldn’t risk taking lower level instructors because you don’t know who you’ll end up with for 222 and transferring into Soria or Weinschenk is often hell on earth for most coming from easy instructors such as Menger or Jui (top students will adapt and succeed, but most, even the most well-intended, will be at a huge disadvantage), and even Saddein (sp?). If you really struggle for some reason in either for 221, you can “drop down” in 222 and typically if you were a B-/B or higher, you should be able to break even with an instructor that is challenging but a bit easier (McDonald,Gallivan or McGill) with “relaxed” (lower but still decent effort) and definitely score higher with similar or more effort (in those instructors sections, there is much less “diminished returns”). For Scarborough (who won’t be teaching 222 next cycle I don’t think, seems he skips a year), you can even get a higher grade with relaxed (but don’t overdo it…some like to interpret that as “no” effort which always proves false ) effort.
Biochemistry: No one lol. Technically there are good lecturers (Lutz), but course DOES NOT emphasize real problem solving.
Physics: Calc based if you want to do computational stuff (also lab gets you writing lab reports and writing in science especially a more quantitative field is important).
Math: Perhaps both, but QSS does offer courses that will teach you the linear algebra and multivariate calculus you need to analyze and manipulate data. I’ll admit that the statistics point of view is likely more beneficial whether you are more informatics leaning or like me, structural biology/chemistry computational person. Statistical methods are used to analyze everything we do. Had QSS been around when I was at Emory AND I knew computational chem/drug discovery was my sweet spot, I would have used those courses to train my math skills to a higher level.
116 would mean waiting until you’re on main to take an entry level course, also 112 is more compatible with upper level math training (plus, as a person who deals with molecular modeling, suprisingly understanding series and sequence based math is helpful…also they are used to described probability).
Java is harder than python (IMHO) and if you learn Java first, python will be very easy to figure out. Also, since Bio 212 is project based, I think it offers chances for you to work with MATLAB though physical biology uses it much more.
@bernie12 Thanks for the very helpful responses.
Regarding biochemistry, does it make sense to take the 2 semester Chemistry Department version of biochemistry or is the 1 semester Biology Department version of biochemistry better?
Regarding QSS courses, which ones teach multivariable calculus and differential equations?
Also, what do you think of the Georgia Tech Petit Fellowship program?
@BiffBrown : I thought that scholarship was for tissue engineering primarily meaning that students going for it may be more wet-lab oriented.
120 covers linear algebra and multi (which means you need at least calc. 1 before it, perhaps QSS 110 may also be useful as exposure).
Also, chemistry doesn’t have a true “2-semester” sequence as the second semester seems to be offered like every other year (only in those years can you take both). The first semester is just the stupid metabolic biochemistry course taught to pre-meds at most schools (you know the pathways and memorization based course. Understanding organic chemistry, for example is not as important for biochemistry in either dept… Could honestly be taken by a person fresh out of general chem. and biology). The second semester in the chemistry department is offered by Dr. Weinert and is a chemical biology course that is problem/case based. It focuses on experimental techniques that use chemistry to explore biological problems (basically, 1st semester is about memorizing the pathways, and her class is about discovering or elucidating newer ones using various methods) and does require a solid command of organic and molecular genetics concepts to get the most out of it. It also primarily uses primary literature to teach most concepts (also, you must write and present an NSF style research proposal). It is the class featured here:http://provost.emory.edu/news-events/news/2015/may/weinert-chemistry.html
Definitely good to take if you plan to do research in anything biology/chemistry interface related, but so is any class with Dr. Eisen over in biology (cell biology and epigenetics). I know my friends found a way to skip biochemistry 1 and get into her biochemistry course the first time it was offered but they were kind of “elite” students having already taken biology and organic as freshmen so were more confident and able than most. I think you have to get through 301 first now.