I have been studying both biology and computing since I was at secondary school and chose them as two of my three A levels at college. When the time came around for me to go to university I decided that I wanted to pursue a scientific degree, but as well as this I wanted the course to be innovative and not as common as the likes of medicine and pharmacology. I also wanted to expand my knowledge of computing, a subject I enjoyed but wanted to become more skilled at. When I heard about bioinformatics I knew it would be interesting, challenging and the right course for me.
The area of Bioinformatics has been fascinating to me since the year of 2000, when I was first exposed to the subject. The idea of "translating" biological and chemical processes into a computer application seemed to me one of the most powerful tools scientists could have in the 21st century. After my military service in Israel, I decided that this would be the subject I will do my undergraduate degree in. I traveled in the Far East and Europe for a year before arriving at Queen Mary, University of London to begin my Bsc in Bioinformatics.
I am a self-confessed Linux-/Open Source-/Cluster-/Grid-phile. I joined the Bioinformatics programme at Queen Mary University of London, primarily because of my interest in high-performance computing and laterally because the Life Sciences industry is currently experiencing somewhat of a renaissance. Coming from a science and technology oriented background, having studied both Aeronautics and Computing at tertiary level, the application of my existing knowledge and skill to further our understanding of the “code of life” is an incredibly exciting challenge. Upon successful completion of the undergraduate programme here at QMUL, I intend to move on to postgraduate study in Bioinformatics with the ultimate aim of becoming a Bioinformatics maven in the HPC realm.