Ellen Mines

“As a Biology pre-med, I made the mistake of thinking that coding was irrelevant to me. That changed when I took a biology class where we used R to analyze lab data. That was when I realized that coding (and the problem solving skills that come with it) is invaluable in research. It was difficult at first to jump into Data+, but doing this has benefited me a few ways. Having to learn python on my own, in a very short amount of time, with almost no prior coding experience (I didn’t even know what a package was) and quickly turning around and using those skills taught me that I am capable of flexibility and learning on the job. Coding also requires an immense amount of problem solving and independence. Although my mentors are fantastic, it’s up to me to figure out where I want to take the project and how I want to do it. Finally, Data+ has been a really invaluable exercise in teamwork. This has been especially challenging with remote learning. However, I still feel like our team has grown very close in working toward a common goal.”