January 2022
Lauren DeLong 2019
DEGREES:
B.S. Biology, Minor Chemistry & Mathematics
Henson School
CURRENT EMPLOYER
University of Edinburgh School of Informatics
CURRENT OCCUPATION
PhD Candidate
DESCRIBE YOUR CAREER PATH
My career path has involved a wide range of disciplines spanning three countries. After graduating from SU with a bachelor’s degree in biology, I moved to Germany for what was supposed to be 10 months to complete a Fulbright research grant in a stem cell lab. Through a twist of events, I re-organized my grant to fund my work with a different group in Germany – the bioinformatics group at the Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing. Bioinformatics is at the intersection of biology, math and computer science, and it is becoming increasingly important in the field of biology. While I had very little programming experience, I took the challenge of pursuing research in this new field to improve my skillset as a biologist. Once I began, however, I found myself falling in love with programming and computational research. I felt so passionate about my work there that, when my Fulbright experience approached a premature end due to the pandemic, I took a leap of faith and decided to stay in Germany to continue my work in bioinformatics. I secured a new research grant for my continued work from the DAAD (a German government-funded organization) in which I specifically focused on applications of biomedical artificial intelligence (AI), and I additionally decided to complete a master’s degree in life science informatics at the University of Bonn. Inspired to venture further into my new field, I decided to apply for Ph.D. positions in computational fields so that I could dedicate my time to strengthening my computational skillset while continuing work in biomedical AI. Because of its international prestige and a connection to a professor there, I applied for and received a position at the University of Edinburgh School of Informatics in Scotland, where I am currently working to obtain a Ph.D. in artificial intelligence. Here, I am developing novel AI techniques to study multimorbidity among hospital patients. I hope to continue in my academic journey so that I may, one day, become a professor in biomedical AI. As one of very few women in the School of Informatics, I found myself slightly surprised, but not confused, at the fact that many of the other women in the school have a similar story of crossing disciplines and countries to get to where they are now. In my life, I found that, as a young girl, I was not encouraged to enter computer science as boys were, and so my journey to become a computer scientist was a complex, but organic, journey consisting of unique, but exciting experiences that pointed the way. I hope that, by becoming an interdisciplinary professor, I can help other students, especially those of gender minorities in the sciences, to find their niche in the scientific world, the way professors along my journey helped me.
MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU LEARNED WHILE ATTENDING SALISBURY UNIVERSITY
Trust yourself. You know what you are capable of, and you are probably capable of even more than you know.
WHAT CAMPUS ACTIVITIES/ORGANIZATIONS WERE YOU INVOLVED WITH?
I was primarily involved in the Honors College and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB). For the Honors College, I served as an ambassador, held various leadership roles in the Honors Student Association, was a writer and the editor for The Saunterer, and served as an RA for Manokin Hall, one of the honors residences. The Honors College always did so much for me, including funding my travel to some conferences and providing me with invaluable connections, among other things. With ASBMB, I also assumed various leadership roles, acting as president for a term. I led weekly journal club meetings in which we would discuss scientific literature, initiated volunteer opportunities in which we taught school-aged children about DNA, and even went to the annual conference for ASBMB twice – once in Chicago and once in San Diego.
BEST COLLEGE MEMORY
Sometimes, my best friend Mollie Jewell and I would stay in one of the Henson Hall classrooms and study together as late as we were allowed to be there. Truly, these were some of my best memories. We might have been tired and sick of studying at the time, but Mollie and I had similar minds and the same classes, so we exchanged ideas constantly, learning from each other and teaching each other. I don't know if I have ever met another person with the same level of mental compatibility as I had with her, and meeting her was definitely one of the best things that came out of SU for me.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE SALISBURY UNIVERSITY?
There was a very specific reason I had for choosing Salisbury. I was torn between SU and another university. I decided to contact faculty and staff from both universities to see what opportunities lay ahead. When I called offices at the other university, I simply reached a voice recording that told me to send an email, and when I sent an email, I got an automatic reply telling me to call them. In contrast, when I contacted people at SU, I would get swift and helpful replies. Specifically, I emailed Jim Buss, the then-dean of the Honors College, asking about applying to the Honors College, and Dr. Buss not only replied to me quickly, but opened a one-to-one dialog in which he reviewed my application immediately with me. He then sent me a personal invitation to join the Honors College. The personal attention and treatment as a human and student – not just a number – was what sealed the deal for me.
IF YOU COULD DESCRIBE SALISBURY UNIVERSITY IN THREE WORDS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE AND WHY?
1. Community: … because that's exactly what it is. The faculty genuinely care about you and want to help you learn, the other students want to hangout and study together. I always felt camaraderie and support from my peers. SU is the first place in my life that I felt a sense of community.
2. Nature: SU is one of the best campuses because it boasts so much nature around it. On the campus, we have so many different species of plants. Around the campus, we have forests and the beaches of Assateague teeming with wildlife. Even among the people, though, I found a unique sense of nature. I learned about the ways to use fermentation for food production from my professors and always had access to fresh vegetables and eggs from the nearby farmers.
3. Personalized: I always loved that my education at SU felt very customized toward me. The biology major offered many ways to tailor your courses toward your own, specific interests because it had so many different classes to offer. Furthermore, I felt like the professors paid individual attention to my learning style and found new ways to challenge me when needed.
FAVORITE VACATION SPOT AND WHY?
It wasn't necessarily a vacation, but I went on a study abroad trip to Roatan, Honduras, with the Biological Sciences Department. That was quite possibly one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, above and below the water. We went diving two-to-three times a day, and my favorite dive was a night dive in which we saw all of the bioluminescence of the ocean.
GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT
I think my greatest accomplishment was learning German in my adulthood, mostly during my time living in Germany. I can thank Dr. Adam Woodis and the German courses at SU for preparing me for that. I try to practice now that I am in the U.K. so I don’t lose it. I also try to make frequent visits to Germany.
WHAT IS SOMETHING PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU?
People are usually surprised that I can sing decently and love Broadway musicals (although I have only ever been in one high school musical, not playing a major part). Actually, I was part of Salisbury’s University Chorale and Chamber Choir for one semester. I still participate in local choirs to this day.
HOBBIES/OTHER INTERESTS
I love reading for fun, especially historical and science fiction. I also love playing the piano when I have a piano nearby. I love hiking, which is partly why I was so motivated to move to Scotland, and I love traveling.