Sophomore at Columbia University studying computer science and biology on the pre-med track. Broadly interested in using computation to understand biological and health systems, especially through systems biology, computational modeling, AI, and environmental health.
Recently been working on computational biology research, building software and education projects, and growing Omelora, an education nonprofit working with thousands of young people worldwide.
Outside of all this, I’m writing fiction about memory, family, and place, spending an unreasonable amount of time building side projects, and dreaming of owning a brown tabby cat 🐈 and living in Northern California 🌉.
See more on my resume, or reach out at koe2103@columbia.edu.
Work
Rice University Biodesign Lab
2024-Now
Projects
SWARM2026
Developed an OpenCV pipeline to segment microscopy images and built hop-distance graphs to quantify spatial mixing across two adhesion systems. Measured 55% and 53% same-type neighbor fractions versus a 50% random baseline.
Used Python, OpenCV, NumPy, SciPy, scikit-image, and Matplotlib with watershed segmentation.
MINGLE2026
Built a stochastic cell simulation in Python to model how bacterial cells grow, bind, break apart, and form multicellular clusters, using Gillespie-based event simulation to reproduce experimentally observed population behavior. Designed parameter-sweep experiments across repeated simulations, identifying binding conditions that reproduced experimental cluster sizes within ~5% and remained stable across a 10× change in starting cell population.
Kalingo2026
Built an African language learner covering 80+ phrases with pronunciation correction.
Used Igbo foundation models from Hugging Face, automatic speech recognition, and text-to-speech.
Connect Me Tutor Portal2024
Built a TypeScript/Next.js operations platform powering Connect Me’s tutoring programs for 5K+ users across 43 states and 12 countries, managing tutor pairings, scheduling, Zoom links, volunteer hours, and automated communications.
Used TypeScript, Next.js, React, Supabase, Tailwind CSS, Zoom Web SDK, Twilio, Resend, and Upstash QStash.
Writing
Quorum Sensing: How Microbes Turn Food Waste into Plastic20262026
Exploring this microbial communication system.
medium.com
Tiny Sensors, Big Signals: Inside Microbial Biosensors20262026
Exploring the science and applications of biosensors.
medium.com
Tardigrades: Microorganisms on the Edge of Things20252025
These extremophiles live life on the edge.
medium.com
Apple’s SimpleFold: Folding Proteins Just Got Easier20252025
This new protein shape prediction model reduces cost and complexity.
thecolumbiasciencereview.com
Small Things, Big Weather: How Microbes Influence Cloud & Rain Formation20252025
Certain microbes help form clouds and rain by triggering ice formation.
medium.com
All-American Idolatry20252025
Poem about nature and longing-fueled imagination.
bluemarblereview.com
The Arc Institute is Exploring This Complex Drug Discovery Conundrum20252025
Scientists have new findings for this drug discovery issue.
sci-insight.com