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, ecology, and global, and environmental health.
Recently been working on computational biology research, building software and education projects, and growing Omelora.org, an education nonprofit working with thousands of young people worldwide. Especially interested in research and startups that sit somewhere between science, technology, and real-world health problems.
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
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
Created a lattice-based Gillespie model of cell binding, bond breaking, growth, nucleation, cluster fragmentation, and dilution. Across 10-replicate binding-rate sweeps, rbind=0.005 produced the closest tested mean cluster size (3.6 across 320 simulated clusters vs. 3.44 across 268 experimental clusters), while mean size remained 3.5-3.8 across a 10x increase in initial inoculum.
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 the internal platform powering Connect Me’s tutoring operations, including pairings, scheduling, Zoom links, volunteer hours, and automated communications.
Supports 5K+ users, 60K+ sessions, and $5.7M+ in free tutoring across 43 states and 12 countries.
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