Samantha F.

$1,000 Scholarships.com Computer Science Scholarship Award Winner

My dream job is to do research in the bioinformatics field. Mathematics, statistics, and computer science have always been my strong subjects, yet I also love learning about new discoveries in chemistry and biology. Bioinformatics takes these areas of study and wraps them in one neat package.

Bioinformatics is a very exciting field right now due to the exponential growth in technology. For instance, one of the first projects labeled as bioinformatics was the mapping of the human genome, which took a much shorter time to complete than scientists originally estimated due to their assumption of linear technological progress. A more current research project, the mapping of the human brain, also has an expected due date that assumes linear advancement, but it is more realistic to say that with the current exponential rate of technological growth the human brain could be mapped out as early as 2025 (an estimate by renown computer scientist Ray Kurzweil), or 2030 (estimate by other computer scientists).

The mapping of the human brain will open a whole new world of interfacing humans and technology. As a result, modern medicine will be able to understand, and possibly cure a plethora of neurological disorders that currently baffle the medical community. This is my underlying motivation to get into research: to be able to help people, improve lives, and further the progress of our society towards more prosperous times. Any research I am given the opportunity to partake in will make me more prepared when I try to enter the bioinformatics field and help research the human brain.