Steph Hao Poster Presentation

Celebrating Steph Hao’s Debut at Atomic Lab: PANDORA Takes the Stage!

September 5, 2024.

We’re absolutely thrilled to announce that our newest team member, PhD candidate Steph Hao, just gave her first-ever presentation representing Atomic Lab at the Boston University School of Public Health’s Population Health Data Science Symposium. What a way to dive into research life at Atomic Lab – bravo, Steph!


The Power of Vaccination & the Need for Innovation

Every year, vaccination against lethal infections saves two to three million lives, especially among children under the age of five. Still, infectious diseases remain a leading cause of mortality worldwide, highlighting the urgent need to develop more effective vaccines. Human immune responses to vaccines differ significantly across individuals due to a complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and immunological factors—analyzing all that complexity can be a monumental challenge.


From SIMON to PANDORA: A Leap Forward in AI-Driven Immunology

In an effort to tackle these challenges, our lab previously developed SIMON (Sequential Iterative Modeling “OverNight”), a machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) systems immunology tool that has successfully:

  • Identified patterns and signatures in vast immunological datasets,
  • Predicted protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2 (including novel variants),
  • Revealed insights that traditional analyses often miss.

Building on the success of SIMON, we introduced PANDORA, a next-generation computational framework that accommodates even more complex human immunology data. PANDORA integrates both unsupervised and supervised machine learning (over 180 supervised ML algorithms!) for automated predictive modeling – all to deliver unprecedented depth in analyzing vaccine responses.


Steph’s Work: Putting PANDORA to the Test

Steph dove headfirst into PANDORA with the largest immunological dataset ever—the Human Immunology Project Consortium (HIPC) dataset. This dataset encompasses:

  • 24 vaccines
  • 6 vaccine types
  • 1,405 participants
  • Over 10,000 genes

Her research involves a comparative analysis of vaccines and human immunity, where preliminary findings show PANDORA’s potential to distinguish between durable and nondurable vaccine-induced gene expression patterns. This could be a game changer for predicting individual vaccine responses and advancing personalized immunization strategies.

Of course, pushing the boundaries of AI sometimes means “breaking” the software – and we couldn’t be happier that Steph is driving PANDORA to new heights by identifying and fixing these issues. Each hiccup is a chance to make the platform stronger and more reliable.


A Big Win at the Population Health Data Science Symposium

Steph’s poster presentation at BU’s Symposium brilliantly showcased how PANDORA can revolutionize vaccine research and deliver tangible benefits for global public health. Presenting in front of experts in data science and public health is no small feat – we can’t say it enough: way to go, Steph!


Onwards & Upwards, Steph!

With her research off to such a flying start, there’s no stopping Steph now. We can’t wait to see what she’ll do next – whether it’s discovering new immunological signatures, refining PANDORA even further, or unraveling the mysteries of vaccine durability. Steph, you’ve shown us all how passion, hard work, and a little bit of bravery can drive scientific innovation.

Welcome again to the Atomic Lab family! We’re excited to keep cheering you on, celebrating your accomplishments, and transforming the way the world understands and develops vaccines – together.


Stay Tuned!

Follow us for more updates on Steph’s research journey, PANDORA’s ongoing evolution, and the next big discoveries waiting around the corner!

 

You May Also Like…