EM HIGHLAND

Research

Education

Regis University: MS, Data Science, 2019

Loyola University Chicago: BS, Computer Science, 2017

Research Experience

Wheeler Lab (Loyola University Chicago)
2016-17

  • I worked on investigating the regulation of gene expression in non-European populations.

Reddy Lab (Loyola University Chicago)
2013-2016

  • I conducted analyses of species divergence and flightlessness in the class Aves via transcriptomics.
  • I led the development of the pipeline PyRANGER (Python RNA-seq Analysis of Nonmodel Gene Expression Research), which automates de novo transcriptome assembly and transcriptome annotation.

Publications

K. Boyd, E. Highland, A. Misch, A. Hu, C. Putonti, S. Reddy. “Finding Function in the Unknown.” Proceedings - 2015 IEEE International Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedicine, BIBM 2015.

Presentations

Poster Presentations
  • Great Lakes Bioinformatics Conference (Toronto, ON, Canada)
    May 2016
    “PyRANGER: Python RNASeq Analysis for Non-Model Gene Expression Research”
  • Loyola Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium (Chicago, IL)
    April 2016
    “PyRANGER: Python RNASeq Analysis for Non-Model Gene Expression Research”
  • Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing (Houston, TX)
    October 2015
    “Avian Transcriptomics: Computational Tools for Biological Problems”
  • Great Lakes Bioinformatics Conference (West Lafayette, IN)
    May 2015
    “Bird is the Word: Using Avian Transcriptomics to Analyze Flightlessness”
  • Loyola Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium (Chicago, IL)
    April 2015
    “Avian Transcriptomics”
  • Chicago Area Undergraduate Research Symposium (CAURS) (Chicago, IL)
    April 2015
    "Avian Transcriptomics”
Oral Presentation
  • Argonne National Laboratory Undergraduate Symposium (Lemont, IL)
    November 2014
    “Avian Transcriptomics: Investigating Variations between Bird Species”

Honors and Awards

  • Provost Fellowship (Loyola University Chicago)
    Summer 2016
  • Mulcahy Fellowship (Loyola University Chicago)
    Academic year 2015-16
  • Collaborative Research Experience for Undergraduates (CREU) participant (CRA-W)
    Academic year 2014-15 and Summer 2015
  • Provost Fellowship (Loyola University Chicago)
    Summer 2014
  • OurCS participant (Carnegie Mellon University)
    October 2013
  • Sharon Walsh Essay Contest Winner (Loyola University Chicago)
    May 2013