Rachel Calder joined the Weitz group in the Fall of 2021. Rachel previously studied Biology and Chemistry at the University of Washington. She worked for the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) from 2019-2021 under the role of Education Coordinator. In this role, she conducted research with various scientists and then translated this research into curriculum and experiences for students. In her role, she developed a passion for data science and simultaneously earned her Certificate of Data Science from the University of Washington. She used her data science skills to build tools for ISB scientists studying therapy mechanisms of cancer cells and the evolution of viruses.
Rachel is continuing to pursue data science and bioinformatics through the Bioinformatics Master’s program at Georgia Tech. She joined the Weitz Group in order to study the dynamics between viruses and their bacterial hosts. Rachel has a passion for understanding infectious disease dynamics, creating computational tools that assist in scientific discovery, and lowering the barrier for people to engage with science. She is thrilled to develop all three interests within the Weitz Group.