Page 44 - CBAC Newsletter 2016

CBAC Student

Spotlight

Yidan Ida Qin

Biomedical Engineering, B.S.
Magna Cum Laude
Department of Biomedical
Engineering
Patrick Jay Laboratory

Genetic Basis of
Congenital Heart Defects

I joined Dr. Patrick Jay's lab in September 2014, two weeks after I transferred to Washington University
from China. Since then, I have been working in the Jay lab for one and a half years. My current research
focus is the genetic basis of the co-occurrence patterns observed among various congenital heart defects
and pleiotropic modifier genes that are associated with multiple congenital heart defects.
At the age of fifteen, I was admitted to the Special Class of Gifted Youth in Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU),
one of the nine most premier universities in China. I started working as an undergraduate research
assistant in the Bio-Inspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center in XJTU, where I first learned the beauty
of biomedical engineering research. I gained basic knowledge about biomechanics and bio-inspired
materials. Moreover, I acquired necessary skills for researchers, including a systematic mind for designing
experiments and data analysis skills, etc.
Although my first research position was in the field of biomechanics, I have been interested in genetic
research since I was a freshman in XJTU. Genetic research requires a strong mathematical background,
programming skills and most importantly, a solid understanding of the biological mechanisms behind gene
transmissions and genotype expressions. Since there is no lab in XJTU that carries out genetic research, I
trained myself in math and programming, hoping that I can join a genetic lab in the future.
Before I traveled to the U.S., I researched labs that studied genetics at Washington University. I was very
interested in Professor Patrick Jay’s research focus about the genetic factors that affect the risk of
developing a heart defect. I read recent papers by the Jay lab and found my skill set to be suitable for this
lab: statistical analysis and programming. Professor Jay is a great physician-scientist with abundant
accomplishments, published papers, and successful trainees. I believed that his mentorship would help
me grow as a researcher.
40 | CBAC Center Heartbeat