NRT Data Drive Biology Training Grant Welcomes Visiting PhD Candidate, Zain Arifin, as part of SFI-NRT Research Exchange

This summer, the UCSB BioEngineering Department is participating in a mutual research exchange program through Science Foundation Ireland – National Science Foundation (SFI-NSF). SFI-NSF promotes interdisciplinary research exchanges between Irish research institutions and US institutions that have been awarded NSF Research Training (NRT) grants. Led by Prof. Beth Pruitt, the BioEngineering NRT, Data Driven Biology, trains graduate students in data analytics and experimental methods to advance fundamental research in quantitative biology and bioengineering. Three DDB Trainees are currently in Ireland where they are working with researchers at the University of Galway, while UCSB hosts a visiting graduate student from University College Dublin.

Visiting PhD researcher, Muhammad Zainul Arifin (“Zain”), was kind enough to tell us about his scholarly background, what made him interested in participating in an international research exchange, and what he hopes to do in the future. Zain is originally from Indonesia, where he received his undergraduate degree in Bioinformatics at the Indonesia Institute for Life Sciences. As he puts it, what he loves about having a bioinformatics background “is that I can apply my skillset to different biological problems.”

A Marie Curie PhD Fellow at University College Dublin (UCD), Zain’s research combines bioinformatics and cancer immunology, although he previously researched in-vitro fertilization while an intern at the National University of Singapore. In addition to his graduate work, Zain is the chair of the Indonesian Student Association in Ireland, where he leads student events and activities and facilitates connections between Irish universities and the Indonesian Embassy to promote cultural diversity and Indonesian student life.

At UCSB, Zain has been working with Profs. Sid Dey and Ryan Stowers on two projects: the first is a bias-free primary analysis pipeline for CUT&Tag sequencing results and the second is a project to develop an analysis pipeline for methylation data from Dyad-seq. While Zain does not typically focus on mammalian developmental biology, he sees the bioinformatics skills that he’s acquired through these projects as invaluable and extremely transferrable to his PhD research.

When asked what drew him to UCSB, Zain credited the scientific reputation of the university and Santa Barbara’s location, which is especially appealing during the summer. He also described that in addition to gaining new research experience, the benefits of being participating in the SFI-NRT exchange will help him broaden his professional networks and aid in finding a job in industry post-PhD.  “If possible, I would like to secure an industry position working as a bioinformatician, though I am open to a post-doctoral position should the project interest me,” he said. “As I am doing research only for 6 weeks, I need to be quick with my planning and execution. This skill, to work in a new fast-paced environment, is highly valued in industry, and the connections I’ve gained here in the US will be helpful during job hunting during my last year of PhD.”

Zain anticipated that there would be some adjustment between different university and lab cultures, let alone between the different countries, but he has been pleasantly surprised by some things. “I really enjoyed the work-life balance in both countries, although I know my experience might not apply to everyone,” he noted. “Being in the US was a surprise in many unexpected ways. Some things that caught me off guard were the difference in driving on the other side of the road (Ireland's all about that left lane), the super friendly and chatty folks (even more than in Ireland, which is saying something), and the consistently pleasant weather. One challenge I often face is that different labs are focused on different biological questions. Coming from a background more centered around computational biology and data science, wrapping my head around the biology fundamentals, especially at the start, has always been a struggle. Plus, diving into a completely new environment without knowing anyone is also a challenge. However, the kind people at BioEngineering do not make feel alienated and quickly integrated me into the department.”

For students who are interested in participating in research exchanges, Zain recommends that they “make sure to research the university and professors you want to work with, including talking to students and post-docs. Have some savings as funding from institutions can take a while to be processed. Learn the local cultures and traditions before departure (to avoid culture shock). Don’t forget to have fun!”

Following his own advice, Zain has been exploring the beaches, local culture, and food, enjoying festivals (Fiesta was a particular favorite), visiting LA, and is looking forward to going to a sporting event “because there is no American Football in Indonesia and Ireland.”

For more information on the DDB, please visit https://ddb.bioengineering.ucsb.edu/.

Additional information on SFI-NRT can be found here: https://www.sfi.ie/funding/funding-calls/us-ireland-supplemental/.