Introduction
My name is Joshua Cook and I am Computational Genomics Research Scientist at Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. This page is meant as a brief introduction to my background. If you have further questions or want to get in touch, please use the links on the homepage to contact me!
Education
University of California, Irvine
B.S. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; B.S. Chemistry
2013 – 2017
I double majored in Molecular Biology and Chemistry, while conducting research in the Lodoen Lab on the interactions between the parasite Toxoplamsa gondii and the human innate immune system (publication).Harvard Medical School
Ph.D. Biological and Biomedical Sciences
2017 – 2023
I earned my Ph.D. through the research I performed in the labs of Kevin Haigis and Pater Park studying cancer genetics. I also pursued a particular interest in Bayesian statistical modeling.
Work Experience
Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Computational Genomics Research Scientist
2023 - Current
I provide computational and analytic support to multiple gene editing therapy programs including Duchenne muscular dystrophy, sickle cell disease, and type 1 diabetes. I collaborate with wet-lab scientists to design and execute experiments as well as on-board new technologies such as Slide-seqV2 and Visium HD spatial transcriptomics.
Skills
I am proficient in Python and R programming, with a particular specialization in data science, though I use Python often to build tools for a variety of tasks. I am currently learning Rust and have experience with Swift for iOS, macOS, and watchOS development.
In graduate school, I discovered a passion for Bayesian statistics. Below is a project page I put together collating as many of my Bayesian analyses as I could. Currently, my job does not directly utilize this specific skill set, but Bayesian statistics still influences my reasoning process.
Hobbies and Interests
Outside of work and programming, I try to get outdoors as much as possible, namely though hiking, camping, backpacking, running, and fishing.
When the weather turns here in Boston, I spend my time indoors by exercising, reading, tying flies, and tending to my plants.
You can learn more about my hobbies here.