“I thought most of the research was writing grants and writing papers. I didn’t know… you could get to talk to doctors about data and how it could be applied in a clinical setting!”

– Dylan Shiramizu, TUBI Alum and Research Bioinformatician at Cedars-Sinai

Treehouse UCSC Bioinformatics Immersion (TUBI) is a research group sponsored by Treehouse and the Vaske lab. Researchers work in a supportive environment on bioinformatics projects related to finding novel drug targets for pediatric cancer patients using gene expression analysis.

2024 TUBI events

TUBI will meet online during the UCSC Spring 2024 quarter (April 1-June 13).

If you are interested in TUBI and other research opportunities, please join this mailing list: https://groups.google.com/u/1/a/ucsc.edu/g/treehouse-research-opportunities-group

There will be an in-person information session in 123 Sinsheimer at 11am Monday January 29

There will also be an virtual information session at 3:30pm Thursday February 1st via zoom.

The application is due at 11pm Sunday February 25.

You can view the TUBI 2023 Handbook.

What is TUBI like?

Emily Silva, TUBI 2021 researcher and mentor:

“Coming from a neuro- and cognitive science background, I had little knowledge of coding bioinformatics. When I first started at TUBI I was nervous and overwhelmed when I was not able to correctly create a file for specified variants. However, with the help of the head researchers and fellow peers, TUBI had provided an environment that motivated me to learn from my mistakes and acquire new skills such as creating public directories to interpreting scientific findings. I strongly urge students who are a part of STEM to apply as a group of researchers for TUBI because not only are you gaining first-hand experience in shell coding and science-based research, but you are also receiving one-to-one interactions with professionals who genuinely want to see you succeed. This is why TUBI provides students with little to no background in coding the opportunity to learn the basics of Unix and contribute to a platform that provides free knowledge of cancer research to those in need. Whether or not your area of focus is in bioinformatics or cancer research, the experience of working at TUBI will benefit any student who is exploring different scientific pathways.”

Lucy Zheng, TUBI 2021 researcher and mentor:

“If someone asks me where to begin their involvement with research, I would strongly recommend starting with TUBI. Being a part of both sessions of TUBI 2021, I was able to not only get a better understanding of the computational tools such as using Unix commands but also obtain the ability to be directly involved in helping the Vaske lab/ Treehouse Childhood Cancer Initiative. With a bioinformatics concentration of BMEB major, my experience with TUBI has allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of how computational skill sets and programming can be used to enhance biological research. Most importantly, I was able to meet the faculty members within Treehouse which consist of computational scientists and graduate students. To students who are interested, don’t hesitate to apply! This is a great opportunity to explore your interested field(s) in research!”

Summer 2022 researchers

Amanda Marinoff
Ayyam Ibrahim
Myroslav Bozhenko
Anton Honcharenko
Jolene Draper
Marianna Fedotova
Polina Koval
Roman Fedotov
Sergii Romanenko
Tatyana Slobodin
Vahtang Fedotov

Winter quarter 2022 researchers

Shivani Patel

Mateo Valdivia

Tiffany Chen

Keerthana Sivakumar

Adaku Okorie
Alex Galvan
Andrea (Kiki) Galvez
Angelica Babinski
Anika Mehndiratta
Edgar D Cruz
Esha Natu
Evelyn Esparza
Gia Hagos
Kathryn Echandia-Monroe
Keerthana Sivakumar
Mateo Patricio Valdivia
Paloma Pérez
Pretty Garcia
Randy Cabrera
Ruben Ramos
Shivani Patel
Sohinee Tiffany Saha
Tiffany Chen
Beza Abesha