Name:

Yumi Lee Briones

Home Institution:

The Medical City

Host Institution:

New York University

Award Name:

Fulbright Foreign Student Program

Award Year:

2024

Bio / Write-up:

Yumi is a biomedical researcher at The Medical City in the Philippines. Her research involves bioprinting 3D skin models to develop phage therapeutics against drug-resistant wound infections. As a Fulbright scholar, she will undertake a PhD at New York University under the Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, specializing in Computational Biomedicine. She aims to use machine learning and systems biology to advance personalized medicine for cancer patients.

Yumi obtained her Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Ateneo de Manila University, where she graduated valedictorian and summa cum laude. She has published her computational research on the anticancer action of ampalaya or bitter gourd. She was formerly a chemistry instructor at Ateneo and co- founder of a sustainable start-up. Through the Fulbright program, Yumi aims to learn how computational biomedicine is being employed to improve patient care in the US, and how this can translate to the Philippine setting.

While in New York, Yumi hopes to engage in cultural exchange through her hobbies and interests. These include playing the piano, going for runs, and watching films. She also enjoys publishing science communication content on Instagram and YouTube.