With a background that spans virology, stem cell engineering, and machine learning, Sreeyasha Thapa brings a multidisciplinary perspective to biomedical data science. She earned her B.S. in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, where she was also a Meyerhoff Scholar—an experience that helped shape her commitment to impactful, inclusive research.
Thapa began her research journey studying HIV-1 RNA mechanisms in a biochemical lab, contributing to a collaborative publication in PNAS examining how RNA structure influences viral genome packaging and translation. Her path soon expanded into biomedical engineering, where she investigated how stem cells interact with biomaterial scaffolds. Most recently, she’s turned to computational biology, developing machine learning models that use genomic and clinical data to classify lung cancer patients—work that underscored her interest in using data to drive personalized medicine and inform targeted treatment strategies.
She was recognized with a Best Presentation Award at the 2024 Simposio on Molecular Design and Structural Bioinformatics in Santiago, Chile—an experience that reflects her growing engagement with the global research community. Whether in the lab or at the podium, Thapa is passionate about uncovering patterns in disease through data and using those insights to improve patient outcomes.
Now, through the Applied Biomedical Data Sciences program at the St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, she’s excited to deepen her skills in computational science while contributing to an institution focused on compassion and discovery. For Thapa, St. Jude offers the rare opportunity to blend rigorous, cutting-edge research with a mission that makes a tangible difference in the lives of children and families.
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Education:
2025 - BS, Bioinformatics & Computational Biology – University of Maryland Baltimore County
Awards/Honors/Scholarships:
2024 - Best Presentation Award - Simposio: Innovating Biomedicine through Molecular Design and Structural Bioinformatics, hosted by the Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology (CBIB), Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
2020 - Meyerhoff Scholar, M32
Publications:
Yasin, S., Lesko, S. L., Kharytonchyk, S., Brown, J. D., Chaudry, I., Geleta, S. A., Tadzong, N. F., Zheng, M. Y., Patel, H. B., Kengni, G., Neubert, E., Quiambao, J. M. C., Becker, G., Ghinger, F. G., Thapa, S., Williams, A., Radov, M. H., Boehlert, K. X., Hollmann, N. M., ... Summers, M. F. (2024). Role of RNA structural plasticity in modulating HIV-1 genome packaging and translation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(33), e2407400121. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2407400121