Sirihaasa Nallamothu

Year in School
Freshman

Major
Computer Science

Research Interests
Artificial Intelligence Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Data and Information Systems

Research Mentor
Jim Rehg

Research/Engagement Experience

Interests
Machine Learning, Health Technology, Computational Biology, Artificial Intelligence, Bioinformatics, Data Science

Project Title
TBD

How did I get interested in Computer Science?
My passion for CS is rooted in the intersection between healthcare and prioritizing patients through technology. I'm fascinated by the versatility of CS, and the way it can be inter-weaved in a variety of fields.

What social interests matter to me?
Technology can be used to amplify voices and spark hope. My goal is to use computer science (machine learning and data science) to create technology that advocates for overlooked chronic illnesses and diseases.

What is my most impactful college experience?
My most impactful college experience so far has been making new friends in the Innovations LLC, and exploring campus together with them!

These are a few of my favorite things!
Peppermint mocha hot chocolate, fuzzy blankets, my family, Khalid (my favorite music artist), roller skating, and hiking.

Research Description
Professor Rehg works with health technology and signal data. He explained to me what research field his labs work in and some of his ongoing work. He hasn't told me what I will be working on and which students yet, so I will update CS STARS program when I find out in the next week!

Biography
Sirihaasa Nallamothu is a freshman majoring in computer science at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. She is a Cutler-Bell Prize in Computing Award recipient (awarded by the Association for Computing Machinery, ACM) and a National Center for Women in Technology (NCWIT) Aspirations in Computing winner. In high school she conducted an IRB approved study to predict the onset of vasovagal syncope (spontaneous chronic fainting) in Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome using machine learning methods and CNN-LSTM neural networks. In 2022, she created a community time capsule in collaboration with town officials, to commemorate COVID-19 memories and experiences in her town (Normal, Illinois). The time capsule will be opened in 20 years, and provide future generations a glimpse of what pandemic life was like in Illinois via photos, journal entries, and oral history.