MIT senior on groundbreaking research: 'I like helping people if I can because I got helped so much'

MIT senior Sherry Nyeo, a student since Fall 2019, has conducted groundbreaking work in multiple labs, served as a mentor to dozens of students, and made a lasting mark on the larger MIT community, according to an MIT News article published Jan. 31.

“I like helping people if I can because I got helped so much,” Nyeo, who is majoring in computer science and molecular biology, said.

Nyeo's passion for science began when she first applied to the Selective Science Program at Tainan First Senior High School, which is largely considered one of the most prestigious high schools in Taiwan.

“Preparing for that process made me realize that biology was pretty cool,” she said.

When Nyeo was 16, she and her family moved from Taiwan to Colorado, where she continued to build her interest in STEM. While she excelled at biology, she initially struggled with computer science.

“[Programming] was really hard for me,” she said. “It was a completely different way of thinking.”

When Nyeo first arrived at MIT, she decided to pursue a degree in computer science specifically because she knew that it would challenge her and because she appreciated how important data analysis is to biology.

Nyeo began doing hands-on research on campus in the winter of her first year at MIT through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). Her work in Whitehead Fellow Silvi Rouskin's lab sparked a long-lasting interest in RNA, which she regards as her "favorite biomolecule." Her labwork focused on alternative RNA structures and the roles that they play in human and viral biology.

As a student researcher, Nyeo has demonstrated a similar ability to adapt to different circumstances. In March 2020, when MIT campus members evacuated due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Nyeo's UROP went completely remote, she used her time away from the lab to explore the computational aspect of research. This work was later included in a Nature Communications paper on the SARS-CoV-2 genome, where she is listed as a co-author.

Since returning to campus, Nyeo has spent her time in multiple labs, conducting innovative research while also taking classes and undertaking internships. She has continued to pursue her work with RNA, a small, unremarkable molecule that still has a massive impact on almost every aspect of our biology. Nyeo, who has proven to be multifaceted, seems to be perfectly suited to the study of the biomolecule.

Nyeo said she hopes to use her skills to pursue a career in biotechnology. She is minoring in management and dreams of one day launching her own company. However, she doesn't want to leave academia anytime soon and has started working on applications for doctoral programs in biology.

Nyeo still finds time to foster a wide array of other passions. She completed an experimental ethics class, is working on an original screenplay, and has picked up a minor in German.

Since her sophomore year, Nyeo has also been a part of the New Engineering Education Transformation (NEET) program, which gives students with multidisciplinary interests the chance to collaborate across departments. Through NEET, led by Biological Engineering Professor Mark Bathe, Nyeo has been able to pursue her interest in bioengineering research and connect to a wide community of students and professors. She has also been working with the Bathe BioNano Lab, using DNA to engineer new materials at the nanometer scale.

While working in Biology Professor David Bartel's lab, Nyeo investigates how viral infections affect RNA metabolism, often finding herself using her computational skills to assist postdocs with their data analysis.

Nyeo's helpful nature is possibly what makes her best suited for the study of RNA. Over the last several decades, researchers have discovered an increasingly large number of therapeutic uses for RNA, including cancer immunotherapy and vaccine development. In 2022, Nyeo worked as an intern with Eli Lilly and Company, where she helped to identify potential targets for RNA therapeutics.