Fellow Reflection: Tal Danino

A native of Tarzana, Calif. now earning his Ph.D. in dynamics of systems biology at University of California, San Diego, Tal Danino is an accomplished researcher who has earned international attention.  His research – involving simulation of the spatial patterns of cells as they migrate and differentiate – was published in the prestigious journal, "Proceedings of the National Academies of Science."  In addition, his work relative to synthetic systems biology was published in "Nature."  When off campus, Tal enjoys painting, drawing and cooking and often combines these interests with his work in science.

Explain why you have an interest in computational science.

"My interest in computational science arises from the power and ease to which scientific curiosities can be answered.  Whereas experimental procedures are costly, take a long time, or involve a lot of people, computation allows researchers to answer questions with relatively less effort and time."

Why did the DOE CSGF program appeal to you?

"The CSGF program appealed to me because of the interdisciplinary computational aspects of the program."

Explain the benefits you have received or positive experiences you have had in the DOE CSGF program.

"The practicum experiences broadened my research scope tremendously and helped me establish many professional ties.  The other aspects of the workstation and personal research allowances allowed me to get little things that helped my research tremendously.  The conference in June is also an exciting time to look forward to."

Describe your career goal(s) in the computational science field.

"My goal is to be a professor or do scientific research with a strong computational science component."