Isaac is a fourth-year PhD student at the University of Cambridge in Psychiatry and Computer Science. A Gates-Cambridge scholar, his research combines large-scale data in neuroimaging and genetics to understand the network structure of the human brain and how it relates to mental illness. More generally, Isaac is interested in approaching open questions in biology – from genomics to imaging and beyond – by creating new, bespoke computational methods that leverage biological knowledge, rather than relying on existing off-the-shelf techniques. Isaac is also passionate about science communication, and enjoys writing for popular news outlets as much as for peer-reviewed journals. Before his PhD, Isaac studied molecular biology at Harvard University (A.B.) and computer science and machine learning at Cambridge (MPhil). If he’s not at his computer, you can probably find Isaac making music, out on a run, or baking a cake.

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WHAT IS A HEALTHCARE ADVANCEMENT YOU HOPE TO SEE IN YOUR LIFETIME?

I hope to see a wave of novel, effective therapies for neuropsychiatric disorders. I believe we are on the precipice of a sea change in how we treat mental illness; the scope and scale of emergent technologies – including brain stimulation, psychedelic therapy, neuroimmune drug development, and AI-guided precision treatment – leave me excited that a radical shift may be just on the horizon.

WHAT EXCITES YOU MOST ABOUT TECHBIO?

For me, the promise of TechBio boils down to two words: creativity and impact. I have yet to come across another space so intent on combining such creative, interdisciplinary innovation with a clear vision for global (human) impact.

WHAT IS THE MOST INFLUENTIAL CONTENT YOU READ LAST YEAR?

"Walk Through Walls" by Marina Abramovic. Reading this autobiography, I felt so privileged to be let into the unique mind of someone who has fundamentally redefined our conception of “art,” while maintaining such clarity of vision, purpose, and meaning.