‭Have you ever wondered why your body reacts differently to various viruses and diseases?‬

Skylar Sargent Walters ’26, a computational biology concentrator at Brown, is developing a‬ deep learning model to classify and discover unidentified bacteria and viruses from‬ metagenomic datasets.‬

Her research project, "Developing Deep Learning Methods to Catalyze Disease Discovery and‬ Identification from Metagenomic Datasets," leverages linear algebra and derivatives to detect‬ patterns in genomic data. By identifying these patterns and inputting them into the model, it can‬ determine what type of virus a person has been exposed to—transforming how we diagnose‬ diseases.‬

‭Walters presented her work at ABRCMS, where she received the Presentation Award for‬ Computational Biology, recognizing her contributions to the field. As a researcher in Brown’s‬ HIV and Emerging Infectious Disease Scholars Program, she has led her own project—designing algorithms, running models on Brown’s supercomputing cluster, and‬ presenting findings in Dr. Katie Siddle’s lab.‬

How did society’s view of childbirth evolve over centuries, and what does it say about maternal care today?

Mallory Go ’25, a public health concentrator, explored the John Hay Library’s special collection to uncover the evolving story of maternal care. From 1500 to the modern day, she examined historical resources that traced the shift from female birth attendants to clinical obstetricians, exploring how societal perceptions of maternal bodies and childbirth shaped this transformation.

Her research, “Traditional Midwifery to Clinical Obstetrics” is a analysis of pregnancy and childbirth as events and how vastly different those perspectives are from today’s.

WaTae Mickey, Jr. '26 is collaborating with Professor James Head to develop a reference mission for prolonged lunar exploration, a crucial step toward advancing extended space stays and future Mars missions.

Learn more about his work in this second edition of Midsummer Research Stories (MRS). Dedicated to showcasing the diverse summer internships and research experiences of Brown University students both on and off-campus in the Providence area, MRS aims to inspire the community to learn about the opportunities that Brown and Providence have to offer, and to celebrate the academic and personal growth of the students during this time.

📸 Brenda Subilhaga '25

Over two days in August, Brown students showcased their discoveries at the Summer Research Symposium at Sayles Hall, sharing their hard work with peers, faculty, and community members. From fresh ideas to collaborative breakthroughs, this event highlighted the dedication and innovation of their summer journeys from science and technology to humanities and social sciences.

*Note - The original version of this video stated that the number of UTRA applicants was between 500-700, when the correct number is more than 1,100. The captions have been updated to reflect this corrected number.

Midsummer Research Stories is a new series focusing on Brown University students and their research during the Summer of 2024.

Natan Rodrigues Ferreira '25 is cast as Felipe in “¡Alguien Más!,” a play produced by Rhode Island Latino Arts and Trinity Rep as part of Teatro en el Verano—“Theater in the Summer”—offering free outdoor performances across the state.

Video by Brenda Subilhaga ’25