HACKENSACK, N.J: Lara Ozkan, a River Edge resident and student in the Academy for the Advancement of Science and Technology at the Bergen County Academies, is a published author at the age of 16.

Her book, titled RNA Sequencing Principles and Data Analysis, teaches readers the basics of genetics, R programming, bioinformatics, and RNA sequencing. RNA sequencing is a technique used to analyze gene expression in biological samples.

Lara's book has reached top 5 in the Amazon Best Sellers lists for two categories Biomedical Engineering and Biostatistics. Her book has been endorsed by renowned bioinformaticians, including Dr. Josh Starmer, founder and CEO of StatQuest. Lara's book has been featured on many news sites, including the RNA-Seq Transcriptome Sequencing Research site. All proceeds from the book's sales are donated to the Cancer Research Institute.

In addition to her studies, Lara is an accomplished computational biology and bioinformatics researcher at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Her project, The Causal Mediators between Diet, Obesity, and Cancer, has been awarded the Yale Science and Engineering Award, Finalist at ISEF-Regional, and First Place in Math, Computer Science, and Bioinformatics.

The Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, NJ is the #1 Public High School in the United States of America. At her school, Lara serves on the executive board for Provita Pharmaceuticals, a student-led biotechnology start-up, and works as Co-Director of Technology for BCA Flash, a program that organizes academic lessons for middle school students in Bergen County. She is a community leader and advocate for STEM education; Lara is the founder and executive director of an initiative that brings STEM education to underprivileged students and minorities in the Middle East. Lara is also an avid traveler and has lived in more than 14 different cities across three continents. In her free time, she likes to go on runs and tutor her younger siblings.

She plans on continuing her studies in biology and bioinformatics through her academic and professional career. Lara recognizes the growing demand in the industry for researchers who can understand both biology and data science, since massive, high-dimensional biological data sets are being produced with our current technology.

16-Year-Old River Edge Bergen County Academies Student and Researcher Publishes Book on RNA Sequencing

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