DNA Computing And Molecular Programming Conference Best Student Paper Award

UBC Computer Science PhD student Nasim Zolaktaf won the Best Student Paper Award at the 23rd International Conference on DNA Computing and Molecular Programming, held in Austin, Texas, September 24-28, 2017. Her paper, titled “Inferring Parameters for an Elementary Step Model of DNA Structure Kinetics with Locally Context-Dependent Arrhenius Rates,” introduces a new Arrhenius model  that can be used in stochastic simulations to estimate kinetic properties of interacting DNA strands. It was co-authored with UBC faculty members Anne Condon and Mark Schmidt, and their collaborators in Erik Winfree's group at The California Institute of Technology. Nasim took the lead in applying machine learning techniques to infer kinetics parameters for the model from a database of experimental measurements that she curated. 

Congratulations, Nasim!