Splash Biography

NICHOLAS SMITH, Yale junior studying neurobiology

Major: MCDB Neurobiology Track

College/Employer: Yale

Year of Graduation: 2016

Brief Biographical Sketch:

A native New Yorker, Nick is super excited to teach for Splash this year. He is a junior studying neurobiology. Nick has worked at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in NYC researching ovarian cancer and genetic/molecular mechanisms. He has also been working at the Yale School of Medicine, performing both clinical and laboratory research in epilepsy. This past summer, Nick worked at the Curie Institute in Paris researching cancer genomics, DNA damage repair, and tumor evolution. He is passionate about sharing his knowledge of biology and research techniques with Yale Splash students this year!

Past Classes

(Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

S1750: Cancer in Everyone in Splash Fall 15 (Nov. 14, 2015)

You, yes YOU, have many tumors inside of you right now. Find out why each and every one of us inevitably develops cancer. This class will explore what cancer is at the molecular, genetic, and cellular levels. Find out why cancer treatment has been such a failure, what it means to be a cancer researcher, and what cutting edge technology might play a future role in cancer treatment.

X1751: The US Healthcare System & Affordable Care Act in Splash Fall 15 (Nov. 14, 2015)

The current US health expenditure is 2.9 trillion dollars - higher than any other country in the world. And yet, our health outcomes are some of the worst when compared to peer countries. What accounts for such high expenditure? Why are our outcomes so bad? What kinds of inefficiencies exist in the system, and what kinds of solutions have been proposed? What is Obamacare, what effects does it have? All these questions and more.

S1458: Cancer in Everyone in Splash Spring 15 (Apr. 04, 2015)

S951: Introduction to Personalized Medicine in Splash Spring 14 (Mar. 29, 2014)

In the 21st century, new technology will permit us to treat every occurrence of cancer as a novel case. We can genotype tumors, determine the genetic basis for diseases with incredible precision, and offer specific treatments tailored to single mutations. In this course, we will explore some of the technologies and techniques that garner hope for a highly personalized future of medicine.

S952: DNA in Splash Spring 14 (Mar. 29, 2014)

DNA: What is it? How is it made? How was it discovered? Why is it so important? How can scientists manipulate it to create new organisms and run all sorts of incredible experiments? Why is it the key to the future of medicine? How do we use it to solve crime? How is it responsible for genetic diseases? All these questions and more!

S619: From Molecules to Life: The Chemistry that Makes Us Who We Are in Splash Fall 13 (Nov. 09, 2013)

This course will provide a brief overview of the processes that make life possible from the building blocks provided by the universe. We will explore the laws that hold biological molecules together, how DNA is made, how HIV infects the body, what cancer is on the molecular level, and what cutting edge technologies might just shape the future biochemistry. Videos and interactive activities will be integrated.

S622: Introduction to Personalized Medicine in Splash Fall 13 (Nov. 09, 2013)

S287: The Best of Biochemistry: DNA, Proteins, HIV, and More! in Splash Spring 13 (Apr. 06, 2013)

How can every cell in our body contain the information to make every organ in our body? How does protein formation relate to Alzheimers? How does HIV occur on the molecular level? This course will discuss some of the most fascinating questions in biochemistry and provide a deeper insight into what life is on the most basic level.