Outreach
Welcome to the MICDE Outreach Program
The Michigan Institute for Computational Discovery and Engineering (MICDE) supports various non-profit organizations:
- MiRcore, which focuses on computational biology, aims to generate testable hypotheses about disease causes, biomarkers, treatment options, and prevention based on RNA profiles.
- GIDAS (guide-us: Genes In Diseases And Symptoms): the high school/college branch of miRcore.
- Girls Who Code at the University of Michigan aims to provide a collaborative and supportive environment for high school students of all skill levels and backgrounds who are interested in learning how to code.
- The MiSciWriters, a graduate student organization at the University of Michigan, is dedicated to improving the written communication abilities of scientists, improving public understanding of science, and advocating for science communication as a field.
MIRCORE
MiRcore is a non-profit research organization with a vision of global, multilateral collaboration toward treating individuals based on their unique genetic profiles and environmental circumstances. Their mission is to generate testable hypotheses on disease etiology, biomarkers, treatment decisions, and prevention based on RNA profiles.
The Michigan Institute for Computational Discovery and Engineering (MICDE) and Advanced Research Computing (ARC), a division of U-M Information and Technology Services (ITS), provide miRcore students access to and support for the U-M high-performance computing cluster known as Great Lakes. The MICDE team has helped the nonprofit connect with affiliated faculty and the broader U-M research community. MICDE also supports miRcore’s research endeavors. These advanced computing resources enable participants to conduct complex analyses and simulations that are fundamental to their learning and research experiences. We are also providing a dedicated space on campus for the Biotechnology camps.
GIDAS
GIDAS, the high school/college branch of miRcore, is a network of school clubs that works to fulfill miRcore’s outreach, connecting the general public with researchers and scientists. GIDAS members study and advocate for the importance of genes in health and personalized medicine.
The GIDAS club at the University of Michigan aims to advocate for genetic research for diseases through high school outreach and our own research! GIDAS engages in biology-focused educational programs in local high schools, some of which include teaching wet-lab techniques and computational biology/programming concepts. GIDAS members have the opportunity to learn computational biology skills from their peers and provide mentorship to high school students through the miRcore Volunteer Program. We also invite guest speakers involved in the computational biology and genetics fields to expose undergraduates to research and interdisciplinary career pathways in healthcare.
MICDE supports GIDAS by providing high-performance computing (HPC) resources to the club.
GIRLS WHO CODE
Founded by current doctoral students in the Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics (DCMB) at the University of Michigan, the Girls Who Code club seeks to provide a collaborative and supportive environment for high schoolers of all skill levels and backgrounds interested in learning how to code.
MICDE supported the Girls Who Code Summer Experience 2024, which is a special opportunity organized by GWC at UM DCMB. This program is designed for socioeconomically disadvantaged high school students in the greater Detroit area who are interested in exploring computational data science in Python. This program is free of cost and provides hands-on experience and exposure to data science concepts. It also aims to prepare participants for career possibilities in the field, reinforce core programming and analytical concepts, and encourage community service.
MI SCI WRITERS
MiSciWriters offers writing, editing, illustrating, and translating opportunities to postdocs, Master’s, and PhD students affiliated with the University of Michigan. Their goal is to train fellow graduate students & post-doctoral fellows in science writing and editing.
MICDE supports the publication of the EquilibirUM, the annual magazine of the MiSciWriters. This magazine is designed to make research and researchers across all of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and medicine) more engaging and tangible. Its mission is to bring beautiful, fun, and thoughtful science that might get lost in our fast-paced culture and distribute it both within and outside the University of Michigan.