Annie Zhu

Incoming Freshman at MIT | Biological Engineering

Newton Centre, Massachusetts, United States

About

Incoming freshman at MIT passionate about engineering and biology. Loves coding projects and competitions as well as conducting research and more! Competes in high levels of volleyball and tennis for fun.

Experience

  • Computational Biology Paid Intern at Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
    Jun 2024 - Sep 2025 · 1 yr 4 mos

    Paid internship at Dr. Feng Zhang's lab under the guidance of Guilhem Faure, focusing on computational biology research. Utilized tools such as AlphaFold, Geneious Prime, PyMOL, and BLAST to conduct research and contribute to lab projects. Participated in computational biology team meetings to discuss findings and strategies, and attended overall lab meetings to engage with broader lab operations and research developments. Website Developer of TIGRSafari (tigr.bio) an interactive platform for exploring TIGR-Tas systems — RNA-guided systems in parasitic bacteria and viruses that recognize both strands of DNA using two distinct spacers (A and B).

  • Wolfram (1 yr 3 mos)
    • Wolfram Middle School Mentor
      Jul 2025 - Aug 2025 · 2 mos

      Led 30 middle school students through fundamentals of Wolfram Mathematica in classes and blocks. Designed social activities and supported students through explorations and projects.

    • Wolfram Summer Research Program Teaching Assistant
      Jun 2025 - Jul 2025 · 2 mos

      Guided and supported 75 students in computational research projects from chess endgames to the difference in sickle cell protein structure. Designed social activities enriching collaboration and creativity involving graphic design. Led sports social activities involving tennis, volleyball, and basketball, improving teamwork.

    • Wolfram Emerging Leaders Program Researcher
      Aug 2024 - May 2025 · 10 mos

      Researched and collaborated to create the human protein-protein interaction tree in Wolfram under the guidance of Dr. Soutick Saha. Built graph-based visualizations and functions to study networks at varying depths. Applied graph theory analyses (centrality, clustering, scale-free properties) to uncover biological insights into gene co-expression, pathogenicity, and cancer.

  • Engineer Intern at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Dec 2024 - Apr 2025 · 5 mos

    Interning at the MIT Media Lab in the Materials Science and Engineering department under the guidance of Dr. Alfredo Alexander-Katz and Dr. Guillermo A. Hernández-Mendoza. Project focused on microfluidic spinner arrays for particle transport. Designed multiple modules and carriers using Fusion 360, conducted experiments, and worked with Raspberry Pi devices, motors, PCB boards, spinners, and other components.

  • Lead Waitress and Front-of-House Manager at Sushi Man Restaraunt
    Jun 2023 - Aug 2024 · 1 yr 3 mos

    Managed all front-of-house responsibilities as the sole waitress at a busy sushi restaurant. Waited tables, took and delivered orders, handled checkouts, and ensured prompt service for dine-in and takeout customers. Processed phone reservations, Grubhub orders, and takeout requests while maintaining a clean and organized dining environment. Set up tables to create a welcoming atmosphere and provided exceptional customer service in a fast-paced setting.