Ishir Rao

Ishir Rao is a junior at Chatham High School (CHS). As the founder of CS Base, an international non-profit organization teaching computer science skills for free, he has been involved with STEM for several years. Through this organization, he has taught over 500 students in locations around the world and received recognition from the New Jersey State Legislature for his efforts. He is also the CHS Research Club President, Student Council President, an Eagle Scout, a Chatham Emergency Squad Cadet, and an American Junior Academy of Science Lifetime Fellow. Ishir has conducted computational biology research on epidemiological control policies using reinforcement learning models, in-silico drug design using recurrent neural networks, lentiviral vector integration for prostate cancer, helitron transposable elements, and epigenetics in aging clocks and renal cell carcinoma. He has received recognition as a Rutgers Junior Science and Humanities Symposium Finalist, received awards from the New Jersey Academy of Science, spoken about his research at the Chatham TEDx, and presented at the 2023 American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting. Outside of STEM, he plays viola with the New Jersey Youth Symphony and runs track. In the future, Ishir hopes to continue conducting computational research.