Student Anish Iyyavoo on using gene editing to treat cancer

August 23, 2022

This Q&A is part of a series of new student profiles for our 2022 back-to-school coverage. Have someone you think we should write about? Contact news@berkeley.edu.

Berkeley News: What year are you, and where are you from?

I’m a first-year student from San Jose, California.

What are you interested in studying?

I’m a bioengineering major and maybe a sociology double major. I’m really interested in gene editing — how we can use computer science and machine learning to improve gene design and gene editing. I’m also really interested in the socioeconomic causes of health disparities.

Why did you decide to attend UC Berkeley?

I really like Berkeley. I like the campus so much. I’m really such a huge fan of the bioengineering department and the biology department, especially the research they’re doing right now. This is obviously where CRISPR was founded, so the Doudna Lab was a big draw. It’s so incredible, what’s happening here.

Berkeley News