JUNCTION ASIA 2024 Hackathon Application

1. Please provide a brief introduction of yourself.

I’m Wongyung Choi. I’m an incoming freshman at Minerva University, with a deep interest in the intersection of data science and various scientific disciplines. I spent two years at Seoul National University College of Veterinary Medicine, where I worked as an undergraduate research fellow in the laboratory of veterinary informatics and bioinformatics. This experience honed my skills in handling large-scale biological data and allowed me to participate in diverse projects utilizing IT technologies and data science. I’m proficient in Python and R, and I have experience in Linux server management and cloud computing. My strengths lie in algorithm development, backend programming, and server setup, which I’m eager to apply in this hackathon.

2. Why do you want to participate in JUNCTION ASIA 2024, and what goals do you wish to achieve through this event?

I’m drawn to JUNCTION ASIA 2024 primarily because it offers an opportunity to apply my technical skills to real-world problem-solving and collaborate with participants from diverse backgrounds to create innovative solutions. My research experience spans various fields, and I’m excited about the prospect of tackling challenges across different domains, leveraging technology to create impactful solutions.

The hackathon environment provides a unique platform to rapidly prototype ideas and push the boundaries of what’s possible with current technologies. I’m particularly interested in exploring how advanced AI and data analysis techniques can be applied to solve pressing issues.

My specific goals for this hackathon are:

  1. To apply my technical skills, especially in machine learning and data analysis, to solve real-world problems
  2. To enhance my teamwork and communication skills by collaborating with participants from diverse backgrounds
  3. To develop the ability to rapidly prototype innovative ideas
  4. To expand my global network and learn about the latest trends in the tech industry

Through JUNCTION ASIA 2024, I aim to challenge myself, push my limits, and contribute to creating solutions that have the potential to make a positive impact on society.

3. The non-stop 3-day hackathon schedule will undoubtedly be challenging. Have you had any experiences where you demonstrated perseverance and focus? If so, please describe the experience and the progress you made.

The most significant experience where I demonstrated perseverance and focus was my project titled “A machine learning approach using conditional normalizing flow to address extreme class imbalance problems in personal health records”. This project spanned approximately 1 year, and I led it as the project leader.

The project aimed to develop a novel machine learning approach to address extreme class imbalance problems in Personal Health Records (PHR). Throughout this journey, I faced several challenges and made substantial progress:

  1. Technical Challenges: I had to understand and implement a complex deep learning technique called Conditional Normalizing Flow. This required reading numerous papers and conducting multiple experiments.

  2. Continuous Improvement: I persisted in improving our model. This process involved trying various methods such as model architecture optimization.

  3. Team Management: As the project leader, I developed the ability to communicate effectively with team members and coordinate tasks.

The project was successfully completed, resulting in a publication in the journal BioData Mining (https://biodatamining.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13040-024-00366-0) and an oral presentation at the Korean Society of Medical Informatics (KOSMI) Conference. Through this experience, I significantly improved my ability to approach complex problems persistently, enhanced my technical capabilities, and developed leadership skills.

4-1. If you form a team for the hackathon, what role do you intend to take on, and how do you plan to contribute?

In a hackathon team, I intend to take on the roles of algorithm developer and backend developer. Based on my strengths and experience, I can contribute in the following ways:

  1. Algorithm Development: I will focus on designing and implementing key algorithms in our product. I can leverage advanced techniques to solve complex real-world problems.

  2. Data Analysis and Processing: Using Python and R, I will efficiently process large datasets and derive meaningful insights.

  3. Backend Development: I will be responsible for server setup and API development, creating a robust backend system that integrates smoothly with the frontend.

  4. Infrastructure Management: Drawing on my Linux server management experience, I will efficiently configure the development environment and, if necessary, use cloud services (GCP, Azure) to build scalable infrastructure.

  5. Project Management: Leveraging my experience as a project leader, I can also contribute to coordinating tasks within the team and managing schedules.

Through these roles, I aim to play a crucial part in solving the team’s technical challenges and developing innovative solutions. Simultaneously, I will actively communicate with team members, helping to develop and integrate each other’s ideas.