Nkaepe is pursuing an MSc in bioinformatics at Teesside University, UK, following her previous MSc in zoology and environmental biology from Nigeria. As part of the internship programme, she is undertaking her placement at the Rosalind Franklin Institute, a national research facility dedicated to developing disruptive technologies in biosciences.
Nkaepe’s internship is aligned with the Franklin’s AI Theme, where she will be working with Dr Fabiana Goes in the biological data science group. Her project will explore the application of machine learning in the identification and prediction of small open reading frames (sORFs) and cancer-associated non-coding RNA-encoded small peptides (ncPEPs). These elements, once thought to be non-coding, are now recognized for their roles in gene expression regulation and disease processes. The project leverages data science approaches including exploratory data analysis, representation learning, and model evaluation to enhance understanding of these sequences and their biomedical significance.
Nkaepe’s academic and research interests lie at the intersection of AI and health data, particularly in advancing computational tools for uncovering hidden biological patterns. Through this internship, she aims to strengthen her expertise in bioinformatics workflows and the integration of biological data with machine learning techniques.
