On October 8, 2026, I was invited to present a research seminar at Cal Poly Pomona titled From Genes to Organizations: Using Co-Expression Logic to Understand Management Configurations. The presentation brought together my experiences in basic science, clinical research, and organizational improvement to explore how analytical ideas can travel across disciplines.
Before the seminar, I was making my way through the building, looking for the right room. I stopped outside a door where a few people were waiting beside a seminar announcement.
“Is this the seminar room?” I asked, a little awkwardly. “Yes, it is,” they replied. “We’re waiting for you.”
I looked more closely at the poster and saw my own photograph. “Oh, that’s me.” That settled the question of whether I had found the right room.
Cal Poly Pomona is also part of my own educational journey. I completed my teaching credential in biological science there in 2016. Returning to share this work connected that chapter of my education with my continuing interests in teaching and research.
At UCLA, my research experience included developmental biology and projects related to Duchenne muscular dystrophy and ataxia telangiectasia. These settings required attention to biological mechanisms and to the evidence used to investigate them.
Clinical research introduced another layer of complexity. My research training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital involved prediction scores for acute respiratory distress syndrome. Graduate work at Boston University School of Medicine explored co-occurrence through a literature thesis, while my work with Hsu Andrology included clinical trial design and implementation, research, and publication support.
Across these experiences, I became interested in how relationships among observations can help us understand a larger system. That interest later informed my doctoral organizational improvement research at Vanderbilt University.
Once the presentation began, the ideas flowed from one to the next—from biological research to clinical questions and then to organizational improvement. As I spoke, I kept checking whether people were following the connections across these different settings.
The seminar examined the connection between gene co-expression, which studies patterns of gene activity that vary together, and organizational co-occurrence, which examines features that repeatedly appear together across observations. What can these patterns help us notice about an organization that might be difficult to see by examining each factor separately?
My Vanderbilt project provided a practical example. It examined a boutique consultancy with strong client relationships and less structured systems for information tracking and follow-up. The analysis highlighted different priorities among the internal team, existing clients, and participants representing prospective clients. Those perspectives informed recommendations for supporting service quality and growth.
The presentation also considered how organizational models can be updated as new evidence becomes available, including the potential role of AI in organizing information and supporting further inquiry. The emphasis was on continuing to observe, examine assumptions, and refine an explanation as circumstances change.
Sharing this work in a higher education setting connects my roles as an educator and researcher. It offers an opportunity to examine how ideas developed in one field can inform questions in another, and how research can remain connected to practical problems.
Toward the end, the questions opened up further discussion. The academic department coordinator asked whether I planned to continue this work. My answer was yes: I am continuing it through personal, business, and academic projects.
Afterward, a curious learner walked with me to the parking lot, asking clarifying questions along the way. The conversation continued beyond the seminar room.
To me, those moments reflected an intellectually vibrant community, sustained by curiosity and passion. Sometimes, that shared desire to understand feels like the most important part of any organization.
Explore the seminar presentation for the research background, analytical framework, and organizational case study.
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