Please answer the following questions in no less than 200 words and no more than 500 words.
Throughout my journey, I have developed a keen interest in Neuroscience. My background in software engineering and deep passion for neuroscience drive me to contribute to this interdisciplinary field that bridges technology and human cognition.
I have set two main goals for myself: short-term and long-term. In the short term, I aim to work at Neuralink on brain-computer interfaces. I think combining computational neuroscience with new technology can really help people with neurological disorders. Later on, I plan to get a Ph.D. and become a university teacher. I want to share my knowledge and help future scientists and engineers.
I am from Uzbekistan, a young and developing country that currently lacks adequate technological support for individuals with disabilities. There are very few experts in computational neuroscience. When I share my plans with Ph.D. students (ps: i usually talk with them over linkedin and other socials), they are surprised yet encouraging, affirming that I am on the right path. I am driven to make a positive impact in my country.
Many people in Uzbekistan live without the ability to enjoy life fully due to disabilities, whether from birth or acquired later. For example, both of my cousins are disabled-one since birth, the other during development. They can only lie down; they cannot talk or engage in activities. I know firsthand the challenges they face, as they often come to Tashkent for medical treatment. After gaining expertise in computational neuroscience, I aim to collaborate with organizations like Neuralink to make advanced technologies accessible in Uzbekistan. I want to improve their quality of life and help them reconnect with their families and friends.
I see myself as a research-oriented student, and my current professor shares this view, noting my dedication to thorough research before tackling any task. I have authored five research papers, one of which is indexed by Scopus and published by Springer; the others are under review.
During my undergraduate studies, I undertook research projects to broaden my understanding. One project focused on making brain MRI diagnosis easier, cheaper, and faster. I developed a model combining Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Natural Language Processing (NLP), achieving 95% accuracy as of October 2023. We are planning to conduct clinical trials under medical supervision. I have also studied and did comprehensive research on AlphaFold. Then, I proposed accelerating protein 3D structure prediction applying quantum matrix multiplication. Currently, I\'m working on this project.
I love teaching and sharing the knowledge and skills I've gained from inspiring leaders. Since February 2023, I've mentored over 200,000 young people, helping them with technical challenges. I've also worked on open-source projects like Anarchy Labs and Langflow. This inspired me to start Open Community. We 150+ young creatives collaborate all together to build accessible open-source AI-powered projects and tools to accelerate human workflows, help them with smart research, and that benefits all humanity. For me, teaching and open-source work go hand in hand because both are about sharing knowledge freely without expecting anything in return.
I am the Founder and CEO of Open Community, leading a diverse group of over 150 AI developers, designers, and builders from more than 10 countries. Guiding such a large community is challenging, but I strive to support and unite them as one family, especially during hackathons.
From October 5th to 6th, the NASA International Space Apps Challenge was held locally in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The winners of this event would advance their projects to the global competition.
I participated with a team of four girls. Believe it or not, we faced many challenges.
Firstly, I had my university midterm exams just before the hackathon. It was a tough decision whether to participate, but I chose to join and lead the team. I wanted to show that girls are equally talented in coding, just like Ada Lovelace.
Secondly, selecting a single idea was challenging due to our different backgrounds. Fatima and Zukhra were AI Engineers, Kamola was a Mechanical Engineer, and Oydin was a Storyteller and Speaker. During brainstorming, everyone had their own favorite ideas, making it hard to agree on one. As the team leader, I encouraged open discussions and guided us toward a shared vision.
Thirdly, we had to adapt quickly as we changed the project structure three times. I divided tasks based on each member's strengths and swiftly built MVPs. We consulted various mentors and, using their feedback, made the final decision for our project.
Despite the challenges, the next day was enjoyable. We worked together on presentation slides and took time to relax over coffee and sweets, boosting team spirit.
We showcased our project on stage and received our certificates. I saw the words, “Thanks for active participation...”. Thinking we hadn't placed, I grabbed my backpack and told my team we could go home. I had seen this phrase over 60 times in past hackathons.
But Kamola said, “Just ignore it. Let\'s wait for the final decision.” We stayed for four hours. When I heard that Open Community took second place, I was shocked. I couldn't believe that we finally won.