Patti Shih
Data Scientist
MSc in Computational Cognitive Neuroscience
Brown University
MA in Psychology
San Diego State University
BSc in Psychology
BSc in Biology (Bioinformatics)
University of California, San Diego
From probing the mysteries of the human brain to decoding complex patterns in data, I’m a scrappy, driven problem-solver committed to creating practical impacts. I went into the neuroscience field to dive deep into the foundations of human behavior and thought. My PhD research at Brown University wasn’t just about understanding the human brain, it was about unlocking the secrets of our prefrontal cortex, the linchpin behind our ability to execute sophisticated decision-making and to flexibly coordinate goal-oriented behavior—something that even the best AI models struggle to master.
During my academic career, I gained over eight years of experience in experimental research, statistical analysis, and machine learning. My success in managing projects and finding solutions using diverse methodologies is evident from my publications in prominent scholarly journals (three as first-author), over 20 international conference presentations, and contributions that helped secure multimillion-dollar research and training grants.
Nevertheless, I left the pursuit of a PhD midway in search of something less theoretical, to embark on a faster-paced journey where I can feel my efforts making a tangible impact. In my quest, I ventured into freelance web development to help SMBs with their online presence in an evolving digital landscape. I was an early advocate of user-centered and mobile-first principles, having applied them a year before Google introduced preferential indexing for mobile-first sites. As the needs of businesses shifted over time, I adapted and expanded my services to include website and user analytics.
In late 2022 with the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in sight, I committed to shift my focus entirely to data science, as I’m still on my quest to find where I can make the greatest impact. My sights are now set on embedding myself in a dynamic team within a forward-thinking company or startup.
Meanwhile, I continue to wear the hat of a freelancer, now a data scientist who’s ready to wrangle fresh challenges. 🤠I accept new clients through referral or in the local Los Angeles metropolitan area. I also have a keen interest in supporting non-profits and am open to pro bono projects for causes that resonate with me.
You can contact me at hello@pattishih.com and schedule a 30-minute time slot with me.