Support Thomas research at Harvard

Dearest friends, family, and supporters.

So far, I have paid for most of my education through my work, savings, and some support from loved ones, and making this crowdfunding is not something I take lightly.

However, I believe that this next step is essential in my life, and it would be my honor if you could be part of this journey.

Summary

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Hi, I am Thomas Freund, a 23-year-old from Quito, Ecuador. I’m a third-year computer science and engineering student at Tec de Monterrey, one of the best universities in México and Latin America.

I am reaching out because I have been admitted to be a research trainee at Harvard Medical School (HMS) - MIT and Brigham Hospital!

HMS Building

Why should you care, and how does supporting me benefit you?

I want to find new ways to support healthy brain development in infants and young children and apply these findings and experiences through entrepreneurial efforts to build products that improve and support mental health.

By supporting this crowdfunding, you believe in my potential to give back to Latin America and the world by helping with my studies. You are helping someone working on building a safer and more conscious society where you can raise and see children and adults grow to their potential.

As great as this opportunity is for me, the financial burden might not allow me to go. I’ve been applying to scholarships like crazy (loco) and hope to get accepted for a few soon, but most scholarships won’t begin to choose winners until August 2023, and the deadline to pay up is July 20, 2023.

The research:

I will conduct research in Im Kiho’s lab; Dr. Kiho is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.

What am I going to research?

I will work on fetal/neonatal brain MRI processing and analysis to understand early brain development (brain structure and structural and functional brain connectivity/network). I will do this by using mathematical, statistical, and deep-learning methods.

What does that mean?

Using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) technology, researchers can take brain pictures and create detailed maps of the brain's structure and connectivity.

However, the information from the MRI pictures needs to be analyzed and interpreted to make sense of it. This is where AI is used through mathematical, statistical, and deep-learning (which is a form of AI) methods.

Researchers use these tools to analyze the MRI images and extract information about the brain's structure and how different brain parts are connected and communicate.

Dr. Kiho is one of the leading scientists in this field of study!

What is the goal of this research?

This research aims to understand better how the human brain develops and identify factors that may influence normal brain development or contribute to developmental disorders. Also, potentially identify new ways to support healthy brain development in babies and young children.

Why did I apply?

Well, it is Harvard! And I will be learning from a leading researcher. That is an incredible opportunity and one that I am wholly committed to achieving.

Publish a paper before graduating: I want to conduct proper scientific research and publish an article in a reputable journal before completing my undergraduate degree.

Academic and future aspirations: I want to learn more about the brain and become an AI expert, capable of working in multidisciplinary fields and applying this knowledge through entrepreneurship.

AI, by definition, is an effort to automate the intellectual tasks usually performed by humans, and studying the brain would give me unique insights into the field.

Cost Breakdown:

The funds donated will go towards flights, housing, food, and travel. I recognize that I may not be able to raise the amount by the deadline, and if this were to happen, all the funds would be directed towards my college program to help pay for my tuition.

Housing: $9,000

Food and groceries: $3,000

Transportation: $600

Books and supplies: $500

Miscellaneous expenses: $2,400

Total: $15,000

As you can see, the $10,000 will not cover the total expense, but it will go a long way.

A little about me:

Random fact: I love llamas.

I am into mountain climbing. (Andinismo, mountain climbing in the Andes).

When I turned 18, I traveled to Israel as a birth-right student.

I lived there for two years. I did basic army training. I attended a coding bootcamp and studied mechanical engineering for a year at Technion- Israel Institute of Technology. During this time, I learned some Hebrew, German, and Italian.

As an aspiring entrepreneur, I always think about ways to generate value and scale technology.

I am very passionate about technology. I have worked as an intern at a few start-ups: I worked at yaesta.com (Ecuadorian e-commerce), Kriptos (Cyber Security and Data Protection), BuenTrip Ventures (the first Ecuadorian institutionalized VC Fund) as a business analyst intern, DiDi as BI data analyst intern.

With the Kriptos team while working at Kriptos.io at the Barclays Accelerator Demo Day in Tel Aviv (2018).

While studying, I founded the first pro bono student consulting program in Mexico in the Tec Consulting Club.

The Tec Consulting Club

I want to be able to tell this little man that many of his dreams are going to come true one day.

I am on the left, and my brother is on the right.

This is how you can help:

1. Support what feels suitable for you. (The average donation is 25 USD)

2. Share this fundraiser with one person.

For every 20 dollars of your support, this gofundme will be 0.2% closer to completion!

Thank you for taking the time to consider donating to my fundraiser. Any amount is greatly appreciated. Anonymous donations will be acknowledged.

Much love to all of you!