Steve Hoang, PhD
I am a data scientist and computational biologist with over fifteen years of experience applying math and computation to biomedical research problems. I have been a group leader, research scientist, and consultant. I have worked on basic science questions, disease models, drug discovery pipelines, biomarkers, clinical study designs, and novel laboratory tests. In my free time, you can often find me enjoying the mountains of Virginia with my family.
What is Steelyard Science? And why 'Steelyard'?
A steelyard balance is an ancient tool for weighing things. Here, it's a reminder that good science and engineering are distinguished by balance. Solutions ought to be effective but not overbuilt. Hypotheses ought to be parsimonious but not simplistic. This point is famously enshrined as the epistemic principle known as Occam's razor. In fact, 'steelyard' is a nod to a novel where the principle is explained using a steelyard, rather than a razor, as the metaphor's vehicle.
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Whimsical name and philosophy aside, what can you expect to find here? These are some examples of the types of posts you might see:​​
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Exposition of useful technology, methods, and concepts
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Commentary on current research and technical papers
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Practical advice on getting things done
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Useful code snippets (i.e., one weird trick to...)
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Steelyard Science is dedicated to sharing information that can help enrich the work of data professionals working in the life sciences. ​We welcome your insights and contributions. Submit your articles, share your thoughts in the comments, or suggest topics you'd like us to cover.
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Thanks for reading!