Zhalae Daneshvari
Developer & Designer
About Me.
Hi, I’m Zhalae, a developer and designer pursuing a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Information Science at Cornell, focused on data science, machine learning, and interactive tech.
From building agentic AI systems that reason over molecular risk to designing VR simulations that aim to reduce pain and improve navigation in healthcare spaces, my work combines deep technical pipelines with human-centered impact. I’ve deployed cloud-native ML systems, conducted real-world behavioral research, and thrive at the intersection of modeling, UX, and innovation.
Please contact me at zhalae15@gmail.com!
Experience
Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine
Data Science Intern
May 2025 - August 2025
Engineered and deployed custom agentic AI system using Vertex AI ADK for real-time bidirectional reasoning between molecular structure and adverse event risk. Developed hybrid similarity model combining vector-space embeddings, Tanimoto fingerprinting, and regression logic to infer low-risk analogs from SMILES input. Deployed end-to-end pipeline on GCP to serve real-time pharmacovigilance predictions.
Virtual Embodiment Lab
Research Assistant
January 2025 - Present
Developing and designing advanced Unity-based VR systems for experimental studies on embodiment, acute pain modulation, and altered self-perception, advancing understanding of human perception in virtual spaces.
Design + Augmented Intelligence Lab
Research Assistant
August 2024 - Present
Researching environmental psychology within healthcare design, focusing on evaluating way-finding solutions in medical settings using VR technology. Developing custom Python automation scripts to streamline data analysis and extract insights from participant behavior patterns.
Cornell Bowers College of CIS
Teaching Assistant
August 2024 - Present
Teaching foundational to advanced web development and design across two courses, covering HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Express.js, MongoDB, and RESTful APIs. Guiding students in building accessible, user-centered applications while emphasizing UX/UI principles, Git workflows, and industry-standard documentation practices.
International Flavors & Fragrances
Software Engineer Intern
June 2024 - August 2024
Built VR applications for Meta Quest 3 using Unity and C#, including a product demo platform and interactive terrain experience. Integrated LLM-powered chatbots with LM Studio/Ollama to enhance user interaction in enterprise tools. Developed full-stack apps with AngularJS and PostgreSQL, creating responsive UIs and data visualizations with Figma and Ngx Charts.
Albers Lab - Mass General Hospital
Research Assistant
July 2022 - May 2023
Conducted lab research on mining electronic health record data for Alzheimer's drug repurposing. Collaborated with an PhD candidate on computational biology approaches. Applied algorithms written in R and Python for data analysis.
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