About

About Krish Pai

Krish Pai is currently a student at Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego, CA, where he excels in advanced and challenging AP classes, including AP Calculus, AP Chemistry, and AP Environmental Science. He is on track to graduate in June 2025 and consistently maintains a 4.0 – to 4.5 grade point average. Pai has been part of a research lab at the University of Southern California, LA (USC), California’s oldest private research university, with a long list of distinguished Nobel Laureates, MacArthur Fellows, and Rhodes Scholar graduates.

Since 2022, Pai has been heavily involved in research at USC’s Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute. Here, he worked with a group of other bioscience students and professors in a research program within the Machine Learning and Computational Neuroscience department. This department work involves using artificial intelligence and machine learning protocols to discover more about the complex link between changes in the shape and function of the human brain in relation to natural development versus disease and recovery.

Pai was accepted as a University of California COSMOS program in 2022. This highly acclaimed cluster of classes is one of California’s top STEM summer programs, with an acceptance rate of under 6%. Here, he took a variety of classes in emerging research and technologies like AI and ML. The specific cluster of classes that Pai attends is geared to become incrementally more challenging while offering hands-on training with projects that increase understanding of scientific applications in the modern world.

Academic Achievements

Krish Pai consistently performs at the top of his class with a GPA of 4.0 and above,  likely due to his strong time management skills, which allow him to balance academics with family life and extracurricular activities. By prioritizing his time, Pai is able to stay focused on those activities that contribute significantly to his academics and future professional goals.

In addition to his acceptance into the COSMOS summer program and being a research assistant at USC, Pai has achieved the following academic milestones:

First Author  – American Epilepsy Society Research Conference 

In 2022, Pai received this highly-rated research stipend from AES in conjunction with USC Bridge Institute as a competitive award given for an abstract he submitted that demonstrated the beneficial usage of AI and machine learning in the investigation and research of neurological disorders of the brain.

President and Founder  – TEAMS San Diego Chapter

Krish Pai founded this chapter of his school’s Test of Engineering Aptitude in Math and Science (TEAMS) program. His chapter of this highly-rated academic intensification group now boasts over 35 members with the goal of training high school students for the state’s TEAMS annual competition.  He was elected president and continues to help other students overcome academic challenges within the STEM program by learning to think critically when solving real-world engineering problems.

Participant – National Science Foundation Funded Epilepsy Bioinformatics Studies 

As a member of the largest international research center without walls (CWOW), Pai was a pivotal participant in a research program that used animal and human patient research data to discover new ways to apply antiepileptogenic therapies. Specifically, Pai helped create a machine-learning app that can possibly identify biomarkers of epileptogenesis after traumatic brain injury.

Extracurricular Activities

Pai is a well-rounded academic student who typically chooses extracurricular activities to fit his passion for science, math, and technology. In 2020, he won 6th place in Northern California’s statewide Science Olympiad Competition, an annual contest in which each student competes in 23 scientific events. He progressed and went on to be included in the nationwide top 10 finalists for outstanding performances.

Krish competed in the San Diego Science and Engineering Fair with a project submission on Computational Biology, in which he was first place winner. Pai has also achieved finalist status at the California Science and Engineering Fair, was the Kaiser Permanente Blue Ribbon Award in Excellence in Healthcare Sciences Winner.

Personal Life

Krish Pai is passionate about life sciences, math, and how emerging technologies will change the landscape of disease diagnosis and treatment. He is a skilled computer programmer, having mastered HTML, Python, and JAVASCRIPT. He is also well-versed in engineering software platforms, including MATLAB, and has hands-on experience in Wet Lab and Dry Lab procedures, which are laboratory protocols used during research.

From an early age, Pai has been well-read and self-taught in advanced scientific subjects, from computer programming to life sciences and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence concepts, machine learning applications, and object-oriented programming functions. Much of his time at home is spent performing a wide range of engineering experiments and creating scientific projects as a way to fulfill his passion for discovering new ways to aid humankind in its fight against diseases that may have genetic or environmental causes.

An ever-dedicated scientist, Krish has demonstrated curiosity, initiative, and observational skills throughout his young life. This is evident in a number of essays authored by Krish, each not only outlining a personal experience during childhood but showing the drive and ability to dig below the surface, perform in-depth, groundbreaking analyses, and develop innovative solutions for enhancing efficiency and effectiveness. Embodying a passion for science and problem-solving, Krish’s essays on such everyday situations as beekeeping, raising chickens, and even medical procedures demonstrate an almost innate knack for identifying problems and unlocking innovative opportunities in any circumstance.