u/Altruistic_Yard_4789

Hi all,

I’d really appreciate some advice on a potential career pivot I’m considering.

I’m a non-US citizen with a background in Chemical Engineering (undergrad), and I’m planning to pursue a Master’s in Chemical Engineering at a top US school. While my formal training is in ChemE, I’ve become increasingly interested in bioinformatics / computational biology, especially the data and modeling side.

I’m considering pivoting into bioinformatics during my MS by:

•	Taking CS / statistics / machine learning courses

•	Building relevant projects (Python, data analysis, etc.)

•	Targeting internships in bio/biotech companies

A few questions:

1.	How realistic is it to pivot from ChemE to bioinformatics during a US MS?

Is coursework + projects typically enough, or do most roles expect a formal bioinformatics / CS background?

2.	What kind of roles should I target as entry points into the field?

(e.g., bioinformatics analyst, computational biologist, data scientist, etc.)

3.	How important is prior biology knowledge?

Would a ChemE background + self-studied biology be sufficient for most entry-level roles?

4.	Are there specific companies or types of teams that are more open to candidates with interdisciplinary backgrounds like ChemE?

5.	As a non-US citizen, how challenging is it to land internships early (within the first year) in this field?

Long-term, I’m interested in more quantitative/data-heavy roles, so I’m trying to understand whether this pivot is realistically achievable.

Any insights or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

First time posting here — let me know if I missed any rules.

Hi all,

I’d really appreciate some honest feedback on a potential career path I’m considering.

I’m a non-US citizen with a background in Chemical Engineering (undergrad), and I’m planning to pursue a Master’s in Chemical Engineering at a top US school. Long-term, I’m interested in breaking into quant roles (quant research / quant dev), but I’m trying to figure out a realistic and visa-conscious path to get there.

Given my background, I’m considering the following route:

•	During my ChemE MS: take as many CS / statistics / ML courses as possible

•	Pivot into bioinformatics / computational biology roles (since it’s closer to my domain)

•	Work in that space (data-heavy, modeling-focused roles)

•	Then later transition into quant roles

A few specific questions:

1. How feasible is it to break into bioinformatics roles directly from a ChemE MS?

Would taking CS/ML coursework + doing relevant projects be enough, or is a more formal background (e.g., Bioinformatics degree) usually required?

2. Is this pivot (ChemE → Bioinformatics → Quant) actually realistic in the US, especially as a non-citizen?

Or is the transition to quant still too difficult even with data/ML experience from bioinformatics?

3. What kind of roles should I target in bio/biotech companies if my eventual goal is quant?

(e.g., data scientist, computational biologist, quantitative SWE, etc.)

4. Are there specific biotech / bioinformatics companies or teams that are known for strong quantitative/data work (and possibly better stepping stones to finance/quant)?

I’m trying to be realistic about visa constraints, recruiting timelines (especially internships in the first year), and how much pivoting is actually feasible.

Any advice (or reality checks) would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

First time posting here, so apologies in advance if I missed any rules.