Damien Lekkas is a current PhD student in the Department of Quantitative Biomedical Sciences at Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine within the laboratory of Dr. Nicholas C. Jacobson. After graduating magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Physical Anthropology as well as an MS in Anthropology, he worked as a laboratory researcher for several years in both basic and applied/translational biomedicine at UPenn’s Department of Biology and Penn Medicine. During this time, Damien has also served as an instructor and TA for a variety of undergraduate courses in biology and biostatistics at UPenn. While working, he received an MS in Bioinformatics from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. Damien’s current work and interests lie at the intersection of computer science, behavior, and medicine. He is actively involved with projects that leverage machine learning and statistical methodologies to analyze and/or predict mental health outcomes with the hope of contributing to an improved understanding and treatment of psychiatric disorder. Specifically, he is interested in applying a diverse repertoire of computational tools to study the behavioral and social complexities of suicidal ideation and intent.

In his free time, Damien can be found enjoying nature or at a restaurant as he explores the Upper Valley and all it has to offer. At home, he is an avid retro gamer and frequent consumer of documentaries on obscure topics and historical events.

Damien’s LinkedIn page
Jacobson Lab Website