The real me…

Hi, I’m Javan, a computational biologist, bioinformatician, and someone who spent most of his life thinking he was just “slow.”

Spoiler: I wasn’t.

For most of my life, I struggled in silence with undiagnosed ADHD, PTSD, and OCD. I was the kid who couldn’t sit still, whose mind wandered into the sky while the teacher wrote on the board. I was the teen who worked twice as hard just to keep up. I wasn’t “lazy” or “stupid” like people always said, I was different. My brain just refused to work in straight lines. Instead, it chased patterns, connections, and questions. And eventually, I realized: that’s not a flaw. That’s my superpower.

I wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD until I was 29. Until then, I thought I was broken. Now, I know I’m wired for complexity. And that’s exactly why I fell in love with science.

I study how the brain responds to substances like opioids down to the level of individual cells and genetic regulation. My research sits at the intersection of genomics, addiction neuroscience, and cutting-edge technologies like brain-on-a-chip systems. I use single-cell profiling, machine learning, and evolutionary biology to unravel the messy, beautiful complexity of human behavior and biology.

Why do some people become addicted while others don’t? Is it their genes? Their environment? The unique makeup of their brain cells? These are the kinds of questions that keep me up at night—and keep me going every day.

At the heart of my work is the belief that science isn’t just about data. It’s about discovery. It’s about people. And it’s about pushing forward even when the path isn’t clear.

I’m a little scattered brain

ADHD doesn’t make research easy. It makes it real. I know what it feels like to doubt your own potential, to wonder if you're cut out for academia, for science, for anything. But my brain, with all its zigzags and loops, has taught me to see around corners. To notice patterns other people miss. To stay curious when the trail goes cold.

Some days I’m writing code. Other days, I’m chasing down the molecular breadcrumbs left behind by addiction. And some days I’m just fighting through the fog, one line of data at a time. But every single day, I’m grateful that I didn’t give up on myself.

What drives me and my research

• Discovery – I live for the “a-ha” moment, when the chaos finally clicks.

• Equity – Science should reflect the diversity of the world it serves. I’m committed to mentoring, inclusion, and building research that lifts others up.

• Creativity – Whether I’m designing a study or diagramming a neural pathway, I treat science as both an art and a craft.

And maybe most of all, I’m driven by the belief that people like me belong in science. People with late diagnoses, with nonlinear paths, with fire in their chest and questions in their bones.

In the Lab and Beyond

When I’m not decoding genomes or wrangling code, I’m probably:

• Reading science papers and playing video games with equal obsession

• Helping students find their spark in science and reminding them that they are worth it, and they can do it!

• Dreaming up ways to make my field more accessible, inclusive, and just plain human! Science is amazing, we just need to do a better job of telling the world!

• Baking cakes! Yes, I am a professional cake baker! It allows me to be creative without having to write a paper or grant.