Julia Gao is a junior at Fairview High School in Boulder, CO, passionate about the intersection of theoretical physics and computation. As a student researcher at CU Boulder’s Nobel laureate Cech Lab her freshman year, she conducted research on radiation-induced glioblastoma induction, leading to an ISEF qualifying project. Currently, she is working at Colorado State University, in conjunction with Fermilab and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) for ML-based noise reduction and producing Monte Carlo and data-informed selections of 1 muon N proton events in the ICARUS detector at Fermilab in the search for the hypothetical sterile neutrino. Her work is currently being prepared for publication, and she received the honor to present her findings at a global conference at CERN in 2025. She is also conducting graduate-level research on applying transformer-based machine learning to condensed matter systems at the Devakul Lab at Stanford University, as well as investigating subatomic properties in relation to Regge trajectories, demonstrating the need for a potential rework of the subatomic particle classification system through the prestigious Wolfram Summer Research Program in 2025.
Julia is also interested in applications of entrepreneurship in STEM. She is the Founder and CEO of ConnectEd, an education technology startup geared toward helping students network effectively using AI-powered algorithms and streamlining cold emails, reaching over 100k users. Through the selective Harvard Undergraduate Ventures TECH program, she is also serving as a business analyst intern at Rayfield Systems conducting comprehensive market intelligence research via systematic analysis and strategic planning. In her community, she volunteers with DarkSky International as a member of the Development Committee and DarkSky Colorado Board, supporting dark sky conservation and light pollution mitigation efforts in Colorado through managing finances and raising over $125,000 in funds. She has a firsthand understanding of the power of education to change lives and shape minds, so she also serves as a lead event organizer and volunteer for the international coding non-profit Hack Club, which aims to expand access to coding resources for high schoolers, and the Colorado Region Director for the Mustang Math Tournament, a national nonprofit aiming to expand access to math competitions for middle schoolers. On the side, she is a dedicated tennis player spending all 4 years of her high school career on varsity. In her most recent season, she posted up a 20-4 season record at 3 singles, becoming Regional Champion, Team State Quarterfinalists, Individual State Qualifier (top 16% in state), Individual State quarterfinalist, Academic All-Conference, and Athletic All-Conference.
In all that she does, Julia is fueled by her curiosity and passion, and hopes to inspire the same enthusiasm for discovery and innovation in others. Whether she’s leading statewide math initiatives, advocating for environmental conservation, or pioneering research in physics, she aims to leave an impact on her community and her field of study.