Background & Identity

About Ajay

Computational neuroscientist, AI builder, field researcher, musician, and martial artist — from Princeton, NJ to Laikipia, Kenya.

Ajay Donthula
Background

Wired to understand
intelligence.

I'm a sophomore at Princeton University studying Computational Neuroscience, with concentrations in Bioengineering and Statistics & Machine Learning. My research cuts across neuroscience, clinical medicine, AI, and field ecology — all connected by a passion for finding structure in complex biological systems.

Before Princeton, I graduated valedictorian of Bordentown Regional High School (ranked 1st of 200), competed nationally in science and mock trial, earned a 1st-degree black belt in Shotokan Karate, and built a music production company as a teenager.

Outside the lab, I'm co-director of Old NasSoul, Princeton's R&B and Soul a cappella group, a lifeguard, and an FAA-certified drone pilot with field research experience across three continents.

3.9GPA
7+Papers in Progress
20h+Field Drone Footage
1/200Class Rank HS
English (Native) Telugu (Fluent) Tamil (Fluent) Spanish (Proficient)
↓ Download Research CV
Technical Fluency

Skills & Toolchain

Languages

PythonR JavaScriptJava SQLHTML/CSS Stata/BEMATLABBash

AI / ML

TensorFlowBLIP-2 CLIPClaude API DeepLabCutSLEAP DeepgramTesseract OCR

Data & Analysis

R StudioTableau StataExcel (Advanced) MATLABSpikeOne Google Colab

Genomics & Omics

GWASMulti-omics TranscriptomicsProteomics Biomarker Discovery

Infrastructure

AWSDELLA Supercluster TwilioElectron WebSocketVS Code

Neuroscience Tools

DeepLabCutSLEAP SpikeOneEEG/EMG Analysis Practice Fusion EHR BioRenderACLEW

Certifications

Bloomberg Markets Bloomberg Finance NIH Epidemiology CITI Human Subjects FAA Drone Pilot (US + Kenya) ARC Lifeguarding BLS/AED ↓ CITI Certification ↓
Life Beyond the Lab

Extracurriculars & Activities

Performing arts, athletics, leadership, and service — the full picture.

Old NasSoul — R&B / Soul A Cappella
Co-director of Princeton's R&B and Soul a cappella group (founded 2006). Managing performance logistics, member coordination, and productions including Reunions concerts and multi-city tours (Charleston, Oct 2026).
Music Production (Sole Proprietor)
Operated an independent music production company as a teenager. 1st Place International at TSA Worldwide Conference in music production (2021). Classical pianist with 5× Superior State rankings at NJFMC.
Shotokan Karate — 1st Degree Black Belt
10+ years of disciplined training in the Shotokan tradition. Now mentors junior students. Competed at regional tournaments throughout middle and high school.
Varsity Cross Country & Track (Co-Captain)
All-County Burlington County (top 7) in the 5K (XC) and 3200m (Track). Led team as co-captain junior year. Competed at NJ State meets.
Lifeguard — ARC BLS/AED Certified
American Red Cross certified lifeguard with BLS and AED certifications. Served at community aquatic facilities.
Mock Trial — 2× County Champion
Competed against 511 schools at NJ State level. Central Jersey County Champions two years running. Developed strong legal argumentation and public speaking skills.
Model United Nations & Model Congress
2× Best Delegate at Rutgers RUMUN National Conference; Outstanding Delegate at Rutgers RUMUC. Competed on the East Coast circuit across multiple committees.
Care Ambassador — Princeton Medical Center
150+ volunteer hours in the Neurology Department at Penn Medicine's Princeton Medical Center. Supported nursing teams, patient interaction, and interdisciplinary clinical workflows.
FAA + Kenya CAA Certified Drone Pilot
Dual-certified (US and Kenya) drone pilot. Deployed in field research over the Laikipia Plateau, Kenya at ~100m AGL. Captured 20+ hours of 4K wildlife footage for peer-reviewed research.
Princeton Science Olympiad & TSA
Competed in TSA nationally across multiple events (Biotechnology, EV Design, Music Production). 1st Place International, 2nd Place National, and 3rd Place State finishes across four years.
Princeton Snowboarding Team
Member of the Princeton Snowboarding Team — training and competing on the slopes throughout the winter season.
Get in Touch

Let's Connect.

I'm always open to research collaborations, neuroscience conversations, or talking through AI ventures. Reach out via email or find me on LinkedIn.

ajay.donthula13@gmail.com LinkedIn ↗ InsurifyAI.app ↗ Princeton Email