Good to meet you, I'm Yuka.
Learn more about me!
How does a dietitian go from specializing in oncology nutrition (Nutrition care for cancer patients) to coding in SQL and Python? And why? In 2020, I started my first online Python course out of curiosity to see if coding would “click” or if I’m not cut out for it. I was silently envious of the software engineers and developers I knew for being part of an industry that was so innovative and making rapid advancements in tech. I will admit that I had a bit of FOMO and wanted to stay relevant.
While I was working full-time as an oncology dietitian at a cancer center, I had an interesting idea to create a nutrition calculator in Python to help me with my job. A good chunk of my time was spent repetitively and manually calculating macronutrient and micronutrient recommendations for my patients based on their anthropometric data. My hope was to automate this task based on evidenced-based recommendations that clinical dietitians routinely use. It was a fun project and a great tool that I used effectively in my job. This opened my eyes to the possibilities.
I was also quickly convinced and converted to the remote work culture. During COVID, I had a taste of remote work and then my mind was made-up, I didn’t want to go back to commuting to a busy downtown office. Remote work for dietitians is few and far between so the decision to make the career shift was even more compelling.
I was drawn to the logic behind code but also the beauty in the creativity of it. My curiosity and the feeling of satisfaction that comes from solving puzzles keeps me eager to keep fitting the pieces together until it’s complete and I have a solution. Being a clinical dietitian satisfied some of the need to solve problems but after working in the healthcare field for 5 years, I was ready to move on and happy to step into a junior programmer role to begin my coding career.
In oncology nutrition, there are a set of evidenced-based standards dietitians use to determine the optimal nutrient intake a cancer patient needs and must account for the disease state as well as their cancer treatment. I transferred this logic into Python code and created a custom calculator that would allow me to input some basic anthropometrics and patient info and spit out all the nutrient intakes I need to record in my nutrition assessment documentation.
View ProjectI developed a model that predicts the probability of excessive absenteeism from work. After preprocessing the data, building a logistic regression model, and loading it as a Python module, the model is used to make predictions with new data.
View ProjectI built a machine learning algorithm for a business case study with data from an Audiobook company. This is a classification problem that predicts if a customer will buy another audiobook. Python and Tensorflow 2.0 were used.
View ProjectI support a custom-built web application developed in .NET Framework (20+ years old), where I worked closely with both the front-end and back-end. My responsibilities included troubleshooting bugs in the application, updating HTML and VB.NET code to enhance usability, and writing new stored procedures and views in SQL Server to support functionality. This role helped build a strong foundation in debugging, legacy code maintenance, and SQL development, while also reinforcing the importance of clean, scalable code and clear communication across teams.
I support and maintain a custom-built Python application that interfaces with the Wells Fargo Account Validation API to ensure secure and accurate verification of customer bank account information. The main goal is to reduce the risk of payment failures and fraud. My responsibilities span the full lifecycle of this locally installed tool. I manage the application’s integration with Wells Fargo’s secure API, including handling mutual TLS authentication by renewing and installing client-side certificates. I implement updates to the Python-based "Logic Box,” as internal processes change. Additionally, I oversee installation and configuration of the application on end-user machines, ensuring a seamless experience for staff.
I integrated wage deduction data from the company’s HR vendor to the on-prem HR database (SQL Server). I designed and implemented a new ELT pipeline, incorporating PowerShell scripting to automate the SFTP connection and data extract. An SSIS package was implemented for loading and transforming the data into the HR database. A complex SQL SP was created for the reporting and analytics that the executive team needed for analyzing the cost of company paid benefits for each employee.
I collaborated with the Lawson consultants and SQL DBA to upgrade and migrate SQL Server and the Lawson application. It involved reconfiguring multiple data integrations and connections between Lawson and other finance and accounting systems. I also designed and implemented a new role and security class based system in Lawson Security Administrator to cleanup an outdated and cluttered security setup.
I oversaw and managed the migration of the on-premise TM1 database to the cloud platform. The migration included configuring the IBM Satellite Connector for establishing secure connections between IBM Cloud and on-premise data sources.
I implemented a new ETL pipeline for CRM data into the Finance’s TM1 database involved writing code in MDX in order to utilize the TM1 TurboIntegrator tool. I created a new TurboIntegrator Process for the automation of data extraction, transformation, and load to the TM1 cubes and dimensions.
April 2023 - Present
Maintain a locally installed Python application integrating with the Wells Fargo Account Validation API, managing certificate-based authentication and performing logic updates and deployments
Lead the design and implementation of ETL/ELT pipelines to process donor/funding, employee, and payroll data
Collaborate with leadership teams to define data requirements and deliver analytics-ready datasets
November 2021 - April 2023
Maintained and enhanced a .NET Framework-based internal application by debugging issues, modifying front-end HTML and VB.NET code, and extending backend functionality via SQL Server stored procedures and views
Created complex SQL queries to extract, clean, and analyze data, including combining data from multiple databases
Designed and maintained reports and visualizations for the finance and accounting teams
June 2019 - November 2021
Supported four surgeons in the Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery clinic, specializing in providing nutrition care for patients after surgery
Supported three GI Medical Oncology clinics, providing nutrition care for patients undergoing chemotherapy or chemoradiation
September 2016 - May 2019
Clinical inpatient dietitian at Kaweah Delta Medical Center, providing nutrition therapy for critically ill patients in ICU, Cardiovascular-ICU, and Oncology units
Outpatient oncology dietitian at Sequoia Regional Cancer Center-Radiation Oncology, specializing in enteral and parenteral nutrition support for patients undergoing chemoradiation
Iowa State University
January - July 2016
Bastyr University
Kenmore, WA
Graduated June 2015