Coding for a Digital Health Nonprofit
By Adrian Soghoian, Principal Software Engineer at The Commons Project
Tell us about your background.
I started working in the tech industry after finishing my undergraduate degree at Columbia, where I studied math and physics. It makes me feel old to say it, but that was 12 years ago! I started my career at Google, and then formed a start-up tech company of my own (Trigger Finance), which I helped run with my co-founders for a few years before it was acquired by a leading crypto/blockchain firm called Circle. I stayed there for several years before joining The Commons Project in hopes of making a positive contribution through the public sector.
What do you work on?
I joined The Commons Project 2.5 years ago as an early contributor to the engineering side. Since then, I’ve been fortunate to work on a bunch of things — which is my favorite way to contribute. Some of the highlights have included: building out the first iterations of the CommonHealth app (now used by hundreds of thousands of people to manage their digital health records), building a suite of online services to assist companies in verifying digital health credentials (like a vaccination record), and developing a novel way for patients to share data they collect at home (like through a smart blood pressure cuff, or wearable device tracking their steps) with their doctors in real-time to better inform their treatment.
How do you use coding in your projects?
I use coding every day! My favorite thing about programming is the variety of ways that it can be useful. Many people think of coding as mostly being building apps for iPhones or Android devices, but that’s only one way to apply it. Some of my favorite projects I’ve contributed to have been “invisible” — background services used by other applications (or other background services!), or small little scripts that orchestrate some activity across machines. Currently I use tools like: Python, Kotlin, Java, Docker, and Android Studio.
Any tips for young coders?
I recommend seeking out classes or professional opportunities that align with your interests. One great thing about programming is that it’s a vast field with a variety of different types or knowledge and skills to be exposed to. Keep following your interests and maintain a life-long learner attitude!
Outside of work I enjoy watching and playing tennis, reading, walking around NYC, and sharing choice memes with my friends. :)
