CS graduand Brandon Lee takes computing science beyond the code into health research

As Brandon Jarrett Lee crosses the convocation stage this October, he is preparing to continue his work at The Digital Democracies Institute (DDI) at SFU, where he uses computing science to support research on vaccine hesitancy and health communications in Canada.

Growing up in North Vancouver, B.C., Brandon was drawn to technology and the possibilities of what he could create with it. But his path through computing science took an important turn during his time at Simon Fraser University.

That turning point came in CMPT 479, where Brandon worked on a research-focused term project under Professor William Nick Sumner. At the time, Brandon was struggling in the course. Sumner’s genuine investment in his students’ success, however, helped Brandon push through the challenges and complete a project he was proud of.

More than helping him succeed in one course, the experience changed how Brandon saw himself as a computing science student.

“Nick’s genuine investment in his students’ success helped me push through and complete a project I was truly proud of,” Brandon said. “He reignited my passion for computing science and helped me realize how much potential I had as a student.”

The experience set Brandon on a new path. From then on, he actively pursued research-oriented opportunities, discovering that a computing science degree could lead him well beyond the traditional technology industry.

After spending eight months in co-op at Absolute Security in a project management role, Brandon joined The Digital Democracies Institute (DDI) at SFU as a Technical Research Assistant during his final two terms at SFU. Through the BRIDGE Research Consortium, he began applying his computing science skills to questions at the intersection of technology, public health, and communications.

BRIDGE brings together researchers working to better understand and address vaccine misinformation and disinformation in Canada. At DDI, Brandon develops computational tools that help researchers examine how social media contributes to vaccine hesitancy and how Canadians engage with vaccine-related information online.

His work has involved data science, machine learning, and generative AI, including hands-on work with SFU’s Fir supercomputer. One project he is particularly proud of involved developing a data-clustering process that narrowed more than 30 million Reddit comments to just over 1,800 two-person conversations. This enabled researchers to examine patterns in how Canadians discuss vaccines on social media.

Brandon has also contributed to BRIDGE research examining Canadian perspectives on mRNA technology. He is credited as a contributor to a report exploring perspectives and recommendations related to mRNA technology in Canada, further demonstrating how his technical expertise is contributing to interdisciplinary research.

For Brandon, the experience has been about more than developing technical skills. It has taught him how computing science can be used to address real-world research questions.

“Most importantly, this experience taught me how to build technology that serves real research needs, and that is the foundation I will carry into my career,” he said.

That foundation will continue to shape Brandon’s next chapter. Following graduation, he will remain at The Digital Democracies Institute (DDI) as a full-time research assistant, supporting a wider range of projects. He will continue to contribute to research on social media and vaccine hesitancy in Canada. In the long term, he hopes to publish some of his work in an academic journal.

Brandon’s journey also reflects the increasingly interdisciplinary opportunities available to computing science graduates. While his degree gave him the technical foundation to work with data, machine learning and AI, his experiences at SFU have allowed him to apply those skills to questions in public health, communications and society.

His advice to students beginning their own computing science journeys is to remain open to possibilities they may not initially see.

“Keep your options open, because there are far more paths you can take with a computing science degree than software engineering at a tech company,” he said. “Before SFU, I didn’t know that working at a research institute in the Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology was even a possible career path for someone in computing science.”

This month, as he prepares to cross the convocation stage, Brandon is already stepping into that career path—using computing science not only to build technology, but to help researchers better understand some of the complex conversations shaping Canadian society.