Leah Balakrishnan

I like to code things, sometimes.

I’m a software engineer, currently studying computer science with a specialization in artificial intelligence at Stanford University.

Python JavaScript React AI/ML Data Structures LeetCode-ing ☕ HTML & CSS APIs SQL

About

I’m a full-stack developer and AI researcher passionate about building scalable, ethical technology that makes a real-world impact. Currently, I’m pursuing my B.S. and M.S. in Computer Science at Stanford University, where I specialize in artificial intelligence.

My journey began at a local community college, where I transferred to Stanford as one of just 1.58% of transfer students admitted globally. Since then, I’ve built and deployed full-stack applications (Python, JavaScript, React, Flask, SQL, Node.js), conducted AI research with leading faculty, and earned 1st place in regional hackathons.

Beyond technical skills, I’ve led initiatives supporting underrepresented students in CS—work that earned me recognition for humanitarian impact—and I remain committed to designing technology that is not only innovative, but also accessible, ethical, and human-centered.

Experience

MAY 2025 – PRESENT

Research · Stanford University

Conducting research on autonomous AI agents capable of self-modifying code and iterative self-improvement, exploring methods to enhance adaptability, efficiency, and task performance.

MAY 2024 – AUG 2024

Research · Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Engineered software tools in Python and C++ for HPC workflows, increasing data processing efficiency by ~35% and streamlining analysis pipelines for national security research.

MAY 2023 – JUN 2023

Coding Instructor · Kode with Klossy

Taught web development to a large cohort of high school girls, increasing project completion rates by 45% while mentoring and encouraging young women to pursue computer science.

Projects

Neutralize

Neutralize is a Chrome extension that combines local heuristics with AI to detect and highlight biased or loaded language in real time. By blending fast client-side analysis with intelligent fallback to large language models, it helps users navigate online content with clarity, nuance, and confidence.

Chrome Extensions (MV3) TensorFlow.js / ONNX AI/NLP API Integration

Inverted Index Search

A built from-scratch mini search engine. It tokenizes a small text corpus, builds an inverted index (term → documents/positions), and answers queries by intersecting posting lists and ranking results with term-frequency relevance. Ships with a lightweight Flask UI + API to run queries and view scores.

Python Flask Information Retrieval TF-IDF

Portfolio

Personal portfolio website featuring an animated growing plant, typewriter greeting, theme toggle, scroll spy navigation, progress bar, and smooth reveal animations.

HTML CSS JS