Bonnie Berger

Bonnie Berger is a Professor of Applied Mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), with a joint appointment in Computer Science in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS). She leads the Computation and Biology group and is part of the Theory of Computation group at MIT's CSAIL. Her research focuses on computational biology, algorithms, and their applications to molecular biology. She has pioneered work in computational molecular biology, influencing the field through her mentorship of students and collaborations.

Her academic roles include Vice President of the International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB), Head of the RECOMB steering committee, and membership on the NIGMS Advisory Council. Berger has received numerous awards, including membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the NIH Margaret Pittman Award, and an Honorary Doctorate from EPFL.

Her current projects include developing algorithms for metagenomic binning, context-aware functional genomics, and secure federated genomic analysis using frameworks like Sequre and SCA. She also leads research on protein structure prediction, privacy-preserving data analysis, and single-cell transcriptomics integration with tools like Scanorama and CryoDRGN.

Berger’s research bridges computational methods with biological insights, addressing challenges in health care, disease genetics, and data privacy. Her labs and collaborative efforts emphasize interdisciplinary approaches to solving complex biological questions through advanced computational techniques.