Mercedeh Javanbakht Movassagh

Mercedeh Javanbakht Movassagh is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Neurosurgery at Yale School of Medicine. She holds appointments in the Schiff Lab and is affiliated with the Slayman House. Her research focuses on computational biology and bioinformatics, with expertise in developing methods for analyzing sequencing data (e.g., mbQTL, mirTarRnaSeq). She investigates microbial infections, neonatal sepsis, hydrocephalus, and global health challenges in regions like Uganda and Tanzania. Awards include Hydrocephalus Association Innovator Awards (2023 and 2024).

Education: BS in Biology (University of Virginia), MS in Biochemistry & Bioinformatics (George Washington University), PhD in Computational Biology & Bioinformatics (University of Massachusetts Medical School). Postdoctoral training at Harvard School of Public Health and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Research interests include microbial genomics, pathogen-host interactions, and applying machine learning to infectious disease and cancer studies. Key areas of focus are Paenibacillus infections in neonates, post-infectious hydrocephalus mechanisms, and computational tools for microbiome and RNA analysis.

Notable publications include work on Paenibacillus spp. infections in Ugandan infants, microbial quantitative trait loci analysis, and vaginal microbiome studies. Collaborates with Steven Schiff, Joseph Paulson, and Ronald Mulondo on interdisciplinary projects.