Michael T. Zimmermann

Michael T. Zimmermann, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), holding multiple academic roles including Assistant Professorships in the Data Science Institute, Department of Biochemistry, Department of Surgery, and School of Graduate Studies Administration. He directs the Computational Structural Genomics Unit within the Linda T. and John A. Mellowes Center for Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine. Additionally, he serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Marquette University. His leadership roles include Program Director of the Joint Bioinformatics Program with Marquette University and Chair of the MCW Research Computing Center’s Faculty Advisory Committee.

Zimmermann’s research focuses on rare genetic diseases, chromatinopathies, and precision medicine. He develops computational models to interpret genomic variants and their effects on protein function, particularly in diseases involving the BAF chromatin remodeling complex and RAG immune system components. His team bridges structural biology with clinical genomics, aiming to advance diagnostics and therapies for rare disorders and cancers. Key research themes include understanding epigenetic dysregulation, leveraging AI for protein structure prediction, and translating insights into personalized medicine strategies.

Zimmermann leads a lab integrating computational and experimental approaches, collaborating with clinicians and researchers to drive discoveries in genetic variation’s role in health and disease. His work emphasizes scaling genomic approaches to address ‘N-of-one’ variations and improving genomic interpretation for population-level insights. The lab actively seeks collaborators and students to advance interdisciplinary research at the intersection of genomics and computational science.