Bioinformatics
Offered by the Biology, Mathematics, and Computer Science departments.

Combining the strengths of the liberal arts within the context of interdisciplinary studies in biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and statistics, the bioinformatics major prepares students for a world that relies on collaboration.

Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary area of study involving the collection, storage, retrieval, management and analysis of biological information resulting from a myriad of projects ranging from the sequencing of genomes to drug discovery. Understanding the relationship between linear sequences of DNA, the structure and function of proteins, and the associated scientific, health and ethical implications of this information is considered one of the greatest challenges in 21st-century science.

Programs

Faculty

Betsey Dexter Dyer

Professor of Biology

Michael Kahn

Professor of Mathematics

Mark D. LeBlanc

Professor of Computer Science

Rochelle (Shelly) Leibowitz

Professor of Mathematics

S. Shawn McCafferty

Associate Professor of Biology

Robert L. Morris

Professor of Biology; William & Elsie Prentice Professorship (2015-2020)

Internships

Francesca Sajedi

2021, Bioinformatics

Mars Faculty/Student Research Grant

University of Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador

Going to Ecuador allowed me to put my major, bioinformatics, into a real-world perspective while learning about the culture of Ecuador.

Megan Darrell

2020, Bioinformatics

Porter Cleveland Fellowship

The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME

As my first professional research experience, my internship at The Jackson Laboratory allowed me to conduct an independent and interdisciplinary project that opened my eyes to the field of biomedical research.

Best College City for Biomedical Engineering

Forbes recently listed the Norton, Massachusetts area as the “Best College City for BioMedical Engineering” due to local corporations helping the field grow 23% by 2024.

View Forbes list

Outcomes

80% of Bioinformatics majors from the past five years have found employment or achieved a service opportunity within six months of graduation *

80%
of Bioinformatics majors

Recent Graduates


Sample First Jobs

  • Business Technologist, Brown Brothers Harrison
  • Programmer, Meditech
  • Research Specialist, University of Pennsylvania
  • Support Advisor, Intersystems


Graduate School

  • Princeton University

*outcomes data is based on a knowledge rate of 83% for the classes of 2014-2018