Bioinformatics

Lab technician in white lab coat is conducting testing
APEC Biotherapeutics Centers of Excellence Pilot Training
fall trees on campus
Northeastern’s Life Sciences Testing Center is helping Boston biotech develop best practices for monkeypox testing
Work full time in the field before graduation
The Hubs of Medicine and Science - Classes in Boston, San Francisco or online

The Hybrid Science

The potential of science in a data-driven world just keeps growing, especially in the bioinformatics field.

Data and analytics applied to science give rise to more rapid discoveries, swifter technological advances, and most importantly, more immediate impacts on the human condition.

Integrated knowledge from biological, computational and mathematical disciplines creates a unique professional perspective preparing graduates to play pivotal roles in today’s cutting-edge life sciences, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

Students take classes in a range of disciplines including molecular biology, biochemistry, statistics, ethics, data mining and machine learning, giving them a competitive edge in the ever-expanding life sciences sector.

This is so much more than crunching numbers.  It’s changing lives.

Quick Facts
6 Concentrations for further specialization
  • Bioinformatics Enterprise
  • Biotechnology
  • Data Analytics
  • Health Informatics
  • Medical Health Informatics
  • Omics
of students land industry-related jobs following graduation

5-9% expected national job growth for bioinformatic scientists by 2026 (US Department of Labor)

AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY FOR BIOINFORMATICIANS IN 2018 (GLASSDOOR)

Not ready for a degree?
Learn more about our certificates that can stack into a MS degree or upskill yourself in the workforce.
life science companies located in the Boston area

Faculty and Support Staff

More Filters

People

Department

9 Search Results

Diversity & Inclusion

The College of Science supports a culture where each person feels they belong, regardless of race, color, religion, religious creed, genetic information, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, veteran or disability status. We celebrate the diversity of our community, and we seek to expand representation to further excellence. We commit to be a College where members act with respect, trust, collaboration, and communication, and where inappropriate behavior is reported and acted on without fear of retaliation.

Campus Flag in Fall
Contact Us
Loading…

Faculty Labs & Research

Bioinformatics
Ondrechen Research Group
Prof. Ondrechen’s research group spans the areas of theoretical and computational chemistry, computational biology, bioinformatics, protein design, and drug discovery. Areas of interest include functional genomics – predicting the biochemical functional roles of gene products (proteins), protei..

Interested in pursuing an advanced degree? Apply Now!

The Minds Behind COS Bioinformatics
Faculty Spotlight
Steve Vollmer
Studies how coral hybridization in the Caribbean could change of our understanding of disease and genetics.
Albert Lazlo Barabasi
A Network Scientist, and Northeastern’s Center for Complex Network Research created an interactive visualization of Nature’s vast catalog – see how the integration of scientific disciplines leads to discoveries.

Interested in working with us?

Co-op Experiences

Our students benefit from Northeastern’s extensive network of industry partners in Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, and around the globe. Masters degree students complete either a 4-8 month co-op work experience or participate in an industry-based independent project, providing an invaluable opportunity to gain professional training within the commercial sector.
Julian Stanley
Biology and Bioinformatics student Julian Stanley shares his experience pursuing a Plus One degree at COS.
Meet Julian

Interested in our undergraduate offerings?

Coursework and Requirements
A sampling of the types of courses you could take here.
Statistics for Bioinformatics
MATH 7340

Introduces the concepts of probability and statistics used in bioinformatics applications, particularly the analysis of microarray data. Uses statistical computation using the open-source R program. Topics include maximum likelihood; Monte Carlo simulations; false discovery rate adjustment; nonparametric methods, including bootstrap and permutation tests; correlation, regression, ANOVA, and generalized linear models; preprocessing of microarray data and gene filtering; visualization of multivariate data; and machine-learning techniques, such as clustering, principal components analysis, support vector machine, neural networks, and regression tree.

Data Mining Techniques
CS 6220

Covers various aspects of data mining, including classification, prediction, ensemble methods, association rules, sequence mining, and cluster analysis. The class project involves hands-on practice of mining useful knowledge from a large data set.

Advanced Genomics
BIOL 5591

Intended for those familiar with the basics of genetics, molecular and cellular biology, and biochemistry, all of which are required to appreciate the beauty, power, and importance of modern genomic approaches. Introduces the latest sequencing methods, array technology, genomic databases, whole genome analysis, functional genomics, and more.

News

Petri dish of yeast candida auris

Fungal disease pose as a threat to sick people in health care settings