WPI’s MS program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (BCB) will prepare you to become a truly interdisciplinary scientist with expertise in computer science, informatics, and statistics on the one hand, and life sciences on the other.
While other schools offer Bioinformatics as a concentration within a Biology program, WPI’s BCB department draws equally from three disciplines—Biology, Computer Science, and Mathematics. You will become versed in each and specialize in one, working alongside expert researchers to translate staggering volumes of biological data into new knowledge and uncover meaningful ways to improve health care and the environment.
Through our well-rounded curriculum, you will be expected to develop a base of knowledge In Biology, Computer Science, and Mathematics, but how you do so is up to you—choose courses from virology to environmental challenges; design of software systems to artificial intelligence; and Bayesian statistics to regression analysis.
You can also take unique interdisciplinary courses in topics including biovisualization, biomedical database mining, simulation in biology, and statistical methods in genetics and bioinformatics.
No matter what topics you choose, you will have many chances to apply your growing knowledge to solve real problems through hands-on projects. You will also synthesize your learning with a research-based thesis or industrial internship.
WPI’s research in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology is as diverse as our wide-ranging course selection. You will have many opportunities to work alongside faculty and student researchers who are solving biological problems using mathematical and computational analysis in these areas:
The strong interdisciplinary nature of our program means that you get access to facilities in multiple departments across campus, from our dedicated Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Computer Lab to the state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment at Gateway Park, our thriving life sciences research and development center.
I have a long-standing interest in applying computer science and mathematics to solve biological problems. I am currently the Associate Director of WPI’s Program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, and I am always looking for students with interests in this exciting interdisciplinary area. One of my goals in teaching biology is to help students to think more quantitatively about biological questions. A few years ago, my colleague Dr. Brian White of UMass Boston and I were awarded a grant from the NSF to develop a course, “Simulation in Biology”.
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Emmanuel Agu is currently an associate professor in the computer science department at WPI having received his Masters and PhD in electrical and computer engineering at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. His research interests are in the areas of computer graphics, mobile computing, and wireless networks. He is especially interested in research into how to use a smartphone as a platform to deliver better healthcare.
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Professor Eltabakh’s research is in the broad area of Database Management Systems and Information Management. In particular, his work is in the areas of query processing and optimization, indexing techniques, scientific data management, and large-scale data analytics. Prof. Eltabakh is currently exploring possible extensions to both database management systems and Hadoop framework to support scientific applications and health-care systems. He is a member of the Database Systems Research Group (DSRG) and a faculty member of the Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (BCB) program.
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At WPI, I enjoy teaching all courses fundamental to applied mathematics, scientific computing, and modeling. I look forward to mentoring students interested in working on areas in Mathematical Biology, Computational Biofluids, and Scientific Computing. I specialize in Mathematical Biology, understanding emergent properties of complex systems. The goals of these models are to understand the underlying biological processes and make predictions. Please visit my website to learn more about recent research projects.
[...]Your interdisciplinary mindset and practical research experience will put you in high demand as leader in an academic or industrial setting. Many of our MS students continue honing their skills in prestigious PhD programs, while others find high-level positions in research labs, hospitals, and the biotech and healthcare industries.
