Emily E. Ackerman

Emily E. Ackerman

She/her · Harvard Medical School

Hello!! I'm a postdoctoral researcher with the Lahav Lab in the systems biology department at Harvard Medical School. My focus lies in developing computational methods to understand the role of p53 protein dynamics in determining cell fate. Previous work includes network and mathematical modeling of immunoregulation during influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infection.




I joined Galit Lahav’s lab as a postdoctoral researcher in the systems biology department at Harvard Medical School in September 2021. My research uses computational methods to understand the connection between single cell p53 protein dynamics and transcriptomic profiles in cell fate decisions.

As a PhD student in the University of Pittsburgh’s chemical and petroleum engineering program, I was supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute as a Gilliam Fellow. My work can be divided into two computational areas that address both influenza A virus and SARS-CoV-2 infection: antiviral drug target identification using network biology and dynamic modeling of the immune response to viral infection.

Beyond my science itself, I am committed to creating a scientific enterprise that is diverse and equitable. I am a queer, disabled woman, and my equity work largely revolves around bringing the tenets of disability justice and fair labor practices to academia and STEM professions at large.

In my free time, I enjoy painting, reading manga, and spending time with my cat, Poppy.

Skills

Single-Cell Sequencing Analysis

Time series clustering

Mathematical Modeling

Network Biology

Current Positions

 
 
 
 
 

Disability Advisor

Department of Systems Biology

Harvard Medical School

Dec 2021 – Present Boston, MA
Liaison between students, researchers, staff, and department administration concerning disability issues.
 
 
 
 
 

Postdoctoral Researcher

Lahav Lab, Harvard Medical School

Sep 2021 – Present Boston, MA
Exploring the connection between single cell p53 signalling dynamics and transcriptomics
 
 
 
 
 

Board of Directors

Future of Research

Aug 2020 – Present
Co-director of the Labor Task Force, investigating labor conditions of early career researchers

Past Experience

 
 
 
 
 

Committee Member

Beyond Compliance: Promoting the Success of People with Disabilities in the STEM Workforce

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM)

Jan 2023 – Jun 2023
Five day workshop to explore issues related to the accessibility and inclusivity of STEM workplaces
 
 
 
 
 

Member

Advisory Committee to the Director - Working Group on Re-envisioning NIH-Supported Postdoctoral Training

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Dec 2022 – Dec 2023
Engaged with key parties to evaluate the factors contributing to the declining number of U.S. postdoctoral researchers
 
 
 
 
 

Committee Member

Committee on Leading Practices for Improving Accessibility and Inclusion in Field, Laboratory, and Computational Science

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM)

Sep 2021 – Jun 2022
Five webinars with disabled speakers to discuss the current state and future of STEM research for disabled researchers
 
 
 
 
 

Co-founder, Executive Board Member

TAE (Transforming Academic Ecosystems) Consortium

Jan 2020 – Jun 2021
An initiative-based group of ECR’s aiming to redefine the conversation around mental health in academia by supporting the unique needs of underrepresented researchers
 
 
 
 
 

Graduate Student

Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering

Shoemaker Immunosystems Lab, University of Pittsburgh

Aug 2015 – Aug 2021 Pittsburgh, PA
Network biology and mathematical modeling of viral infection
 
 
 
 
 

Intern

Curia Global

Jun 2015 – Aug 2015 Rensselaer, NY
Computer-Aided Drug Discovery (CADD) Division
 
 
 
 
 

Undergraduate Researcher

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

May 2013 – May 2015 Troy, NY
High-throughput screening for HIV GP120-CD4 binding inhibitors
 
 
 
 
 

Undergraduate Student

B.S. in Chemical Engineering

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Aug 2011 – May 2015 Troy, NY

Awards

Research Supplement to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research

Outstanding Research Assistant

Dr. James Coull Memorial Fellowship Award

Awarded annually to one senior Ph.D. student

Outstanding Ph.D. Paper, Summer 2019

A Dual Controllability Analysis of Influenza Virus-Host Protein-Protein Interaction Networks for Antiviral Drug Target Discovery

OXE Research Award, Best Oral Presentation, Chemical Engineering Department Research Day

Network Methods for Identifying Regulators of Influenza A Virus

Gilliam Fellow, Gilliam Fellowships for Advanced Studies

A graduate fellowship for underrepresented groups preparing to enter academic leadership roles to foster the development of a healthier, more inclusive academic scientific ecosystem

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, Honorable Mention

A graduate fellowship which supports outstanding STEM graduate students based on broader impacts and intellectual merit

Science Talks

Controls Engineering Approaches to Regulating Immunity During Respiratory Infection

Interferon Production Rate is a Major Contributor to Differential Strain-Specific Immunodynamics

Distinct TP53 mutation spectra in myeloid neoplasms suggest divergent roles in disease initiation and progression

Identifying Regulators of Infection in Virus-Host Networks

Network Methods for Identifying Regulators of Influenza A Virus Infection

Publications

Cell Confluency Affects p53 Dynamics in Response to DNA Damage

Comparison of TP53 mutations in myelodysplasia and acute leukemia suggests divergent roles in initiation and progression

TP53 mutations in myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia differ significantly in distribution and functional consequences. These differences suggest distinct biological roles for mutated p53 in initiation of myeloid dysplasia and progression to acute leukemia.

Equity Work

I believe that good science can only be done in an environment that constantly strives toward equitable access and practices. I am committed to fighting the often overlooked injustices engrained into our institutions, particularly at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities.

In 2019, my disability advocacy and professional worlds collided after a dangerous run-in with autonomous delivery robots. This experience spurred my interest in exploring the how academic inaccessibility and quickly evolving, inaccessible tech feed into one another, and how best to remedy them without using disabled people as collateral.

A stick figure stands at the bottom of two steps to REPRESENTATION. The first is labeled 'equal access to tech for users' and the second is labeled 'Developer access to industries'
A cycle with four parts: 1. Better, more accessible tech, 2. Greater access to education, 3. More disabled people in STEM, and 4. More representation in industry

Around the same time, I was heavily involved in our graduate student unionization campaign, and joined the Future of Research board of directors to lead the Labor Task Force, both of which drove my commitment toward addressing the absence of fair and equitable labor practices in science institutions, particularly for early career researchers, to new heights.

Since then, my commitment to equitable science has only continued to grow. I have served as a member of two NASEM projects aiming to improve and re-envision accessibility in STEM, and as a member of the NIH working group to assess the status of US postdoctoral training. I currently serve as the Disability Advisor for the systems biology department at Harvard. As an individual, I enjoy writing and speaking broadly on my identity and vision for a more equitable and accessible scientific enterprise.

Select Invited Talks

Becoming a Researcher: Inclusion and Accessibility in the Lab Environment

Roles, Responsibilities, and Expectations of Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars: The Current Landscape and History of Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Scholar Labor Movements

Creating an Anti-Ableist Future for Science

The Accessibility Gap for Tech Users and Developers

Writings and Interviews

(Photos are links)

I am available for talks, podcasts, consulting, collaborations, and more, just ask!