Emily E. Ackerman

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.