Who We Are

BWCB serves Black women in computational biology, which is a discipline that combines mathematics, computer science, and other computational methods to analyze and identify novel findings in large-scale biological data. The field often interfaces with translational research, including genomics, drug development, and clinical trials, through approaches spanning data science, machine learning, and software development, to name a few. Computational biology continues to facilitate rapid development in medicine and human health, including the fast discovery and analysis of the ever-evolving SARS-CoV2 protein family, which catapulted vaccine development at exceptional scales. The computational biology field is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 20% by 2027; however, it is estimated that only 2% of this crucial workforce is Black, and 20% are women. Our community proudly represents trailblazing scientists at the intersection of these identities. 

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BWCB currently has 234 members, 68% are in North America, and the remaining 32% represent a wide array of African, European, and South American countries. Most members are currently at or beyond immediate post-graduate level education, with computer science, molecular biology, and computational biology among the top three degree programs pursued by our members. Most non-student employed members work as research scientists, analysts, and engineers or hold leadership positions such as faculty, directors, or industry/biotech group leaders. 

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To date, we’ve grown a broad internal and external audience across the field through science communication, such as seminars highlighting Black computational biologists, career-focused podcasts, and editorials. We’ve held internal networking events of various formats and facilitated journal clubs where members regularly discuss and practice analyzing current topics in the field with like-minded and supportive attendees. Since January 2020, we’ve mediated several connections of members to employment opportunities, graduate programs, and long-lasting peer and mentoring contacts. These key initiatives positively impact the success and retention of Black women in the computational biology field. Our mission allows us to fortify our platform to amplify this story and combat the erasure of these scientists.