Our First Newsletter

Welcome to the first issue of our newsletter! 🌟

Here’s what’s inside this month:

• Welcome Note from the Founder
• Boston Women In Bioinformatics Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary
• Inside our Organization Committees
• Executive Board
• Events Recap
• Committee Members Spotlight

Welcome Note from the Founder

Ten years ago, I was sitting in a room full of bioinformaticians and realized I was the only woman there. That moment stayed with me—and soon after, with a few colleagues around a table at MIT, we started a simple Meetup page. What began as small, informal gatherings has grown into an energizing community of women, organizing seminars, networking events, and fireside chats. Over the years, different leaders have kept the group alive, and more recently, we became an official non-profit with dedicated volunteers shaping the future. But at the heart of it, this group has always been about community, support, opportunity, and visibility. From just a few women at the beginning, we’ve grown into a vibrant community of hundreds—a powerful sign of how much this space was needed. As we celebrate our 10th anniversary, I hope this community continues to help women grow their careers, find support, and feel seen. And I invite many of you to step into the organization, because this group has never been about a few of us—it has always been about all of us.

Boston Women In Bioinformatics Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary

Boston Women in Bioinformatics is celebrating our 10-year anniversary with an inspiring evening featuring four distinguished keynote speakers (Lorena Pantano, Eleanor Howe, Geraldine Van Der Auwera, and Grace Tiao), networking opportunities, and food.

Event Details:
Sept 30, 2025 @ 4PM ET
Boynton Yards, Somerville
More info: boston-wib.org

BWIB Organization

📣 Advocacy

The Advocacy committee advances equity and inclusion within the field of bioinformatics by identifying systemic challenges and promoting data-driven strategies.

👭🏻 Bioinformatics Sisters

This committee supports and organizes Bioinformatics Sisters, a networking and mentoring platform designed to match participants based on shared goals, skills, and preferences.

💬 Communications

The Communications committee is responsible for managing, coordinating, and improving the flow of information by means of communicating to its members, other committees, and external groups. It ensures the organization is visible via various channels and oversees policies related to collaborations and public relations.

📅 Events

The Events committee organizes and hosts professional and community-focused events from technical workshops to networking gatherings.

💙 Career Sponsorship

The Career Sponsorship committee empowers women in bioinformatics to grow into leadership roles through focused mentorship, career advocacy, and access to professional networks.

🌐 Web Page

The Web Page committee manages the organization’s website to share group information, curate community resources, and promote events.

Executive Board

Events Recap

This season, our community gathered across Greater Boston for a dynamic lineup of events celebrating connection, learning, and leadership. From casual meetups to career strategy sessions, we’ve been building momentum together.

Tis the year of Byte and Bites lunch gatherings at Time Out Market, Watertown, Somerville, and CambridgeSide where we created space for spontaneous collaboration and new friendships.

At our featured event, Jenn Felsted-Knight, PhD, ACC led a powerful session on Finding Alignment: Strategic Positioning for Career Resilience during Uncertain Times, where we explored how to decode employer needs, articulate our unique value, and turn market uncertainty into a competitive advantage.

We also hosted an Introduction to R Packages workshop, co-organized Lightning Talks with Boston Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, and celebrated Women’s History Month with a special panel and networking event—generously sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company and Diamond Age Data Science.

And we brought our passion for science outreach to the public with a booth at the Cambridge Science Carnival, where we shared hands-on activities and inspired the next generation of bioinformaticians.

Thanks to everyone who joined us. We’re excited for what’s next!

Committee Members Spotlight

We are proud to recognize the dedicated volunteers who shape the vision and impact of Boston Women in Bioinformatics. Our volunteers make our community thrive by sharing their time, creativity, and passion for our mission in fostering an inclusive, collaborative scientific community.

Social Media

• Slack: boston-women-bioinfo
• Email: communications@boston-wib.org
• LinkedIn: Boston-area Women in Bioinformatics
• Lu.ma: Boston Women in Bioinformatics
• Location: Boston Area, Massachusetts