Olga Vitek
Professor of Computer Sciences and Director of the MS in Data Science Program
Professor Vitek is an interdisciplinary, world-class researcher and a renowned leader in data science, machine learning, and computational biology. An outstanding teacher and role model for young scientists, she has made it her mission to bridge the communications gap between life scientists and computational scientists. She is best known for the development of algorithms and tools for the analysis and interpretation of mass spectrometry data that involves identifying and quantifying proteins in complex biological samples, such as tissues or fluids. In 2019, Professor Vitek published 11 papers about computational and life sciences, on topics that include machine learning, programming languages and human-computer interaction, and computational and experimental biology. That same year, she was also the lead faculty organizer behind the May Institute, an annual event limited to about 100 applicants worldwide who come to Boston each spring to attend two-week courses and lectures on computation and statistics in mass spectrometry and proteomics. The event not only translates research into education, but also increases Northeastern’s visibility in this competitive field.