Julia Brown

Posted on July 21, 2025  •  2 minutes  • 290 words

Hi! I’m Julia (I also go by “Julie”), I am a Senior Research Scientist at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences and leader of the Blue Bioinformatics Lab. My research interests lie in understanding the roles of microbes and viruses using integrative informatics techniques that merge information on microbial and viral genomic diversity and activity with environmental variability.

Some may say I took a “non-traditional route” to arrive in my current role, I’d say I followed my own path. I earned my PhD in Microbiology at Cornell University. I then held a year-long postdoctoral position at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. From there, I pivoted from the traditional academic route to hone my computational skills and gain experience in Single Cell Genomics as the Bioinformatician for the Single Cell Genomics Center at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. As a Bioinformatician for SCGC, I worked with many different scientists to pursue questions related to microbial and viral genomics and found great joy in making bioinformatics and computational problems more approachable through working with post docs, running coding workshops, engaging with local youth through Girls Who Code.

After a couple of years in this role, I moved back into a more research-focused position as a Research Scientist working within the Deep Biosphere Lab at Bigelow. In this position, I began to build connections with other scientists, I amassed a rich collection of samples through participating in cruises of opportunity, and wrote plenty of research proposals focused on questions related to the roles and impact of microbes and viruses within changing ecosystems. Now as a Senior Research Scientist, this work will continue and expand.

For more information on my background and experience, check out my Bigelow page , or find me on google scholar.