Professor Dr. Helene Kretzmer is Professor for Computational Genomics at the Hasso Plattner Institute and the University of Potsdam. Prior to joining the HPI, she spent her postdoctoral work at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, where she opened her own research group in 2022 and still runs a satellite lab.

Her research focuses on integration of multi-modal sequencing data, machine learning, and software development to bridge basic and translational research. Specifically, she is interested in understanding how diseases manifest on a molecular level and to use this knowledge to improve patient care.

After completing her Ph.D. in the framework of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), she continued working in an experimental and clinical science-driven environment, which made her understand and appreciate the complexity of genuine interdisciplinary research. As a result, she specifically enjoys teaching young life scientists with and without mathematical or computer science backgrounds. She firmly believes that a shared understanding and language across disciplines is and will become increasingly vital for translational, interdisciplinary research.