Sarah Calvo
About Sarah Calvo
Sarah Calvo is a Senior Computational Biologist at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, where she has worked since 2009. She has significantly contributed to mitochondrial research and bioinformatics, including the development of the MitoCarta protein inventory and tools for predicting protein function.
Work at Broad Institute
Sarah Calvo has served as a Senior Computational Biologist at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard since 2009. Over her 15 years in this role, she has contributed significantly to the field of computational biology, particularly in mitochondrial research. One of her notable contributions is the development of the 'MitoCarta' protein inventory, which systematically defines the mitochondrial proteome. This work has been pivotal in advancing the understanding of mitochondrial diseases and their genetic underpinnings.
Education and Expertise
Sarah Calvo earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Science and Math from Williams College, where she studied from 1992 to 1996. She later pursued her PhD in Health Sciences and Technology at MIT, completing her studies from 2005 to 2009. Her educational background provides a strong foundation for her expertise in computational biology, bioinformatics, and next-generation sequencing techniques.
Background in Genome Research
Before her tenure at the Broad Institute, Sarah Calvo led the Whole Genome Annotation team at the Whitehead/MIT Center of Genome Research. In this capacity, she focused on comparative analyses of fungal genomes, contributing to the understanding of genetic variations and evolutionary relationships among different species. This experience has informed her subsequent research in mitochondrial genetics.
Contributions to Mitochondrial Disease Research
In her research, Sarah Calvo has applied next-generation sequencing techniques to identify the genetic basis of mitochondrial diseases. She has successfully identified over 20 Mendelian disease genes, enhancing the understanding of these conditions. Additionally, she collaborated with prominent researchers Vamsi Mootha and David Thorburn to utilize the MitoCarta inventory in identifying genes associated with familial forms of mitochondrial diseases.
Current Role at Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Since 2022, Sarah Calvo has been working as a Bioinformatics Specialist III at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. In this role, she continues to develop tools for predicting protein function based on shared evolutionary history, including resources such as www.gene-clime.org. Her ongoing work reflects her commitment to advancing bioinformatics and its applications in understanding complex biological systems.