Dr. Berdy has a background in microbiology and received her PhD from Northeastern University where she focused her studies on the cultivation of bacteria from the Arctic. She then transitioned into the microbiome field, studying honeybees and their microbiome, and how it is impacted by pesticide usage. Currently, she works at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard studying the human microbiome and is the curator of the Broad Institute-Openbiome Microbiome Library. She teaches Biology 2 in our Online Prerequisites for the Health Professions course offerings.
- Ph.D., Biology – Northeastern University – Boston, MA
- B.A., Biology (summa cum laude) – Skidmore College – Saratoga Springs, NY
Research Interests
- Health and disease states associated with the human microbiome
- Preserving and understanding the full biodiversity of the human microbiome, including under-represented and indigenous people
- Understanding how the human microbiome has changed with industrialization
Presentations
Brittany Berdy (2018) “Studies with bees: Pesticides and our microbiome.” Talk at Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY (invited guest, main speaker)
Brittany Berdy, Dawoon Jung, Manny Torralba, Slava Epstein, Karen Nelson. (2014) “Microbial Dynamics in Thule.” Talk at Thule Airbase: Thule, Greenland (main speaker)
Berdy B, Buerger S, Sousa A, Edson E, Halligan K, Ling L, Spoering S, Epstein SS. (2013) Do Slow Growers Exist? American Society of Microbiology General Meeting 2013: Denver, CO (poster presentation)