The recent explosion of new knowledge about the essential properties of life, as gleaned from high-throughput experimental techniques such as sequencing, micro-arrays, and proteomics, along with rapid advances in computer technology have laid the foundation for the development of the fields of bioinformatics and computational biology. These disciplines deal with the management, analysis, and visualization of the flood of information generated in molecular biology, genomics, and other areas of biology and biomedicine. These fields not only provide the tools and infrastructure necessary to support biological research into the next century, but are challenging areas of research in their own right. Progress in bioinformatics and computational biology requires that biologists, computer scientists, and statisticians work in close collaboration, with significant cross-disciplinary training. See the Center for Bioinformatics for examples of research projects in this area.

The departments of Biology, Computer and Information Science (CIS), and Mathematics have each devised undergraduate programs to train students in this important field. The undergraduate program within SEAS, the Bachelor of Applied Science in Computational Biology (ASCB), is administered through the CIS department. The curriculum consists of a blend of courses from biology, statistics and computer science to give students the skills they will need to work in this exciting inter-disciplinary area.