Convergence Seminar
Nikos C. Kyrpides, PhD
Nikos Kyrpides earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, and completed his PhD at the University of Crete in 1996. Following his doctorate, he pursued advanced training with postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Microbiology, with Carl Woese (1996–1998) and Argonne National Laboratory, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science with Ross Overbeek (1998–1999), specializing in genomics and bioinformatics. In 1999, he transitioned to the private sector as bioinformatics director at the pioneering biotechnology company Integrated Genomics in Chicago. Since 2004, he has been a pivotal figure at the Joint Genome Institute (JGI) of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, where he leads the Prokaryote Program, one of the world’s largest microbiome genomics initiatives, and the Microbiome Data Science thrust. Under his leadership, the JGI has become a world hub for microbiome genomics, generating some of the largest and most impactful databases on bacteria and viruses.
His research spans biotechnology, genomics, and data science, with a particular focus on deciphering microbial diversity and function. With over 700 peer-reviewed publications amassing more than 90,000 citations, Kyrpides is consistently recognized as one of the world’s most influential scientists by Clarivate since 2014. His contributions have been honored with numerous awards, include the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award (2022), the J. Roger Porter Award from the American Society for Microbiology (2018), the van Niel International Prize for Systematic Bacteriology (2014), and the Scientific Excellence Award from the Empeirikeion Foundation (2012). In 2014, he was elected Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, and in 2017, he received an honorary doctorate from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Beyond his research, Kyrpides serves on editorial boards of leading journals and on advisory committees for international organizations, helping to advance global collaboration in microbiome science, data sharing, and biotechnology innovation.
Details
Dates
September 8, 2025Time
11:00am-12:00pm PDTLocation
Mahley AuditoriumAudience
Gladstone and UCSFContact(s)
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The Convergence Seminar is organized by Gladstone’s Institute for Data Science and Biotechnology. This seminar series brings together scientists from varying disciplines to solve complex scientific questions and accelerate the path to cures.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
At Gladstone, we are committed to providing events and professional development activities that resonate with our community’s diverse members. Our goal is to develop creative programming that encompasses a wide variety of ideas and perspectives to inspire, educate, and engage with everyone within our walls.
We want to effect positive change through our events and activities by providing a platform for discussions on important topics related to increasing diversity and inclusiveness in the sciences.