Building on success: How a Genomics certificate led to an MS in Bioinformatics

Headshot of Veronica Perdomo

July 7, 2025

Veronica Perdomo MS’26 completed her master’s certificate in Genomics with Brandeis Online last month — but her educational journey isn’t stopping there.

As a research and development rotational associate at Pfizer, Veronica Perdomo MC’25 MS’26 has learned to embrace flexibility in more ways than one.

While she’s been flexing different skills on discovery, operations and analytics teams at work, Veronica has also been pursuing a master’s certificate in Genomics at Brandeis Online. Now that she’s completed her certificate, she’s decided to continue her education through Brandeis Online’s stackable MS in Bioinformatics — but pursuing a master’s degree wasn’t always part of Veronica’s plan.

When she began her journey at Pfizer, Veronica was at a turning point. While she had taught herself to code through online tutorials near the end of her undergraduate studies, she felt that her computational background was “disjointed.” So, when Brandeis Online visited Pfizer as part of its corporate partnership, Veronica jumped at the opportunity to take formal bioinformatics classes.

“I pursued the Genomics certificate at Brandeis since it was most applicable to the work I was doing at the time, and it felt like less of a commitment than a full graduate degree,” Veronica told Brandeis Online.

“The more time I spent in the pharmaceutical industry, the more I understood that having a graduate degree can be quite valuable.”

As Veronica neared the completion of her certificate, something shifted. The decision to continue on to the MS in Bioinformatics became clear. “The more time I spent in the pharmaceutical industry, the more I understood that having a graduate degree can be quite valuable,” Veronica told Brandeis Online. “Since I enjoyed the content of the classes and I still felt that I have more to learn, I decided to keep going.”

Starting off with the master’s certificate not only gave Veronica a “safe space” to use industry-standard tools and improve her programming skills, but it also helped her to learn more about herself and her career goals. “The knowledge I gained from the certificate has made me realize how passionate I am about data analytics as a whole,” Veronica said. “While that interest originated in life science research applications, I’ve learned it’s a broader interest in using analytics to solve problems in medicine and healthcare.”

“The knowledge I gained from the certificate has made me realize how passionate I am about data analytics as a whole.”

Moving on to the MS in Bioinformatics is a way for Veronica to continue pursuing her passion for data without compromising her love for biology and medicine. It’s also a way for her to grow her programming expertise and stay ahead on current advances in computer science. “This degree is my way of proving to myself that I can handle the complexity that will come in the future,” Veronica told Brandeis Online.

As she nears the end of her rotational program at Pfizer, Veronica isn’t sure where her next opportunity will take her — but Brandeis Online’s virtual platform and flexibility means she can finish her degree no matter where she ends up. Regardless, Veronica is excited for the future that lies ahead.

“This degree is my way of proving to myself that I can handle the complexity that will come in the future.”

“The idea that complex data holds the answers we need to drive healthcare forward is exciting to me,” Veronica told Brandeis Online. “As I continue with my graduate studies and find my next opportunity, I hope to explore that more and translate my research skills to more business and clinical strategy applications.”

If you're on the lookout for your next opportunity, Brandeis Online might be the right choice for you. With stackable courses, master's certificates and degrees, you have the flexibility to test the waters before making a larger commitment.

Learn more about our stackable master’s certificates and degree pathways.