Mercy Bernard

Mercy Bernard is a molecular biologist and genomics professional specializing in next-generation sequencing (NGS), bioinformatics, genome editing, and laboratory operations. She currently works in Precision Genomics at Bayer, where she applies her expertise in NGS, bioassays, qPCR, genotyping, sequencing technologies, data analysis, and laboratory automation. Her professional background combines molecular biology and computational approaches to support advances in genomics, therapeutics, biomarker discovery, and biotechnology.

Before and alongside her industry experience, Mercy developed extensive research and laboratory expertise at Georgia State University, where she served as a Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant and Lead Research Coordinator. Her work has included CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, molecular cloning, plasmid design and characterization, PCR, DNA and RNA extraction, and next-generation sequencing using Oxford Nanopore and Illumina technologies. She has also developed Python-based bioinformatics pipelines and contributed to research involving CRISPR applications in complex crop genomes. Earlier in her career, she worked as a Biobank Scientist at Lagos State BioBank, where she gained experience in molecular and genetic assays, LIMS-based sample tracking, biosafety, and laboratory operations.

Mercy holds a B.Sc. in Cell Biology and Genetics from the University of Lagos and an M.Sc. in Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics from Georgia State University, where she earned a 4.0 GPA. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Society of Human Genetics and has contributed to community service through the American Red Cross and Atlanta Community Food Bank. As she transitions from Bayer to Takeda, Mercy will continue building on her expertise in NGS, bioinformatics analysis, drug discovery, biomarker discovery, gene editing, and automation within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry.