PEORIA, IL, September 16, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Michael R. "Mikey" Bergman, PhD, has been recognized for achievement in scientific research.
Dr. Bergman's career in academia and scientific research has included a rapid progression through several roles, culminating in his appointment as an assistant professor at Bradley University in 2025. Now in only his second year as a professor, he has already taken on substantial responsibilities in teaching, curriculum development, student mentorship, and reseach. At Bradley, he teaches introductory General Chemistry to more than 80 first-year students and provides lecture and laboratory instruction in Analytical Chemistry. He is also involved in developing and modernizing the analytical chemistry curriculum and laboratory protocols. Dr. Bergman has incorporated artificial intelligence literacy and ethical considerations into introductory university coursework and mentors an active undergraduate research group of ten students, including one master's student. His approach to mentorship emphasizes both individual authenticity and collaborative connectedness, reflecting his commitment to fostering a supportive and inclusive academic environment. Dr. Bergman's research focuses on adapting and integrating methods across scientific disciplines to address complex interdisciplinary questions, particularly those related to the mechanisms of age-related cataract formation.
Prior to joining Bradley University, Dr. Bergman served as a scientist at Sanofi from 2023 to 2025 under Jonathan Kingsbury, contributing to research and development initiatives within the pharmaceutical industry. In 2023, he also served as a postdoctoral fellow at Northeastern University, working with Leila F. Deravi to investigate and characterize protein structures involved in bio-optics and dynamic camouflage in cephalopods.
From 2018 to 2023, Dr. Bergman conducted his doctoral research at Northeastern University. During this time, he achieved what he considers one of his most notable early-career accomplishments: publishing a first-author article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2022. The paper resulted from an independent thesis project examining mechanisms of protein assembly and organization in the lens using an interdisciplinary approach focused on a comparatively understudied group of lens proteins. A major outcome of this work was identifying a new, potential role for calcium in cataract physiology. The publication demonstrated Dr. Bergman's ability to conceive and execute ambitious research projects as a graduate student and helped establish the foundation for his ongoing investigations into cataract disease pathways.
His earlier research experience includes serving as a research associate at Mayo Clinic Rochester from 2017 to 2018, where he further developed his expertise in protein chemistry under the mentorship of Marina Ramirez-Alvarado. As an undergraduate research assistant at Mayo Clinic Rochester from 2016 to 2017, Dr. Bergman gained formative laboratory experience that helped shape his subsequent academic and research pursuits.
Throughout his career, Dr. Bergman has developed expertise in analytical chemistry, protein chemistry and biophysics. His professional affiliations include the American Physical Society, the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science, the American Chemical Society, the Alliance for Diversity in Science and Engineering, and the Biophysical Society.
Dr. Bergman's educational background has been integral to his development as an educator and researcher. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry and Chemical Biology from Northeastern University in Boston in 2023. His doctoral studies under the guidance of Leila Deravi provided the foundation for his research in protein chemistry, including work related to cataracts and the structural proteins responsible for the optical properties of squid skin. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences from the University of Minnesota Rochester in 2017, where he developed his interest in academia and biomedicine. During his undergraduate education, he also participated in a 2016 study-abroad program in Copenhagen, Denmark, focused on biomedicine and drug development through DIS – Study Abroad.
Persistence through adversity has been an important part of Dr. Bergman's academic journey. Growing up in a working-class family without an extensive background in higher education, he often navigated unfamiliar territory throughout his education and early career. As a queer student, he also had few opportunities to see people who shared his identity represented in scientific and academic careers. Those experiences have influenced his approach to mentorship and his desire to provide students from underrepresented backgrounds with the encouragement, visibility and sense of belonging that he often sought during his own education.
Growing up in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, Dr. Bergman's early exposure to service-oriented values through the restaurant and hospitality industry helped shape his sense of purpose and commitment to helping others. His involvement in scientific research began during his undergraduate studies at the University of Minnesota Rochester and continued through research experiences at Mayo Clinic under the mentorship of Marina Ramirez-Alvarado. After earning his doctorate at Northeastern University under the guidance of Leila Deravi, he worked in the pharmaceutical industry at Sanofi before determining that academia aligned more closely with his interests in teaching, student mentorship and biomedical research.
Beyond his academic and research appointments, Dr. Bergman has maintained a strong history of involvement in service and community-oriented organizations. His past roles have included serving as community outreach coordinator for the Alliance for Diversity in Science and Engineering and as president of the Graduate Student Association at Northeastern University. His commitment to service is further reflected in volunteer work with Global Brigades in 2015 and involvement with other collaborative organizations during his undergraduate education. In recognition of these efforts, he received a Citizenship Award from Northeastern University's Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology in 2020 and the Presidents' Student Leadership Award from Minnesota Campus Compact in 2016. As he continues to establish his academic career, Dr. Bergman hopes to build on this history through future involvement in outreach, mentorship and efforts that support greater inclusion in science.
His scholarly work includes "Design and Characterization of Model Systems That Promote and Disrupt Transparency of Vertebrate Crystallins In Vitro," published in Advanced Science in 2023; "Manipulating Polydispersity of Lens Beta-Crystallins Using Divalent Cations Demonstrates Evidence of Calcium Regulation," published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2022; "Investigating the Thermodynamics Underlying Monosaccharide-Mediated Collagen Polymerization for Materials Design," published in Chemistry of Materials in 2022; "A Role for Monosaccharides in Nucleation Inhibition and Transport of Collagen," published in Bioelectricity in 2020; and "Immunoglobulin Light Chain Amyloid Aggregation," published in Chemical Communications in 2018.
Born in Lake Geneva, Dr. Bergman enjoys cooking, dancing, gaming and fiction writing outside his professional life. He is in a committed relationship and has two young children—a five-year-old son and a nearly three-year-old daughter—and finds deep fulfillment in his roles as an educator, researcher, mentor and parent.
Looking ahead, Dr. Bergman aims to help undergraduate researchers develop projects that lead to first-author publications before pursuing medical school, graduate education, or careers in the scientific industry. At the same time, he intends to make meaningful contributions to cataract research through continued investigation of disease pathways. Over the longer term, he hopes to establish clinical collaborations with regional hospital systems, including OSF HealthCare and Carle Health, that can help translate fundamental scientific discoveries toward potential clinical applications.
Dr. Bergman continues to foster supportive environments for students from underrepresented backgrounds, drawing on his own experiences to help students feel seen, supported. and encouraged as they pursue education and careers in science.
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