Michael Schatz is an expert at large-scale computational examination of DNA sequencing data. He is focused on understanding the structure and function of genomes, especially those of medical or agricultural importance.

Schatz works at the intersection of computer science, biology, and biotechnology, and develops new algorithms, computational systems, and machine learning techniques for comparative genomics, human genetics, and personalized medicine. His methods have been used to reconstruct the genomes of many previously unsequenced organisms as well as probe sequence variations in thousands of human genomes to study the genetic basis of cancer, autism spectrum disorders, and other major diseases. In recent projects, Schatz has used long read single molecule sequencing technology to map previously hidden structural variants in cancer genomes and to sequence 100 tomato genomes in 100 days, pushing the boundaries of genome research and technology.

Schatz joined Johns Hopkins University as a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor in 2016 from the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.