Varinia Bernales

I work on developing AI-driven platforms that accelerate scientific discovery. I am a PI and Co-Director of the Matter Lab, where we are building the El Agente platform, including El Agente Q, an autonomous agent for quantum chemistry, along with a growing set of tools that support the next generation of self-driving laboratories for molecular and materials design. My work brings together computational chemistry, machine learning, and robotics, with a strong focus on AI safety, alignment, and governance in scientific settings.

My career spans both academia and eight years in industry, including leadership roles at Underwriters Laboratories Research Institutes, and in the Core R&D group at The Dow Chemical Company, where I co-invented several patented technologies. I have been recognized as a Trailblazer in Chemistry (C&EN, 2024), a Great Minds in STEM Luminary Honoree (2023), and the recipient of the ACS COMP Outstanding Postdoc Award (2017).

Across all my roles, I mentor interdisciplinary teams—computer scientists, chemists, engineers, and physicists—who are exploring new possibilities in AI for science and autonomous experimentation.