Research

Interdisciplinary Nature Enables Expanded Research Potential

Because Bioinformatics & Computational Biology (BCB) comprises multiple disciplines, the research focus areas of the program are similarly varied and diverse. Research that may lead to groundbreaking discoveries is conducted at our state-of-the-art facilities.

Learn more about these fascinating research efforts and the world-class faculty members involved with each.

Computational and mathematical approaches to biological data analysis

(Professors Agu, Eltabakh, Flaherty, Kinicki, Martin, Olson, Ruiz, Rundensteiner, Servatius, Ward, and Wu)

• Data acquisition: The collection of biological and medical information via remote devices/sensors and communication networks (Agu, Kinicki)
• Data mining/pattern recognition: The automated identification of meaningful features in biological and biomedical datasets (Ruiz)
• Genome-wide association studies: The development of biostatistical methodology to allow the analysis of multigenic disorders (Flaherty, Wu)
• Machine learning: The design and development of algorithms that allow computers to evolve behaviors based on empirical data (Ruiz)
• Databases and knowledge management, including medical informatics: The organization, storage, and efficient retrieval of data, information, and knowledge (Eltabakh, Ruiz, Rundensteiner)
• Data visualization: The graphical depiction of data and information for presentation, confirmation, and interactive exploration/analysis (Ward)
• High performance computing: Using supercomputers and computer clusters to solve advanced computation problems on large datasets (Eltabakh, Olson)
• Combinatorics of sequences: The study of combinations of objects from a finite set, including their permutations and structures (Martin, Servatius)
• Mathematical biology: The representation and modeling of biological processes using a variety of mathematical techniques and tools (Olson)

Biological problems requiring mathematical and computational analysis

(Professors Dominko, Duffy, Flaherty, Martin, Mathews, Olson, Politz, Rao, Ryder, Tang, Vidali, Ward, Wu)

• Sequencing and sequence analysis: The extraction of genetic sequences and identification of patterns within them (Dominko, Flaherty, Politz, Rao, Ward, Wu)
• Genomics/Proteomics: The large-scale study of genes and proteins, typically requiring the use of high throughput technologies (Dominko, Duffy, Flaherty, Rao, Politz)
• Comparative Genomics/Phylogenetics: The study of gene orthologies and evolutionary relatedness among various groups of organisms (Duffy, Martin, Mathews, Rao)
• Systems biology: The study of the interactions among the components of biological systems (Olson)
• Simulation of biological systems: The use of computational and mathematical methods to model biological systems (Olson, Ryder, Tang, Vidali, Ward)