Center for Computational Molecular Biology

Center for Computational Molecular Biology is an interdisciplinary research center located at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, focused on developing and applying computational methods to understand molecular biology. The center is affiliated with the Department of Computer Science and the Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry at Brown University, and collaborates with researchers from Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Stanford University. The center's research is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Introduction

The Center for Computational Molecular Biology is a leading research institution in the field of computational biology, with a focus on developing new computational methods and tools to analyze and interpret large-scale genomic and proteomic data. The center's researchers work closely with experimental biologists from Duke University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Oxford to apply these methods to a wide range of biological systems, including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and infectious diseases. The center is also a member of the International Society for Computational Biology and collaborates with researchers from European Bioinformatics Institute, National Center for Biotechnology Information, and Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute.

History

The Center for Computational Molecular Biology was established in 2005 with funding from the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. The center's founding director was Manolis Kellis, a renowned researcher in the field of computational biology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since its inception, the center has grown to include faculty members from Brown University, Harvard University, and Stanford University, and has established collaborations with researchers from University of California, Los Angeles, University of Chicago, and Columbia University. The center has also hosted visiting researchers from University of Cambridge, University of Edinburgh, and Heidelberg University.

Research Areas

The Center for Computational Molecular Biology has several research areas, including genomic assembly and annotation, gene regulation, and protein structure prediction. The center's researchers use a range of computational methods, including machine learning, statistical modeling, and algorithm design, to analyze large-scale biological data from Next-generation sequencing, ChIP-seq, and mass spectrometry. The center also collaborates with researchers from Broad Institute, Whitehead Institute, and Jackson Laboratory to develop new computational tools and methods for analyzing cancer genomics and neurogenomics data. Additionally, the center works with researchers from Allen Institute for Brain Science, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory to apply computational methods to understand brain development and neurodegenerative diseases.

Faculty and Staff

The Center for Computational Molecular Biology has a diverse faculty and staff, including computational biologists, statisticians, and computer scientists from Brown University, Harvard University, and Stanford University. The center's faculty members have received awards and honors from National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and International Society for Computational Biology, and have published research papers in top-tier journals such as Nature, Science, and PLoS Computational Biology. The center also has a strong team of postdoctoral researchers and graduate students from University of California, San Diego, University of Michigan, and Georgia Institute of Technology, who work closely with faculty members on research projects and receive training in computational biology and bioinformatics.

Education and Training

The Center for Computational Molecular Biology offers a range of educational and training programs for students and postdoctoral researchers, including workshops, seminars, and courses on computational biology and bioinformatics. The center also participates in the Brown University graduate program in computational biology, which provides training in computational methods and biological systems. The center's faculty members also teach courses at Harvard University, Stanford University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and have developed online courses and tutorials on computational biology and bioinformatics for Coursera, edX, and Khan Academy.

Facilities and Resources

The Center for Computational Molecular Biology is located in the Sidney Frank Hall at Brown University, and has access to state-of-the-art computational facilities, including high-performance computing clusters and cloud computing resources. The center also has a range of software tools and databases, including GenBank, RefSeq, and UCSC Genome Browser, and collaborates with researchers from National Center for Biotechnology Information, European Bioinformatics Institute, and Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute to develop new computational tools and methods. The center's researchers also have access to next-generation sequencing and mass spectrometry facilities at Brown University, Harvard University, and Stanford University. Category:Research institutes