Bioinformatics Research and Collaboration in the Era of Big Data and Precision Medicine

As we have entered the precision medicine and big data science era, there are many unmet challenges on identifying the disease related information from large, heterogeneous data, and translating the findings for clinical use. Among these challenges, one is how to effectively identify driver mutations and genes in cancer genomes, especially those with the potential

Detection of changes in allelic frequencies due to selection on complex traits in the genomes of pigs from four genetic lines using generation proxy selection mapping

Most economically relevant traits in pig breeding programs are controlled by numerous causal variants spread across the genome and undergo selection pressure to improve the genetic merit of commercial pigs. As a result, small changes in allele frequency over relatively short time scales are induced at these loci. Identification of genomic loci that exhibit directional

CANCER PRIORITY BY RACE

Cancer is one of the most common and deadly diseases and its incidence is increasing. There are over one hundred types of cancer and they have a varied impact on society and the individuals affected. Racial disparities play a role in the outcome of many diseases. How does race impact the types of cancer that

De-novo SuperTranscriptome assembly from the nodal root growth zone of maize inbred line FR697

Certain cultivars of maize show increased resistance to water deficit conditions by maintenance of root growth. To better understand the molecular mechanisms related to this adaption, nodal root growth zone samples were collected from the reference inbred line B73 and inbred line FR697, which exhibits a relatively greater ability to maintain root elongation under water

Design and Evaluation of a Longitudinal Method to Measure Physician Burnout in the Clinical Workflow

Burnout, a condition characterized by emotional exhaustion, listlessness, and an inability to cope, is demonstrably more prevalent among healthcare providers than other occupations. Burnout is fundamentally a longitudinal problem, but traditional instruments for measurement such as the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Professional Fulfillment Index (PFI) are time-consuming, expensive, and complex to administer, making

Analysis and Dissemination of School-based Immunization Data to Improve Public Health Outcomes in Missouri

In Missouri, immunization is required for both public and private school students against common vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) including polio, pertussis, varicella, measles, mumps, and rubella; however, parents may forego vaccination for their child by claiming medical or religious exemptions. Like many states across the US, Missouri is experiencing increasing vaccine exemption rates. However, health officials

Computational Subgroups Stratification and Precision Drug Repositioning Using Explainable Artificial Intelligence

Enabling precision medicine requires developing robust patient stratification methods and identifying drugs tailored to homogeneous subgroups of patients from a heterogeneous population. Once discovering these subgroups, we can align patients and medications more specifically to achieve precision-based therapy. Developing de novo drugs is expensive and time-consuming with an ultimately low FDA approval rate. These limitations make developing

Virtual Campus Visit with NSF CISE AD Dr. Margaret Martonosi

The National Science Foundation (NSF) supports a majority of US academic research in the Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) topic areas. Since February, 2020, Dr. Margaret Martonosi serves as NSF CISE AD, stewarding the CISE directorate’s $1B annual budget on behalf of research, education, workforce and infrastructure funding in CISE topic areas and for science as

Dissertation Defense – Utilizing Blockchain Technology for Clinical Trial Optimization

Clinical trials are the cornerstone of treatment discovery because they provide comprehensive scientific evidence on the safety, efficacy, and optimal use of therapeutics. However, current clinical trials are facing multiple challenges such as patient recruitment, data capture, and overall management. There are various causes of patient recruitment challenges such as inefficient advertising models, complex protocols,

Comprehensive Exam Announcement – A Case-Control based Genomic Analysis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a respiratory illness that affects millions of people all over the world. It is a major cause of chronic morbidity and mortality and a serious global public health problem. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. Although the environmental causes of COPD which predominantly include cigarette smoking

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