Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is launching a Center for Translational Bioinformatics, an innovative joint effort of the university’s McDonnell Genome Institute and the Institute for Informatics, Data Science & Biostatistics. The center will bring together experts from diverse fields to accelerate precision medicine research and improve patient care by integrating comprehensive patient data and expansive genomic datasets.
By developing cutting-edge analytical methods and tools, the center will support initiatives for personalized diagnosis, treatment and prevention of many conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders.
“Washington University is a powerhouse of genomic research and a leader in developing innovative ways to apply the tools of informatics, data science and AI to challenging problems in health care,” said David H. Perlmutter, MD, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs, the George and Carol Bauer Dean of the School of Medicine and the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor. “This new center will connect molecular data of all types to patient care in pioneering ways, opening the door to precision treatment strategies that likely would not be possible without these types of collaborations.”
The new center will be jointly overseen by Jeffrey Milbrandt, MD, PhD, the James S. McDonnell Professor of Genetics and executive director of the McDonnell Genome Institute (MGI), and Philip R.O. Payne, PhD, the Janet and Bernard Becker Professor and director of the Institute for Informatics, Data Science & Biostatistics. Richard Head, a professor of genetics and of pathology & immunology, has been named the center’s inaugural director.