We are thrilled to celebrate Dr. Tarun Mamidi, who graduated from UAB on Saturday, December 14th.
Dr. Mamidi defended his dissertation, “Improving Molecular Diagnosis Success Rates and Prognosis Prediction for Patients With Rare Diseases,” in June 2024.
He will begin his new role as a Bioinformatics Scientist at Children’s Mercy while continuing as a consultant in our lab.
We wish you continued success in your career, Tarun!
Two researchers from the Center for Computational Genomics and Data Science (CGDS) recently showcased their work at the prestigious Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Biological Data Science Meeting, held November 13-16, 2024. This meeting, known as #CSHLData24, brings together experts from across the globe to discuss advances in computational biology and genomics.
Dr. Gurpreet Kaur, a Scientist III at CGDS, presented her project titled “Integrative Genomic Characterization of a Rare Pediatric Differentiated Thyroid Cancer.” This project is a collaborative effort to understand the genomic underpinnings of a rare thyroid cancer in pediatric patients.
Shaurita D. Hutchins, a PhD trainee at CGDS, presented a poster titled “Identification of Drug Targets in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Using Gene Expression Signature Reversal & Mechanism of Action.” Her attendance was supported by a scholarship from the JXTX Foundation, which “provides support for students to attend conferences in computational biology and data science.”
CGDS is proud to have its researchers contributing to discussions at leading scientific gatherings. The work presented at #CSHLData24 reflects the lab’s commitment to advancing computational biology.
Learn more about the CSHL Biological Data Science Meeting.
Brandon Wilk, a doctoral trainee in Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics, gave an oral presentation at the 2024 Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) Research Symposium. His talk, “A Patient-Centered WGS-Driven Pilot Study: What Clinically Useful Knowledge Can We Gain from WGS?”, focused on the potential of whole-genome sequencing to provide meaningful insights for improving care in PWS. This work emphasizes the value of leveraging genomics to address patient-specific challenges.
Congratulations to Brandon for representing our lab and contributing to advancing PWS research!
The GREGoR Consortium has announced the recipients of the 2024 Deborah Nickerson Memorial Awards, celebrating initiatives to enhance workforce diversity in genomics research. Among the distinguished awardees is Dr. Gurpreet Kaur, a Scientist III at the Center for Genomic Data Science (CGDS), University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Kaur has been honored with an educational award to support her professional development and contribution to the genomics community.
As part of this recognition, Dr. Kaur will participate in the Skills for Health and Research Professionals (SHARP) Training in Quantitative Genomics hosted by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. This training will bolster her expertise in quantitative genomics and align with GREGoR’s mission to drive inclusivity and innovation in solving unsolved rare genetic diseases. Congratulations to Dr. Kaur and all the awardees for their contributions to advancing genomics research!
Learn more about the awardees and the GREGoR Consortium’s efforts to support workforce diversity in genomics research: 2024 GREGoR Consortium Awardees.
In October 2023, Shaurita D. Hutchins, a PhD trainee at the Center for Genomic Data Science (CGDS), was selected as one of 30 researchers to attend the EMBL-EBI Systems Biology Course in Hinxton, England, UK.
The course offered advanced training in systems biology, focusing on network-based modeling, multi-omics integration, and computational approaches critical to understanding complex biological systems. Participants engaged in lectures and hands-on sessions to utilize EMBL-EBI’s bioinformatics resources.
This course also allowed network opportunities by bringing together researchers from various backgrounds to share knowledge and explore potential partnerships. Shaurita’s participation reflects CGDS’s commitment to professional growth and innovation in genomics and computational biology.
CGDS is excited to see how the insights and skills gained from this course will enhance ongoing research efforts.
We’re excited to announce that Rabab Fatima, a Software Developer II at CGDS, has been accepted into the Master’s in Computer Science (Online) program at the Georgia Institute of Technology, starting Spring 2024.
Rabab’s decision to pursue this advanced degree stems from her commitment to deepening her expertise in Computer Science and Software Engineering, with a keen focus on the Interactive Intelligence specialization. This specialization aligns with her passion for exploring the intersection of Artificial Intelligence, Human-Computer Interaction, and Cognitive Science.
Rabab’s goal is to harness the knowledge and skills acquired through the OMSCS program to innovate and create cutting-edge technical products and tools. She aims to develop solutions that are not only technologically advanced but also intelligent and human-centered, reflecting a deep understanding of cognitive science alongside the latest developments in AI and Machine Learning. Rabab’s journey into this prestigious program is a testament to her dedication to her professional growth and her vision for contributing meaningful advancements in the tech world.
We congratulate Rabab on this significant achievement and look forward to the innovative contributions she will undoubtedly make to our field with the insights gained from her studies at Georgia Tech.
Tarun Mamidi, a doctoral trainee in the Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics theme, delivered an impressive oral presentation titled about identifying cystic fibrosis variants using his tool, DITTO, at the 2023 UAB GBS Symposium.
His presentation highlighted the development of DITTO, a variant prioritization tool designed to identify modifier variants in rare diseases by integrating whole-genome sequencing data and machine learning models.
Congratulations to Tarun for being selected for an oral presentation and for his outstanding contribution to genome interpretation research!
CGDS trainee, Shaurita Hutchins, received the Inclusive Campus Commitment Award in April at UAB’s Student Excellence Awards.
The award recognizes a student who embodies UAB Inclusive Campus Commitment by ensuring every member of the UAB community is treated with dignity and worth without any bias. This person will have made an active effort “to build an inclusive UAB.”
Shaurita also won the Campus Impact Award along with the Informatics Club for helping plan Hackin’ Omics 2022, which CGDS helped to plan along with CGDS trainee, Tarun Mamidi, as the hackathon’s co-chair.
In late 2022, CGDS, in collaboration with Dr. Deeann Wallis lab, participated in a hackathon organized by the Children’s Tumor Foundation to tackle challenges with Neurofibromatosis disease. Here’s the presentation from the hackathon to learn more about the project.
In response to the ground-breaking work, Hack4NF organizers awarded three prestigious awards to our team.
2. Awarded Incubation award to work with the foundation to further develop methods for practical use in a clinical setting.
3. Third award for best overall use of the Hack4NF data platform.
CGDS trainees Shaurita Hutchins, Brandon Wilik, and Tarun Mamidi attended and presented at the 2022 CCTS Translational Training Symposium in Mobile, Alabama. Both Mamidi and Hutchins received the CCTS Scientific Excellence Award to support travel to the symposium starting on September 14th.
All trainees presented posters at the conference and were able to gain valuable knowledge on networking, utilizing social media as scientists, navigating relationships with mentors, and writing aims for their researchers.
