Congratulations to Dr. Tarun Mamidi!

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!

CGDS Researchers Present Work at CSHL Biological Data Science Meeting

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 important 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.

CGDS Scientist Receives GREGoR Consortium Grant Award

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.

CGDS Trainee Attends EMBL-EBI Systems Biology Course

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.

CGDS Trainee Receives Inclusive Campus Commitment Award

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.