Graduate Program Steering Committee

Because of the institutional complexity of this program with three partners (University of Minnesota, Mayo Clinic, and IBM), a steering committee serves as the primary communication hub among the institutions. This steering committee of six faculty with at least one representative from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, University of Minnesota Rochester, Hormel Institute, Mayo Clinic, and IBM are elected by the graduate faculty based upon nominations by the faculty to the DGS/Associate DGS. All members of the steering committee have graduate faculty appointments in the program. The Mayo Clinic, IBM, and Hormel Institute members of the Steering Committee serve as the primary link to their respective institutions and provide a way for the DGS/Associate DGS to communicate with these three institutions.

The steering committee meets as needed to: (1) ensure communication among the participating institutions; (2) advise the DGS/Associate DGS on strategic planning for the program; (3) review the final list of graduate students who are admitted to the program; and (4) approve institutions/organizations at which students intend to conduct internships that are not on the list of participating institutions.

Dr. Ann Bode (Research Associate Professor and Associate Director, Hormel Institute, Cellular and Molecular Biology)
Research focuses on identifying molecular targets of dietary factors applied to signal transduction pathways involved in neoplastic cell transformation and carcinogenesis. A major goal is to elucidate key protein-protein or protein-molecular interactions predicted through computer simulation methods and validated through laboratory bench studies to be used in the development of small molecule inhibitors that specifically target key cancer-related proteins.

Dr. Lynda Ellis (Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota Twin Cities)
Dr. Ellis focuses on developing bioinformatics tools that support the work of life science colleagues. With biochemist Larry Wackett, Dr. Ellis has developed an innovative microbial biotechnology database on the World Wide Web: The University of Minnesota Biocatalysis/Biodegradation Database, http://umbbd.msi.umn.edu/ and a rule-based Pathway Prediction System, http://umbbd.msi.umn.edu/predict/ to predict biodegradation of compounds not found in the UM-BDD.

Drew Flaada (Director Mayo Collaboration, Life Sciences, and BlueGene Software Development, IBM)
Drew Flaada is the IBM executive responsible for development of solutions and new technologies in the Health Care and Life Sciences arena, and for the system software for IBM high performance computing platforms including the preeminent Blue Gene and RoadRunner systems. Drew is responsible for founding and managing the multi-year collaborative efforts between IBM and Mayo Clinic which are focused on leveraging information technology in Individualized Medicine and Medical Imaging informatics. Flaada's interests lie in the areas of cross disciplinary collaborations, innovation processes, new technology creation and introduction, business and economic development, business leadership and entrepreneurship. He is a board member for the BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota, is on the Dean's Advisory Board for the University of Minnesota's Institute of Technology, and is on the UMR BICB program Scientific Advisory Board.

Dr. Peter Li (Health Sciences Research, Vice Chair of Biomedical Informatics, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center)
My interests range from software architectures to systems bioinformatics. Currently, I am exploring multi-factor interactions in gene expression, genotyping, and individualized clinical states for translational research. In addition, I am interested in domain modeling, large scale databases, and novel computer architectures to analyze the large amount of biomedical data.

Dr. Carlos Sosa (Technical Lead - BlueGene Software Development in Chemistry and Life Sciences, IBM)
Sosa’s research interests include the areas of molecular simulations, bioinformatics, and parallel computing. His research in parallel computing focuses on scaling of these applications in these areas to emerging hardware architectures. An important component of his research is the application of these techniques to molecular cellular biology challenges.

Dr. Darrin York (Associate Professor, Chemistry, University of Minnesota Twin Cities)
The York Group develops and applies computational methods to study the molecular mechanisms of RNA catalysis. Simulations using new multi-scale quantum models provide detailed insight into the origins of catalysis and allosteric control factors that regulate RNA reactivity. Simulation results are used to facilitate design of new biomedical technology.