Research Program

Computation is the vanguard of today’s life sciences (biomedical, food and agricultural) research. UMR’s Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (BICB) program is at the vanguard of life sciences computation. We combine the strengths and skills of eight internationally renowned partners - University of Minnesota Rochester, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Mayo Clinic, IBM, The Hormel Institute, Cray, Inc., National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), and the Brain Sciences Center - to create a one-of-a-kind opportunity for research and graduate education at the intersection of quantitative sciences, biology, medicine, food and agriculture.

A strong representation of expertise in these fields has therefore become essential for any research university or clinical enterprise. With the rapid growth of data in the life and health sciences, there is a mounting need to train scientists who are experts in these quantitative sciences and familiar with the language of the life and health sciences. This need is reflected in job opportunities in academia, industry, and clinics for scientists trained in this interdisciplinary environment.

The establishment of the University of Minnesota Rochester campus provides the unique opportunity to build on existing capacity in both the Rochester area and on the Twin Cities campus to meet educational needs in this scientific field in Minnesota. The University of Minnesota established the Biomedical Informatics and Computational Biology (BICB) program (now called Bioinformatics and Computational Biology) in spring 2007 with legislative funding and support driven by the recommendations of the Governor of Minnesota’s appointed Rochester Higher Education Development Committee. The mission of the BICB program is to conduct research and provide education through the establishment of academic and research programs. All BICB academic and research programs are established between the University of Minnesota Rochester and University of Minnesota Twin Cities (UMTC) with collaboration from Mayo Clinic, IBM, The Hormel Institute, Cray Inc. and National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP).

Mission and Focus

Mission
The mission of the Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (BICB) graduate program is to provide interdisciplinary education in the area of biomedical informatics and computational biology at the interface of quantitative sciences, medicine, and biology. Graduate students receive training in the development and applications of computational methods and work in interdisciplinary teams of life scientists and computational scientists.

Faculty provide education through formal coursework, research seminars, and one-on-one advising. The focus of the Ph.D. program is on development toward independent research in an interdisciplinary environment. The M.S. program has two plans: Plan A includes a Master's thesis (10 credits) in addition to coursework (20 credits); Plan B is primarily focused on coursework (30 credits) with a capstone project (120 hours).

Focus
The programmatic focus of the BICB graduate program is at the interface of quantitative sciences, medicine, and biology, and thus by its nature, highly interdisciplinary. The graduate program trains graduate students in the development and applications of computational methods and to work in interdisciplinary teams of life scientists and computational scientists. The program offers industrial and clinical internships and training in business leadership, technology management, and ethics to prepare students for the workplace. In addition, the program provides a mentoring program for students and junior faculty that will serve as a model for interdisciplinary graduate education. The Minor addresses the needs of the rapidly increasing user group that includes graduate students in the life and health sciences, physical and chemical sciences, and engineering and computer sciences.