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Healthy People Innovation

Biology Through Numbers

Through the Biological Informatics and Genomics (BIG) initiative, Oregon State is building expertise to apply the latest research results to human health, agricultural crops and other pressing needs. Each new faculty member combines experience in biology, math and computational science.

hendrix
David Hendrix
Patrick De Leenheer
Patrick De Leenheer

The generation of huge data sets in gene-sequencing and computer-modeling labs challenges scientists to develop new approaches to information. “Genomics and biocomputing are important areas for the university, and we have invested in faculty in this area in the past two hiring cycles,” says Provost Sabah Randhawa.

Through the Biological Informatics and Genomics (BIG) initiative, Oregon State is building expertise to apply the latest research results to human health, agricultural crops and other pressing needs. Each new faculty member combines experience in biology, math and computational science.

Thomas Sharpton
Thomas Sharpton
Stephen Ramsey
Stephen Ramsey

Researchers brought to OSU include:

  • David Hendrix, Biochemistry and Biophysics and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
  • Patrick De Leenheer, Mathematics and Integrative Biology
  • Thomas Sharpton, Microbiology and Statistics
  • Stephen Ramsey, Medical Biology and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

In addition, an undergraduate program (Bioinformatics and Data Science) and a graduate program (Biological Data Science) are in development.

By Nick Houtman

Nick Houtman is director of research communications at OSU and edits Terra, a world of research and creativity at Oregon State University. He has experience in weekly and daily print journalism and university science writing. A native Californian, he lived in Wisconsin and Maine before arriving in Corvallis in 2005.