Clinical Genomics at BCBB

Bioinformatics and Computational Biosciences Branch's (BCBB) Clinical Genomics team focuses on analysis of patient-related data, including exome/genome analysis and RNA-seq, to aid in clinical research projects for diagnosis of known diseases and discovery of novel genetic disorders.

Examples of clinical genomics methods we support:

  • Assembly and mapping of short- and long-read sequencing data
  • Variant analysis using standard practices.
  • Rare variant filtering in probands or trios based on genetic inheritance modeling
  • Family group or cohort analysis
  • Transcriptome/RNA-Seq (differential gene expression, splicing, mono-allelic expression)
  • Pathways and network analyses
  • Gene burden analysis (candidate gene hypothesis testing, gene discovery)
  • Structural variant calling from whole genome sequencing data
  • Somatic/mosaic variant calling
  • Linkage analysis and homozygosity mapping

Publications

Collaborator: Steven M. Holland (LCIM), Michail Lionakis (LMI). Immunogenetics associated with severe coccidioidomycosis. JCI Insight. 2022 Nov 22;7(22):e159491.

Collaborator: Steven M. Holland (LCIM), Luigi D. Notarangelo. Clinical exome sequencing of 1000 families with complex immune phenotypes: Toward comprehensive genomic evaluations. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2022 Oct;150(4):947-954. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2022.06.009.

Collaborator: Zhiyong Lu (NCBI). PhenoRerank: A re-ranking model for phenotypic concept recognition pre-trained on human phenotype ontology. Biomed Inform. 2022 May;129:104059. doi: 10.1016/j.jbi.2022.104059.

Collaborator: Michael Lenardo (LISB). Congenital iRHOM2 deficiency causes ADAM17 dysfunction and environmentally directed immunodysregulatory disease. Nat Immunol. 2022 Jan;23(1):75-85. doi: 10.1038/s41590-021-01093-y.

Collaborator: Steven M. Holland (LCIM). Genome-wide association study in patients with pulmonary Mycobacterium avium complex disease. Eur Respir J. 2021 Aug 12;58(2):1902269. doi: 10.1183/13993003.02269-2019.

Collaborator: Helen Su (LCIM). Autoantibodies against type I IFNs in patients with life-threatening COVID-19. Science. 2020 Oct 23;370

Collaborator: Michael Lenardo (LISB). HEM1 deficiency disrupts mTORC2 and F-actin control in inherited immunodysregulatory disease. Science. 2020 Jul 10;369(6500):202-207.

Collaborator: Helen Su (LCIM) and Michael Lenardo (LISB). Extended clinical and immunological phenotype and transplant outcome in CD27 and CD70 deficiency. Blood. 2020 Dec 3;136(23):2638-2655.

Collaborator: Raphaela Goldbach-Mansky. Distinct interferon signatures and cytokine patterns define additional systemic autoinflammatory diseases. J Clin Invest. 2020 Apr 1;130(4):1669-1682.

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Clinical Genomics Bioinformatics Computational Biosciences Branch
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Bioinformatics and Computational Biosciences Branch

Research Team

Team Lead

Andrew J. Oler, Ph.D.

Contact: andrew.oler@nih.gov

Education:

Ph.D., 2011, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT

Languages Spoken: French

Andrew Oler uses computational methods to understand and explain the genetics of rare immunological disorders and infectious disease susceptibilities. He also assists in the development of the Genomic Research Integration System (GRIS), a tool for integrating patient genotype and phenotype information and for prioritizing variants based on Mendelian inheritance models.

Learn more about Andrew J. Oler, Ph.D.

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Team Members

Joanne Berghout, Ph.D.

(Contractor)

Contact: joanne.berghout@nih.gov

Education:

Ph.D., 2014, McGill University, Montreal, QC

BSc, 2003, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON

Joanne Berghout is a geneticist with 15+ years’ experience exploring the role of variation in human disease, especially rare disorders and differential responses to infection. She is excited by genetics and bioinformatics entering its translational era. She’s a member of BCBB’s clinical genomics team, with previous roles as a computational geneticist at Pfizer, research faculty at University of...

Learn more about Joanne Berghout, Ph.D.

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Zeeshan Fazal, Ph.D.

(Contractor)

Contact: zeeshan.fazal@nih.gov

Education:

Ph.D., 2017, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL

MS., 2012, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL

Languages Spoken: Urdu

Zeeshan is working with researchers on clinical genomics projects to discover rare variants in rare diseases. He delivers high-value genomic discoveries and has a strong knowledge of molecular biology, genetics, genomics and immunology (focused on clinical genomics), single and bulk RNA-seq, Chip-seq, DNA methylation, developing workflows for Biomarker identification, as well as bioinformatics...

Learn more about Zeeshan Fazal, Ph.D.

Biju Issac, Ph.D.

(Contractor)

Contact: biju.issac@nih.gov

Education:

Ph.D. 2005 Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India

Languages Spoken: Hindi, Malayalam

Biju Issac is a Bioinformatics with 15+ years of research experience on gene expression in various tumor and other tissue models. He is a transcriptomics specialist within the Science Support Section of BCBB providing analytical and training support to NIAID researchers involving transcriptomics projects. He has broad knowledge in bioinformatics involving bulk RNA-Seq, sc/sn-RNA-Seq, spatial...

Learn more about Biju Issac, Ph.D.

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Eric Karlins, M.S.

(Contractor)

Contact: karlinser@mail.nih.gov

Education:

M.S. in Computer Science, 2024 (expected), Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA

M.S. in Biotechnology, 2002, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

B.S. in Biology, 1998, The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA

Eric has been a Computational Genomics Specialist with Bioinformatics and Computational Bioscience Branch (BCBB) since 2018, and he’s worked at the NIH since 2000. He works performing bioinformatics analysis for genomics projects ranging from Whole Genome Sequencing to Genome Wide Association Study. He also helps with data engineering projects for the Genomic Research Integration System (GRIS)...

Learn more about Eric Karlins, M.S.

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Colton M. McNinch, Ph.D.

(Contractor)

Contact: colton.mcninch@nih.gov

Education:

B.S., 2014, Southwestern College, Winfield, KS

Ph.D, 2020, Iowa State University, Ames, IA

Colton McNinch is a transcriptomics specialist within the Science Support Section of Bioinformatics and Computational Bioscience Branch (BCBB). He provides analytical and training support to NIAID researchers on projects involving RNA-Sequencing data (e.g. Bulk RNA-Seq, scRNA-Seq, and spatial transcriptomics). He was trained as a molecular biologist and currently leverages that expertise in his...

Learn more about Colton M. McNinch, Ph.D.

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Adam X. Miranda

(Contractor)

Education:

Ph.D., Cancer Biology 2024
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN


B.S., Genetics 2017
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

Adam is a transcriptomics specialist within BCBB. He has experience with not only transcriptional analyses but a number of different epigenetic assays including ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq, and HiC. His experience as a bench scientist is an asset to his communication skills and understanding of experimental design. He also enjoys making creative and insightful graphical representations of his findings.

Learn more about Adam X. Miranda

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Section
Research
Content Manager
Darrell Hurt
Content Coordinator
Amy Eury
March 18, 2024

3D Printing and Biovisualization at BCBB

The NIAID 3D Printing and Biovisualization program includes a broad portfolio of initiatives that support NIAID scientists, staff, and the public by helping them to better visualize, understand, and communicate complex data through interactive and immersive experiences.

Major Areas of Focus

3D Modeling and Printing Services

In our 3D Printing Lab, we fabricate custom models of molecular and anatomical data, and custom lab equipment or other hardware. The digital versions of the models can be applied in a range of other 3D modalities, including interactive PowerPoint, 3D PDFs, browser-based 3D, virtual reality, and even augmented reality using a smartphone or tablet. 3D modeling and printing services are available to NIAID researchers and staff at no cost. Contact niaid3Dservices@nih.gov for information.

The NIAID Biovisualization (“BioViz”) Lab

Step into the future of data visualization, where cutting-edge technology meets research innovation. We combine hardware, software, technical support, and scientific subject matter expertise to provide the NIAID community with an array of technologies for advanced visualization and collaboration.

Twelve high-performance workstations are outfitted with the latest VR/AR headsets to explore 3D data ranging from molecular structures to medical images to large, multi-dimensional datasets. With this central resource, we aim to eliminate barriers in learning curves, procurement, and cyberinfrastructure, so that NIAID researchers can focus on their science and immerse themselves in their data like never before.

Designed to be a collaboration space, the lab features expansive high-resolution displays, including a state-of-the-art 16’ x 4.5’ touch-enabled video wall, delivering an unparalleled canvas for exploration and discovery. Smart whiteboards and technologies support ideation and collaboration, and integrated cameras, speakers, and microphones provide an enhanced hybrid meeting experience. The technologies and versatility of the room enable teams to capitalize on time spent in the workplace with more interactive and engaging sessions.

The BioViz Lab is available to anyone across the institute and is located at the NIAID offices at 5601 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD. For information, contact bioviz@nih.gov. Reservations can be made at https://bit.ly/NIAIDBioViz.

Tools

Publications

Buyego et al. Feasibility of virtual reality based training for optimising COVID-19 case handling in Uganda.  BMC Medical Education. 22, 274 (2022). DOI: 10.1056/CAT.21.0321

McCarthy et al. Trust in the Time of Covid-19: 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing (3DP/AM) as a Solution to Supply Chain Gaps. NEJM Catalyst. 2021 Nov 10. https://catalyst.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/CAT.21.0321

Armani et al. Low-tech solutions for the COVID-19 supply chain crisis. Nat Rev Mat. 5, 403–406 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-020-0205-1

Bramlet and Coakley. Ed. K. Farooqi. Utility of a 3D File Database. Chapter in Rapid Prototyping in Cardiac Disease: 3D Printing the Heart. Springer International Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-53523-4.

Bramlet et al. Impact of 3D Printing on the Study and Treatment of Congenital Heart Disease. Circ Res. 2017 Mar 17. PMC5439501.

Beltrame et al. 3D Printing of Biomolecular Models for Research and Pedagogy. J Vis Exp. 2017 Mar 13. PMC5408980.

Coakley MF and Hurt DE. 3D Printing in the Laboratory: Maximize Time and Funds with Customized and Open-Source Labware. J Lab Autom. 2016 Aug 2. PMC5380887.

Coakley MF, et al. The NIH 3D Print Exchange: A Public Resource for Bioscientific and Biomedical 3D Prints. 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing. 2014 Sept 1. PMC4981148.

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Bioinformatics and Computational Biosciences Branch

Research Team

Team Lead

Meghan C. McCarthy, M.S., Ph.D.

(Contractor)

Contact: meghan.mccarthy@nih.gov

Education:

Ph.D., 2014, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

M.S., 2007, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

B.S., 2003, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

Dr. Meghan McCarthy manages a portfolio dedicated to advanced data visualization and training in immersive environments. Projects include NIH 3D and PathogenAR, and services for 3D printing. The NIAID Biovisualization Lab provides hardware, support, and scientific expertise for visualization of multi-dimensional datasets and 3D molecular and medical imaging data in virtual/augmented reality.

Learn more about Meghan C. McCarthy, M.S., Ph.D.

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Team Members

Kristen Browne M.Sc., M.Sc., B.M.C.

(Contractor)

Contact: kristen.browne@nih.gov

Education:

M.Sc., Biomedical Communications, 2015, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

M.Sc., Zoology, 2009, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

B.Sc., Biochemistry, 2005, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada

Languages Spoken: French

Kristen’s time is distributed between the management, analysis, design, and development of software products, and the design and construction of 3D objects from scientific data sources (medical imaging, molecular structures, etc.). She is involved with the management, product design, and development of NIH 3D, PathogenAR, TB in 3D, and PaVE 3D. She was also involved in the analysis and product...

Learn more about Kristen Browne M.Sc., M.Sc., B.M.C.

Phillip Cruz, Ph.D.

(Contractor)

Contact: phil.cruz@nih.gov

Education:

Ph.D., 1983, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA

B.S., 1977, California State University Fresno, Fresno, CA

As a research scientist at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Phil performs structural biology computations in collaboration with NIH intramural researchers. Before joining the NIH, he was on the faculty of Wright State University School of Medicine, and then worked in industry at the molecular modeling company Tripos. His research utilizes molecular modeling, simulation, and advanced...

Learn more about Phillip Cruz, Ph.D.

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Victor Starr Kramer

(Contractor)

Contact: victor.starrkramer@nih.gov

Education:

A.A., 2018, Montgomery College Rockville, MD

Victor Starr Kramer is a visualization technology specialist that supports the Biovisualization and 3D printing services. Interests include Virtual Reality, 3D Printing, Augmented reality, high performance computing hardware design, and 3D modeling.

Learn more about Victor Starr Kramer

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Section
Research
Content Manager
Darrell Hurt
Content Coordinator
Amy Eury
February 18, 2025

Integrated Research Facility Leadership and Scientists

Personnel at the Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick (IRF-Frederick) work in a collaborative manner within and between teams and with external partners and affiliates.

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Integrated Research Facility Leadership and Scientists
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IRF-Frederick Leadership

Connie Schmaljohn, Ph.D.

Director, Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick
Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR)

Dr. Connie Schmaljohn was selected and became Director, IRF-Frederick in November 2019. Prior to that time, she was Senior Research Scientist for Medical Defenses Against Infectious Disease Threats and directed a research program at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). Dr. Schmaljohn earned a B.S. degree in microbiology from the University of Nebraska and a...

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Ian Crozier, M.D.

Chief Medical Officer
Medical Affairs Scientist
(Contractor)

As chief medical officer, Dr. Crozier provides support to bridge the human clinical bedside and animal models of emerging high-threat infectious diseases. He is an infectious diseases clinician-scientist who brings extensive experience at the Ebola virus disease outbreak bedside, including in ongoing clinical research efforts in Western Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Dr. Crozier...

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Sarah L. Donahue, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Associate Director for Management and Operations

Dr. Donahue has been in her current role at the IRF-Frederick since 2021. She has extensive experience as a senior civilian leader with the U.S. Army, most recently having served as the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army Medical Research and Development Command at Fort Detrick, overseeing the operational management of the Army’s medical research and development organization since 2015. Prior to...

Learn more about Sarah L. Donahue, Ph.D., M.P.H.

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Mike Holbrook, Ph.D.

Associate Director for High Containment

Dr. Holbrook has been working in biocontainment research for more than 20 years with recognized expertise in biocontainment facilities, resources, and research management. Dr. Holbrook has a broad research portfolio with practical research experience working with arenaviruses, bunyaviruses, filoviruses, flaviviruses, and henipaviruses. His research interests include viral pathogenesis, viral...

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Travis K. Warren, Ph.D.

Operations Director
(Contractor)

With over 20 years of experience conducting and leading infectious disease research, Dr. Warren’s data from nonclinical studies have contributed to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals of tecoviromat for treatment of smallpox and remdesivir for treatment of SARS-CoV-2. He specializes in animal rule regulatory model characterizations and therapeutic development for highly infectious...

Learn more about Travis K. Warren, Ph.D.

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Scientific and Technical Services

Jens H. Kuhn, M.D., Ph.D., Ph.D., M.S.

Principal Scientist
Director of Virology
(Contractor)

Education:

M.S. (Biochemistry), 1999, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Ph.D. (Medical Sciences), 2003, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
M.D. (Human Medicine), 2004, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Ph.D. (Biochemistry), 2008, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Languages Spoken: German, Mandarin, French

Dr. Kuhn specializes in highly virulent Risk Group 3/4 viruses. He focuses on in vitro and in vivo pathogenesis and viral characterization studies, medical countermeasure development and efficacy evaluation, clinical trial support, biological arms control and threat reduction, international bioengagement and capacity building, and general RNA virus discovery, diversity, phylogeny, and taxonomy.

Learn more about Jens H. Kuhn, M.D., Ph.D., Ph.D., M.S.

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Venkatesh Mani, Ph.D.

Principal Scientist
Director of Imaging and Maximum Containment
(Contractor)

Dr. Mani Dr. Mani joined the IRF-Frederick in 2021. Prior to that, he was a senior faculty member in the Department of Radiology and the Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Institute (BMEII) of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York. There he leveraged his deep technical expertise to lead the Institute efforts in cardiovascular disease clinical drug trials including multi-modality...

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Marisa St. Claire, D.V.M., M.S., Diplomate ACLAM

Chief Veterinarian

Dr. St. Claire oversees the Comparative Medicine Program, including all aspects of animal care and use. She is board-certified by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) and has over 20 years of experience conducting infectious disease research using animal models for NIAID.

Learn more about Marisa St. Claire, D.V.M., M.S., Diplomate ACLAM

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Michele Di Mascio, Ph.D.

Chief, AIDS Imaging Research

Dr. Di Mascio is the Chief of the AIDS Imaging Research Section of the Integrated Research Facility and the Chief of the Mathematical Biology Section of the Biostatistics Research Branch at the Division of Clinical Research of NIAID. After his postdoctoral research work at the Theoretical Division of the Los Alamos National Laboratory of Los Alamos, New Mexico, he moved to NIH (in 2003), where he...

Learn more about Michele Di Mascio, Ph.D.

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Section
Research
Content Manager
Anya Crane
Content Coordinator
Catherine Bullis
Division
Division of Clinical Research (DCR)
March 04, 2024

NIAID Emerging Leaders in Data Science Fellows

Fellows complete data science projects in ODSET and throughout NIAID, developing new skills and supporting the NIAID mission. To learn more about the Emerging Leaders in Data Science Fellowship, please visit the NIAID Emerging Leaders in Data Sciences Fellowship Program page.

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NIAID Emerging Leaders in Data Science Fellows
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Data Science

Current Fellows

Rachel Waymack, Ph.D.

Fellow, NIAID Emerging Leaders in Data Science Fellowship

Education:

Ph.D., University of California, Irvine
B.S., College of William and Mary

Rachel received her Ph.D. in Developmental and Cell Biology from the University of California, Irvine. Her doctoral thesis focused on mechanisms of gene regulation during embryonic development, using both computational and experimental approaches such as quantitative fluorescence microscopy, automated image analysis, and stochastic models. After completing her Ph.D., Rachel worked as an ORISE post...

Learn more about Rachel Waymack, Ph.D.

Cristina Delgado, M.Sc.

Fellow, NIAID Emerging Leaders in Data Science Fellowship

Education:

M.Sc., University of Edinburgh
B.Sc., Biotechnology Engineering, Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey

Cristina is passionate about using data science to address critical health challenges and has collaborated on interdisciplinary projects across research settings in Mexico, the UK, and the US. As an undergraduate, she applied data science techniques to analyze various biological organisms and bioprocesses. In her postgraduate training, she focused on using computational methods to understand the...

Learn more about Cristina Delgado, M.Sc.

Previous Fellows

Alumni of the Emerging Leaders in Data Science Fellowship have pursued careers at federal health agencies and in the private sector, working in epidemiology, bioinformatics, text mining, machine learning, natural language processing, mathematical modeling, and software development.

Niamh Mulrooney, M.D.

Niamh received her B.S. in Public Health Sciences from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was the inaugural fellow for the Emerging Leaders in Data Science Fellowship program. After completing the fellowship in 2019, Niamh conducted research in Swaziland under a Fulbright Scholarship before starting medical school at the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Chris Barousse

Chris completed her B.S. in Statistics at Baylor University. Her fellowship rotations included projects on funding success, clinical trials, epidemiology, and microbiomes. After graduating in 2020, Chris started pursuing a Ph.D. in Biostatistics from the University of Michigan.

Kelly Carey, M.P.H.

Kelly received her B.S. in Bioengineering from Pennsylvania State University and her M.P.H. in Epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh. Her fellowship rotations included work in epidemiology, biostatistics, and prediction of vaccine impact. Upon graduation in 2020, Kelly joined the Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Byron Gaskin, M.S., Ph.D.

Byron completed his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Florida International University and both his M.S. in Mechanical Engineers and Ph.D. in Bioengineering from Pennsylvania State University. He completed rotations in predictive modeling, artificial intelligence and machine learning  (AI/ML), and natural language processing during his fellowship. After graduating in 2020, Byron started as a data scientist with Booz Allen Hamilton.

Leo Meister, M.S.

Leo received both his B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Rice University. During his fellowship, Leo completed rotations including machine learning, meta-analysis, immunology, and microbiome research. After graduating in 2020, Leo started working as a data scientist with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid’s Office of Enterprise Data and Analytics.

Kyle Webb, M.S.

Kyle completed his B.S. in Statistics at Wake Forest University and his M.S. in Statistics at Virginia Tech. His fellowship rotations included software development, bioinformatics, computational modeling, and epidemiology. Kyle joined NHGRI as a contractor after graduating in 2020.

Sydney Foote, M.P.H.

Sydney received both her B.S. in Microbiology and her M.P.H. in Epidemiology from the University of Michigan. Before graduating from the fellowship in 2021, she completed rotations in bioinformatics, epidemiology, natural language processing, and data visualization. Sydney is now a data scientist with ODSET.

Sara Jones, M.S.

Sara completed her B.S. in Biological Science at the University of California, Davis and her M.S. in Bioinformatics at Johns Hopkins University. Her fellowship rotations included proteomic analysis, bioinformatics, portfolio analysis, and natural language processing. Upon graduation in 2021, Sara started as a data scientist at National Cancer Institute (NCI).

Komi Messan, M.S., Ph.D.

Komi received his B.S. and M.S. in Applied Mathematics from North Carolina A&T State University and his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics for Life and Social Sciences at Arizona State University. During his fellowship, Komi completed rotations in portfolio analysis, text mining, and machine learning. Komi joined NIAID’s Office of Strategic Planning, Initiative Development, and Analysis as a mathematical statistician after graduating in 2021.

Meghan Hartwick, M.Sc., Ph.D.

Meg earned her M.Sc. in Conservation Medicine at Tufts University and her Ph.D. in Molecular and Evolution Systems Biology at University of New Hampshire. Her fellowship rotations included developing software and tools, harmonizing clinical trials data, forecasting with mathematical models, and bioinformatics. After her fellowship, Meg joined ODSET as a data scientist.

Lisa Mayer, M.P.H.

Lisa completed her M.P.H. in Epidemiology from the University of Michigan. As a fellow, she worked on rotations in epidemiology, machine learning, natural language processing, FAIR data, web scraping, big data, and bioinformatics. She completed the fellowship in 2022 and works with ODSET as a data scientist.

Jennifer Rokhsar, D.V.M., M.P.H.

Jennifer received her D.V.M. from Cornell University in Production Animal Medicine and her M.P.H. from Drexel University in Epidemiology & Biostatistics. Her fellowship rotations involved mathematical modeling, software development, bioinformatics, and viral evolution. She finished the fellowship in 2022 and returned to practicing veterinary medicine while working on her Ph.D.

Mark Rustad, M.S., Ph.D.

Mark earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Minnesota. During his fellowship, he worked on projects covering topics such as data visualization, bioinformatics, data mining, machine learning, and using large public datasets. After graduating in 2022, Mark joined the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow.

Fausto Andres Bustos Carrillo, M.A., Ph.D

Fausto received both a PhD in Epidemiology and an MA in Biostatistics from the University of California, Berkeley and an MS in Epidemiology from Harvard University. His fellowship projects included data science landscape assessment, SARS-Cov-2 immunology, and links between climate change and health. He completed the fellowship in 2023 and joined NIH’s Division of Intramural Research as part of the Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) Fellowship.

Camille Lake, Ph.D.

Camille completed her Ph.D. in Immunology at Uniformed Services University. Her fellowship projects covered topics such as immunology, proteomics, bioinformatics, data visualization, and machine learning for drug prediction. In 2023, she joined Deloitte as a bioinformatics data scientist.

Diego Seira, M.S.

Diego earned his M.S. in Statistics and his B.S. in Mathematics at the University of Texas at El Paso. During his fellowship, his projects included developing a Python project for complex survival analysis, assessing COVID-19 hospitalization rates and risk factors for clinical trial design, and analyzing COVID-1 vaccine response for patients with immune deficiencies. After completing the fellowship in 2023, he joined NIAID’s Data Analysis Research Branch as a Statistician.

Linh Shinguyen, M.S.

Linh received his M.S. in Data Science from Vanderbilt University. As a fellow, he worked on natural language processing for research performance reports, predictive modeling for post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2, multimodal characterization of Multiple Sclerosis patients, and other data science projects throughout the NIAID mission area. He graduated the fellowship in 2023 and joined the Health Resources and Services Administration.

Rahul Subramanian, Ph.D.

Rahul earned his Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution from the University of Chicago and his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Princeton University. His fellowship work included characterizing the DAIDS portfolio data landscape, evaluating impact of multiple COVID-19 exposures on breadth of immunity, and analysis of Phage-ImmunoPrecication sequencing data to quantify prior exposure to poxvirus. He completed the fellowship in 2023 to start an IRTA postdoctoral research fellowship in the Human Immunology Section of at NIAID’s Vaccine Research Center.

Section
Research
Content Manager
Reed Shabman
Content Coordinator
Sydney Foote
Lisa Mayer
November 22, 2024

Office of Data Science and Emerging Technologies

The Office of Data Science and Emerging Technologies (ODSET) coordinates the development and implementation of NIAID’s data science strategy across its entire global portfolio of research and training programs. The overall goal of the office is to enable the efficient use of data and computational methods to better understand, treat, and ultimately prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases. Read more about ODSET. 

Get in touch: Contact ODSET staff at datascience@niaid.nih.gov. 

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Office of Data Science and Emerging Technologies
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ODSET Team

Reed S. Shabman, Ph.D.

Acting Director

Education:

Ph.D., University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill

Reed Shabman, Ph.D., has over 15 years of laboratory and scientific administrative leadership spanning infectious diseases and their vectors. His experiences with biomedical data have shaped a perspective that data science approaches and efficient data sharing are cornerstones of infectious and immune-mediated research and are required to effectively respond to emerging and re-emerging infectious...

Learn more about Reed S. Shabman, Ph.D.

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Sydney Foote, M.P.H. [E]

Data Scientist

Education:

B.S., M.P.H., University of Michigan

Sydney is a Data Scientist in the Office of Data Science and Emerging Technologies (ODSET) where she leads the implementation of various NIH data sharing policies, manages controlled data access and sharing, coordinates and participates in several working groups, and co-leads a portfolio analysis of data science at NIAID. Through her work, she supports broad sharing of scientific data to advance...

Learn more about Sydney Foote, M.P.H. [E]

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Meghan Hartwick, M.Sc., Ph.D. [E]

Program Officer

Education:

M.Sc., Tufts University
Ph.D., University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH

Meghan Hartwick is a Program Officer in the Office of Science and Emerging Technologies (ODSET). During her Ph.D. work in Molecular and Evolution Systems Biology (MESB) at the University of New Hampshire and MSc work in Conservation Medicine with Tufts University, she developed mathematical models and bioinformatic approaches to predict public health risk from emerging water and foodborne...

Learn more about Meghan Hartwick, M.Sc., Ph.D. [E]

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Lisa Mayer, M.P.H [C]

Data Scientist

Education:

M.P.H., University of Michigan

Lisa is a Data Scientist in the Office of Data Science and Emerging Technologies (ODSET) where she tracks and analyzes NIAID-relevant data assets for FAIR compliance as the Data Asset Coordinator and fosters community engagement through management of the NIAID Data Science website. Previously she worked with the office as a fellow through the Emerging Leaders in Data Science program completing...

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Sepideh Mazrouee, M.S., Ph.D.

DATA Scholar

Education:

M.S., University of Texas at Dallas

Ph.D., University of California Los Angeles

Sepideh Mazrouee, Ph.D., is a computer scientist by training and is currently a Data and Technology Advancement (DATA) Scholar in the Office of Data Science and Emerging Technologies (ODSET). Sepideh received her PhD from the University of California Los Angeles specializing in big data analytics of human and plant DNA sequence reconstruction. She has worked as a research scientist and...

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John J. McGowan, M.S., Ph.D. [C]

Data Science Consultant

Education:

M.S., Ph.D., University of Mississippi

Dr. John J. McGowan launched the Office of Data Science and Emerging Technologies and was the acting head of ODSET while he recruited Wilbert into the position before retiring but remains with the ODSET team as a consultant. Even before launching ODSET, Dr. McGowan had an extremely successful career at the NIH and NIAID, including serving as the Acting Deputy Directory for Management, the Director...

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Dasha Pokutnaya, M.P.H., Ph.D. [C]

Data Scientist

Education:

M.P.H., Yale 
Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh

Dasha received her MPH in Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases with a concentration in public health modeling from the Yale School of Public Health and her PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh. During her PhD, she developed and validated an implementation framework and checklist to support the publication of reproducible infectious disease computational modeling studies. As a Data...

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Fellows

ODSET is currently hosting two Emerging Leaders in Data Science Fellows: Rachel Waymack and Cristina Delgado. More details about the fellowship program and current and past Fellows are available on the Emerging Leaders in Data Science Fellowship Program page.

Rachel Waymack, Ph.D.

Fellow, NIAID Emerging Leaders in Data Science Fellowship

Education:

Ph.D., University of California, Irvine
B.S., College of William and Mary

Rachel received her Ph.D. in Developmental and Cell Biology from the University of California, Irvine. Her doctoral thesis focused on mechanisms of gene regulation during embryonic development, using both computational and experimental approaches such as quantitative fluorescence microscopy, automated image analysis, and stochastic models. After completing her Ph.D., Rachel worked as an ORISE post...

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Cristina Delgado, M.Sc.

Fellow, NIAID Emerging Leaders in Data Science Fellowship

Education:

M.Sc., University of Edinburgh
B.Sc., Biotechnology Engineering, Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey

Cristina is passionate about using data science to address critical health challenges and has collaborated on interdisciplinary projects across research settings in Mexico, the UK, and the US. As an undergraduate, she applied data science techniques to analyze various biological organisms and bioprocesses. In her postgraduate training, she focused on using computational methods to understand the...

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Previous Staff

A listing of previous staff can be found on Data Science Career Paths.

About ODSET

Given the global reach of the NIAID research community, ODSET aims to advance data science for infectious and immune-mediated disease research worldwide. Areas of emphasis for ODSET include:

  • Providing centralized leadership and vision for the role of data science in accelerating research in top NIAID strategic areas, including research on HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, influenza, COVID-19, and many other areas of emphasis
  • Developing new research and training initiatives that include data science methods, approaches, and technologies in close collaboration with the seven NIAID intramural and extramural divisions and with colleagues in the NIAID Office of the Director
  • Improving the discovery, access, and use of NIAID relevant data for computational analytical methods, following the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles as a roadmap
  • Advancing the use of data science methods and technologies, such as AI, for improved preparedness against emerging infectious diseases and pandemic threats jointly with colleagues from across NIAID and the US Government
  • Providing scientific expertise in data science subdomains, such as artificial intelligence, systems modeling, informatics research, (meta)data representations and interoperability, cloud-based technologies, and data repositories, as well as their applications, to NIAID research and training programs

By way of its broad mission, ODSET supports all NIAID initiatives towards the discovery of new diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines to address some of the largest global health threats of our time.

Section
Research
Content Manager
Reed Shabman
Content Coordinator
Lisa Mayer
Sydney Foote
March 20, 2025
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