A. Keith Dunker, PhD, was the inaugural leader of the Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics founded in 2003. Since its founding, the CCBB has expanded into a cross-disciplinary research center supporting faculty with a focus in areas that include Statistical and Population Genetics, Computational and Functional Proteomics, Data Sciences, Drug Development, Genetics and Functional Genomics, and Pharmacogenomics and Therapeutic Response. Dunker's area of expertise focuses on understanding intrinsically disordered proteins using bioinformatics approaches and laboratory experiments begun in the mid-1980's. In the mid-1990's, he used bioinformatics to study intrinsically disordered proteins. He and his collaborators were the first to consider these proteins as a distinct class with important biological functions and his research included the improvement of intrinsic disorder predictions to identify different types of disorder that could be used to understand the relationships between the different types of disorder and protein function. His work pioneered the concept that protein structure is not required for biological function. In 2021, Dr. Dunker was elected as a Fellow of the International Society of Computational Biology (ISCB).
For this lectureship, we invite nominations for faculty research programs who also apply computational and bioinformatics tools to advance our understanding of biological processes.
Eligibility
The lecturer shall be:
- an expert in computational biology and bioinformatics with research in one of the CCBB focus areas (computational and functional proteomics, data sciences, drug development, genetics and functional genomics, and pharmacogenomics and therapeutic response).
- a tenure track faculty member at the rank of associate professor or above.
- available to attend the annual CCBB retreat.
Criteria for selection
Nominees will be considered based on a combination of the following:
- accomplishments that have pushed their relative field forward through application or advancement of computational or bioinformatics tools.
- citizenship and service as members of their academic discipline.
- research interests and fit within the areas of focus for the CCBB.
- demonstrated commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within their academic unit, research field and/or professional societies.
For more information on the nomination and selection process for this lectureship, please email Amber Mosley, PhD.
A. Keith Dunker Lectureship Awardees
2024 — Hongyu Zhao, PhD, Yale University
2023 — Ken Dill, PhD, Stony Brook University