U-M has chosen a nationally renowned leader in computational medicine and bioinformatics as the first chair of its newly created department in this emerging field.
Brian Athey, is the inaugural chair of the new Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics. The Board of Regents approved the appointment at its Jan. 19 meeting.
“In addition to being an exemplary thought leader in computational medicine and bioinformatics, Dr. Athey has made significant contributions in research, clinical translation and the education of a new generation of scholars,” says Dr. James Woolliscroft, dean of the Medical School and the Lyle C. Roll Professor of Medicine.
Computational biology and medicine is the process of modeling, analyzing and interpreting biological data, and bioinformatics is the science in which biology, information and computer science, coupled with information technology, combine to provide new biological and biomedical insights. Computational medicine and bioinformatics are applied fields and rely on an interdisciplinary research culture for success, and underpin the future of biological and biomedical research.
The Medical School brings these related areas together in a single department and builds on the successes of an existing institution, the Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, which was created as a campuswide center in 2005.
The new Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics will create novel and impactful informatics and computationally based methods, tools, algorithms and resources to extend basic and clinical research capabilities and results.
This department will enable further academic growth of the faculty and trainees of this highly competitive discipline and will help the Medical School attract the best new faculty and students to the university. The department will continue to support the collaborative environment that has successfully built bridges to faculty across the university in research and training.
The department consists of the Bioinformatics Graduate Program, the Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics (CCMB), the Bioinformatics Analysis Core, and the National Center for Integrative Biomedical Informatics.
“Brian has been a full partner with me as we founded the Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics together in 2005. I look forward to continue working with him as a member of this new department’s faculty and as continuing director of the CCMB,” says Dr. Gilbert Omenn, professor of internal medicine, human genetics and public health, and founding director, CCMB.
Trained as a biophysicist, Athey received his doctorate in cellular and molecular biology (biophysics concentration) from U-M in 1990.
Athey serves on numerous government panels and academic advisory boards and regularly gives keynote and plenary lectures nationwide. He has been a leading voice on universitywide and UMHS cyberinfrastructure strategy executive committees, and was co-chair of the Athey-Glotzer Cyberinfrastructure Commission at U-M, co-sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research and Office of the Provost.
In addition to his position as chair, Athey will continue as professor of psychiatry and professor of internal medicine in the medical school.
