other stuff
Anti-racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
This lab is committed to:- creating an inclusive environment where everyone's unique strengths and identity are welcomed and celebrated
- improving diversity and representation in the sciences and elsewhere
- combating racism in our norms and institutions
We are committed to both thought and action in pursuit of these goals. Our lab is part of a team that created and teach the course BI510 - Institutional Racism in Health and Science (IRHS) that traces racism in our health and science systems to their historic roots through to the present day. These materials have been adapted into Massachusetts School Nursing professional development workshops in collaboration with the BU School Health Institute for Education and Leadership Development and into the BU Bioinformatics PhD program Challenge Project course with support from an NSF T32 supplement. The IRHS team is composed of faculty and staff from Biology, Bioinformatics, Neurology, BU Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, and Newcastle University in the UK.
Bioinformatics Education
Our lab is intimately integrated with the BU Bioinformatics MS Program, where Adam serves as Director of Graduate Studies. We believe that theory without practice is like a bird with one wing, and we strive to ground our materials and pedagogical approaches with a pragmatic perspective. We also believe that course materials should be free and accessible to all. Our group created and/or supports the following classes and educational initiatives:
BF591 - R for Biological Science
This course introduces the R programming language through the lens of practitioners in the biological sciences, particularly biology and bioinformatics. The course materials are presented as a free online textbook under a Creative Commons license.
BF528 - Applications in Translational Bioinformatics
The objective of this course is expose students to the topics and technologies used in modern bioinformatics studies. The course covers a mix of biological and computational topics. The course materials are presented as a free online slides under a Creative Commons license.
BI510 - Institutional Racism in Health and Science
This course traces the historical roots of racism in science through to its modern manifestations, examines the harmful consequences on victims’ health outcomes, and presents ideas, approaches, and practices to ameliorate and eradicate the presence of racism in our institutions. The course materials are presented as a free online slides under a Creative Commons license.
Bioinformatics Masters Summer Internship Program
BMSIP is a match making program that connects BU biological and biomedical investigators with BU Bioinformatics MS students seeking internships to complete their degree. Mentorship and project oversight is provided by a staff bioinformatics scientist in collaboration with the PI. Projects are chosen by a competitive proposal process in the spring and commence in the summer. The BMSIP was created in 2021 as a collaboration between the BU Bioinformatics MS Program and the Genome Science Institute (GSI) at the BU Chobanian & Avedesian School of Medicine.
VA PTSD Brain Bank Bioinformatics Infrastructure
The National Center for PTSD of the US Department of Veteran's Affairs maintains an intensive research and clinical care operation for veterans affected by PTSD. The PTSD Brain Bank is a part of the National Center that collects and maintains brain and central nervous system tissue donated by individuals with PTSD and their families. The Brain Bank receives US Congressional funding to sustain its operations, which includes the generation, storage, analysis, and sharing of molecular 'omics and other data using the brains it collects. The Brain Bank currently has data from multiple brain regions for over 300 brains hosted in a dedicated Amazon Web Services enclave. Our lab drives the implementation of cloud-based systems and the bioinformatics infrastructure needed to maintain and analyze these data.