Jung Choi

Jung Choi

Jung Choi

Associate Professor, School of Biological Sciences
Director, M.S. Program in Bioinformatics

Jung Choi is an associate professor in the School of Biology at Georgia Tech and director of the Professional Masters program in Bioinformatics. He has been at Georgia Tech since 1986. Choi has done research on plant protein kinases with calmodulin-like domains, and some research with yeast lipid metabolism that has yet to bear fruit. He has taught a wide variety of courses, but most enjoys teaching large intro lecture courses – which he finds both challenging and rewarding.

jung.choi@biology.gatech.edu

404.894.8423

Office Location:
Cherry Emerson 213

Google Scholar

Research Focus Areas:
  • Biobased Materials
Additional Research:
Bioinformatics; Kinetics; Materials Testing; Materials Synthesis and Processing

IRI Connections:

Sharon Sonenblum

Sharon Sonenblum

Sharon Sonenblum

Senior Research Scientist

Educational Experience:
Doctor of Philosophy, December 2009, Georgia Institute of Technology (Bioengineering), Masters of Science, May 2003, Brown University (Bioengineering), Bachelor of Science, May 2002, Brown University (Mechanical Engineering)
Research Interests:
Wheeled mobility and seating, Pressure ulcer prevention and early detection, Assistive technology, Rehabilitation engineering.

sharon.sonenblum@coa.gatech.edu

404-385-0633

  • Lab Website

    IRI Connections:

    Farzaneh Najafi

    Farzaneh Najafi

    Farzaneh Najafi

    Assistant Professor

    Overview:
    Our brain not only processes sensory signals but also makes predictions about the world. Generating and updating predictions are essential for our survival in a rapidly changing environment. Multiple brain regions including the cerebellum and the cortex are thought to be involved in the processing of prediction signals (aka predictive processing). However, it is not clear what circuit mechanisms and computations underlie predictive processing in each region, and how the cortical and cerebellar prediction signals interact to support cognitive and sensorimotor behavior. Our lab is interested in figuring out these questions by using advanced experimental and computational techniques in systems neuroscience.

    fnajafi3@gatech.edu

    2672519137

    Office Location:
    IBB 3314

    Najafi Lab Website

    Research Focus Areas:
    • Big Data
    • Machine Learning
    • Neuroscience
    • Systems Biology
    Additional Research:

    Research Interests: Systems and behavioral neuroscience; Computational neuroscience; Predictive processing; Brain area interactions; Cortex and cerebellum; Population coding


    IRI Connections:

    Joseph Lachance

    Joseph Lachance

    Joseph Lachance

    Assistant Professor

    Joe Lachance is an Assistant Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at Georgia Institute of Technology and a member of the Cell and Molecular Biology Research Program at Winship Cancer Institute.

    Lachance received his Ph.D. in Genetics from Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York. He conducted his postdoctoral studies as a NIH Kirschstein postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania.

    Lachance's research is in the areas of human evolutionary genomics, population genetics, and health disparities. His lab integrates large genome-scale datasets with evolutionary theory and computer simulations. They have found evidence of ancient introgression in Africa, inferred that the leading edge of the out-of-Africa migration involved an excess of males, discovered that genetic risks of cancer have decreased over evolutionary time, and identified novel targets of positive selection.

    joseph.lachance@biology.gatech.edu

    404-894-0794

    Office Location:
    EBB 2103

    Website

  • Related Site
  • Google Scholar

    Research Focus Areas:
    • Molecular Evolution

    IRI Connections:

    James Stroud

    James Stroud

    James Stroud

    Assistant Professor

    Educational Experience:
    Ph.D., Ecology & Evolution, Florida International University, B.Sc. (Hons), Zoology with Conservation, University of Wales
    Research Interests:
    Evolutionary ecology, community ecology, species interactions, microevolution, macroevolution, herpetology, global change biology, climate change, invasive species, functional morphology


    Overview:
    Welcome to the Stroud Lab!

    Our goal is to understand the ecological and evolutionary processes responsible for driving patterns of biodiversity across space and time. To do that, we study the evolutionary ecology of lizards: a fascinating and hyper-diverse group of organisms.

    Our approach is highly multidisciplinary, integrating ecology, evolution, behavior, physiology, biomechanics, and natural history. To do this, we combine field studies in the wild with macro-ecological and evolutionary analyses.

    For more information on our key research themes please take a look at our website (above; soon to be updated) and please get in contact if any of our research interests you!

    stroud@gatech.edu

    https://www.jameststroud.com/

    Google Scholar


    IRI Connections:

    Eric Gaucher

    Eric Gaucher

    Eric Gaucher

    Adjunct Associate Professor

    Gaucher was guided in biochemistry by Peter Tipton and Bayesian Theory by George Smith. Gaucher subsequently earned his Ph.D. from the University of Florida under the tutelage of Steve Benner and Michael Miyamoto.[1] Gaucher received the Walter M. Fitch Award from the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution for his graduate work.[2] He then did postdoctoral work with NASA's Astrobiology Institute in conjunction with a National Research Council Fellowship. After the two-year fellowship, Gaucher served as President of the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution.

    Gaucher was hired as an Associate Professor by the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2008 [1][3][4] The Gaucher group conducts basic and applied research at the interface of molecular evolution and synthetic biology. As of February 2016, his h-index, as calculated by Google Scholar, is 25.[5]

    Gaucher is also the founder and president of the early-stage biotechnology company General Genomics. His company exploits novel platforms to engineer proteins for the biomedical and industrial sectors.

    eric.gaucher@biology.gatech.edu

    404-385-3265

    Office Location:
    EBB 5013

    Website

  • http://www.biology.gatech.edu/people/eric-gaucher
  • Google Scholar

    Research Focus Areas:
    • Drug Design, Development and Delivery
    • Molecular Evolution
    • Neuroscience
    Additional Research:
    Our laboratory has diverse research interests including: evolutionary synthetic biology, molecular biology, comparative genomics, computational biology, bioinformatics, biomedicine, molecular evolution and origins of life, and evolution and engineering of protein thermostability.

    IRI Connections:

    Annalise Paaby

    Annalise Paaby

    Annalise Paaby

    Assistant Professor

    After studying ecology as a biology major at Swarthmore College, Annalise Paaby learned fly pushing as a technician for Steve DiNardo and then discovered evolutionary genetics as a tech for Paul Schmidt. She joined Paul’s lab as a graduate student and earned her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009. In 2015, Paaby completed her postdoctoral training with Matt Rockman at New York University and began her appointment at Georgia Tech.

    paaby@gatech.edu

    404-385-4588

    Office Location:
    EBB 3011

    Website

  • http://www.biology.gatech.edu/people/annalise-paaby
  • Google Scholar

    Research Focus Areas:
    • Molecular Evolution
    • Systems Biology
    Additional Research:
    Our lab explores major questions in evolution and quantitative genetics. We work with the nematode wormC. elegansand relatedCaenorhabditisspecies. Current projects include exploring how cryptic alleles in embryogenesis depend on genetic background, how development evolves over time, and the role of molecular mechanisms in trait determination and evolution. We are also interested in how the environment influences trait expression and imposes selection in natural populations, and are conducting field collection trips in the nearby Appalachian foothills.

    IRI Connections:

    Patrick McGrath

    Patrick McGrath

    Patrick McGrath

    Associate Professor

    Patrick McGrath's research group is interested in understanding the genetic basis of heritable behavioral variation. In the current age, it has become cheap and easy to catalog the set of genetic differences between two individuals. But which genetic differences are responsible for generating differences in innate behaviors, including liability to neurological diseases such as autism, bipolar disease, and schizophrenia? How do these causative genetic variants modify a nervous system? Besides their role in disease, genetic variation is the substrate for natural selection. To understand how behavior evolves, we must understand how it varies.

    patrick.mcgrath@biology.gatech.edu

    404-385-0071

    Office Location:
    EBB 3013

    Website

  • http://biosciences.gatech.edu/people/patrick-mcgrath
  • Google Scholar

    Research Focus Areas:
    • Molecular Evolution
    • Neuroscience
    • Systems Biology
    Additional Research:
    Mostbiological traits have a strong genetic, or heritable, component. Understanding how genetic variation influences these phenotypes will be important for understanding common, heritable diseases like autism.However, the genetic architecture controlling most biological traits is incredibly complex - hundreds of interacting genes and variants combine in unknown ways to create phenotype.The McGrath lab is interested in using fundamentalmechanistic studies inC. elegansto identify, predict, and understand how genetic variation impacts the function of the nervous system.We are studying laboratory adapted strains and harnessing directed evolution experiments to understand how genetic changes affect development, reproduction, and lifespan. We combine quantitative genetics, CRISPR/Cas9, genomics, and computational approaches to address these questions.We believe this work will lead to insights into evolution, multigenic disease, and systems biology.

    IRI Connections:

    Brian Hammer

    Brian Hammer

    Brian Hammer

    Associate Professor

    Brian Hammer's lab studies molecular mechanisms important for microbial interactions. Bacteria are genetically encoded with regulatory networks to integrate external information that tailors gene expression to particular niches. Bacteria use chemical signals to orchestrate behaviors that facilitate both cooperation and conflict with members of the communities they inhabit. The group uses genetics and genomics, biochemistry, bioinformatics, and ecological approaches with a focus on the waterborne pathogen Vibrio cholerae.

    brian.hammer@biology.gatech.edu

    404-385-7701

    Office Location:
    Cherry Emerson 223

    Website

  • http://biosciences.gatech.edu/people/brian-hammer
  • Google Scholar

    Additional Research:
    Microbiology, quorum sensing, regulatory small RNAs, signal transduction, host-pathogen interactions, microbial biofilms. Our lab studies molecular mechanisms important for microbial interactions. Bacteria are genetically encoded with regulatory networks to integrate external information that tailors gene expression to particular niches. Bacteria use chemical signals to orchestrate behaviors that facilitate both cooperation and conflict with members of the communities they inhabit. We use genetics and genomics, biochemistry, bioinformatics, and ecological approaches with a focus on the waterborne pathogenVibrio cholerae.

    IRI Connections:

    Todd Streelman

    Todd Streelman

    Todd Streelman

    Professor and Chair

    Streelman grew up in Chestertown Md, where he developed a keen interest in the outdoors. He graduated with a BS in Biology from Bucknell University. While there, he attended a semester (plus one cold winter-mester) at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole Massachusetts — where a chance encounter with Les Kaufman, Karel Liem, a few jars of pickled fish and a dental X-ray technician led to his lifelong love of cichlids. Streelman won the Pangburn Scholar-Athlete award (lacrosse) at BU. As a PhD student with Stephen Karl, Streelman developed approaches to identify, clone and sequence multiple, independent single-copy nuclear loci to reconstruct accurate phylogenies for cichlid fishes and their relatives. These phylogenies changed perspective about how these species groups evolved, and allowed new and improved inference about the evolutionary history of key ecological traits. Multi-locus phylogenies are now the standard in the field. 

    As a postdoc in Tom Kocher’s lab and then a young investigator at Georgia Tech, Streelman worked on the first unbiased quantitative genetic (QTL) studies in Malawi cichlids, some of the first such studies in evolutionary systems. In particular, work showed that adaptive features of the cichlid jaw and the striking orange-blotch color polymorphism had a simple genetic basis.  

    Streelman was an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow, an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Faculty Research Fellow and a NSF CAREER Awardee.  

    Over the past two decades as an independent investigator, with support from the NSF, NIH and the Human Frontier Science Program, Streelman’s group has pioneered genomic and molecular biology approaches in the Malawi cichlid system to solve problems difficult to address in traditional model organisms. Major projects include (i) tooth and taste bud patterning and regeneration; (ii) the underpinnings of complex behavior; and (iii) developmental diversification of the face and brain.  

    Generally, we are captivated by context-dependent traits like development and behavior because they must be executed in space and time with exquisite control. We analyze and manipulate genomes and development in multiple species of Malawi cichlids, spanning divergence in embryonic/adult traits and behavior – and collaborate with folks studying these same traits in zebrafish, mouse and human. In 2014, Streelman helped to coordinate a large effort to sequence the genomes of five East African cichlids, including one from Lake Malawi. This was a landmark for our research community and has recast attention to genome-wide approaches. We are motivated by the prospect to dissect evolutionary change with genetic and cellular precision.  

    In his free time, Streelman likes mountaineering, skipping rocks and pickling.

    todd.streelman@biology.gatech.edu

    404-894-3700

    Office Location:
    EBB 3007

    Website

  • http://biosci.gatech.edu/people/todd-streelman
  • Google Scholar

    Research Focus Areas:
    • Molecular Evolution
    • Neuroscience
    Additional Research:
    Researchers in the Streelman lab use the cichlid fish model to address fundamental questions in ecology and evolution. We are fascinated by context-dependent processes like embryonic development, the regeneration of organs and complex behavior. Context-dependency is interesting because it reveals new rules of biological systems that are not necessarily operational during homeostasis. For instance, recent results suggest that stem-like cells in the brain may tune the evolution of male social behavior. We raise cichlids from Lake Malawi in custom fish facilities at Georgia Tech. We invent automated assays to quantify behavior, we sequence genomes and the transcriptomes of cells, and we collaborate with computational scientists, engineers and colleagues working in zebrafish, mouse and human. Members of the lab are keen to learn new things by working together, compelled by mechanism and comparative approaches.

    IRI Connections: