Computational Biologist Joins Jackson Laboratory’s Bioinformatics Team to Help Unravel the Mysteries of Gene Regulation
| Date: February 3, 2003 |
Bar Harbor, Maine - Associate Staff Scientist Joel Graber, Ph.D., is the newest principal investigator to be recruited by The Jackson Laboratory. Dr. Graber brings his talents as a computational biologist to the Laboratory's bioinformatics program - an emerging field that uses the computer as a tool to study biology - in order to help answer the many questions surrounding the regulation of genes between the stages of RNA synthesis and protein synthesis.
"My research involves computationally identifying the regulatory controls embedded within the sequence of the RNA. These studies give us an understanding of some of the fundamental mechanisms of gene regulation in its many forms. By understanding the mechanism more fully, we're in a position to better understand how it can go wrong, for instance during disease or in development," Dr. Graber said.
Dr. Graber, whose background includes a Bachelor of Science in both physics and computer science from Michigan Tech University, a Ph.D. from Cornell University, and close to seven years of post-doctoral and professional service in bioinformatics at Boston University, says his move to the Laboratory promotes a "convergence" of ideas, knowledge, and skills. "The Jackson Laboratory has a really good mix of programs, with people who are interested in the same problems that I am," he said.
Dr. Graber said he is excited by the prospects of working alongside scientists doing experimental bench work, and looks forward to taking advantage of the expertise and infrastructure already existing at the Laboratory such as the Mouse Genome Informatics program.
He and his wife, Lindsay Shopland, Ph.D., a cell biologist also employed by the Laboratory, decided to make the move to Bar Harbor late last year. Both Dr. Graber and Dr. Shopland grew up in small towns - Dr. Graber in Munising on the south shore of Lake Superior in northern Michigan, and Dr. Shopland in Enfield, N.H. Both towns are similar to Bar Harbor in size, lifestyle and climate. This influenced their decision to make the move from Boston with their toddler, Carolyn, and having settled into Bar Harbor and their work environment with ease, Dr. Graber now looks forward to fulfilling another passion: finding a local ice hockey team in need of a goalie.
Contact(s): pubinfo@jax.org
For information on automatic email delivery of news releases (journalists only), please send an email request for details to news@jax.org. Please address other inquiries to pubinfo@jax.org.
Media Relations, Communications Office
The Jackson Laboratory
600 Main Street
Bar Harbor, Maine 04609-1500
Phone: 207-288-6058 (journalists only)
Main Jackson Laboratory phone: 207-288-6000
Fax: 207-288-6076
Email: news@jax.org
