The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine has appointed Albert Cheng, Ph.D., an expert in genome editing technologies and gene regulation, as an assistant professor.
Cheng earned a B.Sc. in biochemistry and M. Phil. In Biology from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He then received his Ph.D. in computational and systems biology at MIT in Cambridge, Mass. under the supervision of genomic pioneers Chris Burge, Ph.D. and Rudolf Jaenisch, Ph.D.
One of Cheng’s recent achievements is the development of a new technique to activate multiple genes in mouse or human cells to help scientists understand transcription networks that underlie a variety of human diseases.
He continues to work on creating new applications for CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technologies.
After launching his own lab at JAX Genomic Medicine on July 1, Cheng plans to develop computational and synthetic biology methods to study gene regulation in normal embryonic development and disease.
"I am constantly looking for and designing new experimental and computational methods to solve problems in biology." says Cheng. "This is consistent with the spirit of innovation at the JAX Genomic Medicine and I look forward to the opportunity to work in the stimulating, collaborative and intellectual environment there."
The Jackson Laboratory is an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institution and National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center based in Bar Harbor, Maine, with a facility in Sacramento, Calif., and a new genomic medicine institute in Farmington, Conn. It employs 1,700 staff, and its mission is to discover precise genomic solutions for disease and empower the global biomedical community in the shared quest to improve human health.