Jackson Laboratory

The Robinson Lab

Principal Investigator: Peter Robinson, M.D., MSc.

The Jackson Laboratory
Farmington, CT

Contact me at: 860-837-2095

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Develops algorithms and software for the analysis of exome and genome sequences.

The Robinson Lab is primarily located at The Jackson Laboratory. Together with the Phenomics Team, our group develops the Human Phenotype Ontology and applications of this ontology to differential diagnostics and genomics analyses.

We develop algorithms for exome and genome sequencing, ChIP-seq, immunogenomics, and other genomics applications, Gene Ontology analysis, computational phenotype analysis, as well as various algorithms from the fields of Machine Learning and modeling of biological networks with the tools of linear algebra and graph theory. We also collaborate on the computational analysis of wetlab biological data, especially in the fields of human hereditary disease and the molecular basis of bone development and fracture healing.

Robinson Lab on Github

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Open Positions

Job	Job Title	Location	Description

Lab Staff

Hannah Blau, Ph.D.

Research Software Engineer

Applies machine learning and text mining techniques to the analysis and curation of the Human Phenotype Ontology and other ontologies under development in the Robinson Lab.
Leigh Carmody, Ph.D.

Scientific Curator

R. Leigh Carmody, PhD, obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Biology with a minor in Chemistry in May 1997 from Bryn Mawr College. After a short hiatus, Dr. Carmody started her doctoral work at Vanderbilt University.
Peter Hansen, Ph.D.

Bioinformatics Analyst I

Develops software that implements statistical and algorithmic approaches to analyze and integrate immunoprofile and metagenomic data.
Kristen Mulvey

Research Administrative Assistant I

Provides administrative support to Drs. Verhaak, Oh and Robinson along with their scientific staff.
Vida Ravanmehr, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Associate

Machine learning, Translational bioinformatics, Big data, Deep learning
Peter Robinson, M.D., MSc.

Professor of Computational Biology

Develops algorithms and software for the analysis of exome and genome sequences.
Xingmin "Aaron" Zhang, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Associate

Patient deep phenotyping from various data types in electronic health records; phenotype- and genomic-based disease modeling and algorithm development for translational research and differential diagnoses

Selected Publications

Highlighted Abstract

There are many thousands of hereditary diseases in humans, each of which has a specific combination of phenotypic features, but computational analysis of phenotypic data has been hampered by lack of adequate computational data structures. Therefore, we have developed a Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) with over 8000 terms representing individual phenotypic anomalies and have annotated all clinical entries in Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man with the terms of the HPO. We show that the HPO is able to capture phenotypic similarities between diseases in a useful and highly significant fashion.

View full list of publications

Research HighlightMarch 18, 2020
Raising the bar for PDX model cancer research
The results of a new PDXNet consortium study provide a key validation toward translating xenograft findings into clinical treatments for cancer patients.
Press ReleaseMarch 11, 2020
The gene lexicologist
ISCB honors JAX Professor Judith Blake for outstanding contributions to biology
- Genetic Tools
- Computational Biology
Blog PostMarch 04, 2020
Building in silico research models to accelerate discovery
Machine learning and deep learning in particular have a growing influence on everything from how we shop to how we drive—or are driven by self-driving cars. Anshul Kundaje, Ph.D., assistant professor of genetics and computer science at Stanford University, is using similar tools to study large-scale computational regulatory genomics.
Research HighlightFebruary 24, 2020
Gene silencers and their vital roles in development
New research shows that silencers modify 3D chromatin organizations to suppress the expression of certain genes at certain time points during development. Disruption of the process can lead to developmental disorders and has also been implicated in certain cancers.
- Tumor suppressor genes
- Genetics and Genomics

Press ReleaseMarch 17, 2020
NSF CAREER award to Beth Dumont of JAX
Prestigious five-year grant funds evolutionary genomics research, educational outreach.
- Genetic Tools
- Genetics and Genomics
Press ReleaseMarch 10, 2020
Sheng Li named an AACR NextGen Star
Jackson Laboratory (JAX) Assistant Professor Sheng Li, Ph.D., was chosen as a 2020 NextGen Star by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). She is one of 12 early-career cancer researchers recognized for their outstanding work and future potential.
Research HighlightMarch 03, 2020
Unfolding the 3D genome
Three-dimensional genomic compartments and sub-compartments help regulate gene expression across the genome. As more data comes out about 3D genomic structures, there is an increasing need to efficiently identify and characterize sub-compartments and their roles in genome function. Sheng Li and her team developed a new computational tool, SCI, that outperforms previously developed algorithms for this purpose.
Press ReleaseJanuary 30, 2020
Advancing genomics for pediatric orthopedic diseases
Shriners Hospitals for Children and The Jackson Laboratory announce research affiliation for genomic studies of pediatric patients.
- Bones and Joints
- Genetics and Genomics