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

Blog PostJanuary 24, 2020
Using prenatal cell-free DNA screening to prepare for a gender reveal
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that both aneuploidy screening and diagnostic testing options be offered to all pregnant women.
- Reproductive Biology
- Genetics and Genomics
Tech CornerJanuary 21, 2020
5 questions with Katja Brose
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) Science Program Officer Katja Brose visited JAX to speak about CZI and moderate an Alzheimer’s disease research panel discussion at the JAX Healthcare Forum, an annual gathering of leaders in a wide variety of healthcare fields. JAX was able to catch up with Dr. Brose after her sessions.
Blog PostDecember 20, 2019
Genomic medicine, a decade later
Genomic research has made tremendous progress over the past decade. So what are the next steps, especially for bringing research discoveries into the clinic?
Blog PostNovember 27, 2019
Assessing Patient Health Risks with Limited or Unknown Family History
Strategies for assessing health risks in patients with limited or unknown family health history.

Press ReleaseJanuary 21, 2020
Andy Greene changes teams
Distinguished biomedical engineer and researcher comes to The Jackson Laboratory
- Genetic Tools
- Genetics and Genomics
Blog PostDecember 23, 2019
Genetic testing can decrease but not rule out cancer risk
Breast cancer risk assessment is increasingly included in primary care. As a rule of thumb, approximately 5-10% of individuals with a breast cancer diagnosis will be found to carry a pathogenic variant (mutation).
Press ReleaseDecember 05, 2019
Mighty mice head to space on important health mission
Researchers from JAX, UConn Health, and Connecticut Children’s sent genetically-engineered “Mighty Mice” to the International Space Station to learn about the effect of microgravity on muscle and bone loss.
Press ReleaseNovember 26, 2019
Gary Churchill elected as AAAS Fellow
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has elected Jackson Laboratory Professor Gary Churchill as an AAAS Fellow, one of the nation's highest scientific distinctions.