An internationally renowned bioinformatics expert at the Indiana University School of Medicine will share his expertise and leadership with the IU School of Informatics
Keith Dunker, professor of biochemistry and of molecular biology, has been appointed director of the School of Informatics's bioinformatics programme at the Bloomington and IU-Purdue University Indianapolis campuses.
He also will continue as director of the Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics at the School of Medicine.
Bioinformatics is the application of computer technology and information sciences in biomedical research.
This discipline enables scientists to gather and analyse huge volumes of data, information critical in life sciences and genetic research.
Bioinformatics allows scientists to more rapidly develop therapeutic drugs and effective treatments for disease.
"Dr Dunker has tremendous stature and his appointment strengthens our already robust academic and research activities," said informatics dean Michael Dunn.
"Bioinformatics is an ever-evolving, fast-paced field and our researchers are working side-by-side with other IU scientists to further the university's research goals".
Bioinformatics plays a major role in IU's life sciences strategic plan, which includes the development of bioinformatics and chemical informatics as major areas of strength in the School of Informatics.
Certainly, the School of Medicine - the second largest medical school in the USA - has the leading role in advancing IU's overall life sciences goals.
"Keith Dunker's additional role in the School of Informatics not only makes sense thematically but it also serves as a tangible bridge between the schools of medicine and of informatics and between Indianapolis and Bloomington," said Medical School dean Craig Brater, IU's vice president with life sciences responsibilities.
"Thus, it allows us to benefit from a breadth of talent and creates the foundation for even greater programs in the future consistent with our ambitious goals in the life sciences".
Dunker, who was recruited to IU in 2003 from Washington State University, focuses his research in the relationship between the lack of protein folding and function.
For more than a century it was accepted that protein function follows directly from fixed 3D structure (virtually all of the work in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries rests on this assumption) and so the non-folding proteins were mostly ignored.
Analysing these proteins with bioinformatics is leading to a major change in understanding protein structure and function.
Signaling, regulation and control are now realised to often-involved regions of proteins, or even whole proteins that must be unstructured and flexible to carry out their functions.
"Biology, genetics and medicine are all information sciences and bioinformatics provides a way to synergise these previously partitioned disciplines" said Dunker.
"IU's life sciences plan, BioCrossroads, Indiana's 21st Century Research and Technology Fund, and the recently-announced Big Red supercomputer at IU adds substantially to this remarkable opportunity".
Bioinformatics is one of six cornerstone scientific programmes of the medical school-centered Indiana Genomics Initiative, established in 2000 by a $105 million gift from the Lilly Endowment, which followed three years later with a $50 million grant.
In 2004, IU Bloomington received a $53 million grant from the Endowment to expand and intensify basic research at the cellular level.
The Indiana Metabolomics and Cytomics Initiative, better known as Metacyt, significantly complements life sciences research currently under way at the School of Medicine.
Dunker replaces Gary Wiggins, adjunct professor, who was serving as interim director of the bioinformatics programme.
Wiggins will continue leading the school's chemical informatics programme.
Assistant professor Sun Kim retains his position as associate director of the bioinformatics programme at Bloomington.
Malika Mahoui, assistant professor, will serve as interim associate director of bioinformatics at IUPUI.
The IU School of Informatics offers graduate degrees in bioinformatics and a doctoral programme focused in that discipline.
