David R Cooper

David R Cooper serves as an Assistant Professor of Research in the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. His work focuses on developing data management systems for structural biology research, particularly in the field of X-ray crystallography.

Dr. Cooper earned his BS in Biochemistry from Old Dominion University followed by a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Purdue University. His educational background provides the foundation for his current research in structural biology data systems.

His primary research interest centers on data management and analysis for scientific endeavors, with specialization in X-ray crystallography. Dr. Cooper is currently developing a next-generation Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) designed to track experimental procedures and parameters throughout the entire structural biology pipeline - from initial cloning to final structure deposition in the Protein Data Bank. His work addresses critical challenges in scientific reproducibility by ensuring protocols, data, and necessary metadata are properly documented and accessible.

Analysis of Dr. Cooper's publication history reveals consistent contributions to structural biology data management, with particular emphasis on database development, validation tools, and visualization systems. His research spans bioinformatics, structural biology, and data science, with applications in macromolecular characterization and scientific reproducibility frameworks.

Dr. Cooper maintains active research collaborations within the structural biology community, particularly with Dr. Wladek Minor's research group as indicated by his website (https://minorlab.org/person/dcoop/). His work supports the broader structural biology research enterprise through development of essential data infrastructure tools.

His laboratory focuses on creating flexible systems capable of managing experimental samples and workflows for all stages of structural biology research. The LIMS development project represents a significant contribution to standardizing and improving data management practices in macromolecular structural analysis.