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Arti Singh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agronomy at Iowa State University. Her research focuses on plant breeding, soybean diseases, genomics, and phenomics, with a strong emphasis on integrating artificial intelligence and high-throughput technologies into agricultural systems. She leads projects involving AI-driven disease identification, precision agriculture, and crop improvement strategies. Her expertise includes developing machine learning models for real-time weed and insect classification (e.g., WeedNet and InsectNet), deploying drones and ground robots for crop phenotyping, and leveraging genomic data to map traits like flowering time and disease resistance in legumes. Singh collaborates on initiatives like the AIIRA Institute for Resilient Agriculture and the BioTrove biodiversity dataset. Singh’s work spans plant stress phenotyping, digital twin technologies for plant sciences, and multi-sensor phenotyping for early disease detection. Her research bridges computational methods with traditional agronomy, aiming to enhance crop resilience and sustainability in the face of environmental challenges. Her recent projects include optimizing robotic navigation for precision agriculture, improving soybean yield estimation via video analysis, and dissecting genetic architectures of traits in mungbean and soybean using GWAS and genomic tools. She actively contributes to conferences and publishes in high-impact journals, advancing both foundational and applied aspects of agricultural science.

• Plant breeding
• Soybean diseases
• Genomics
• +3 more

Harris H. Wang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Systems Biology and Department of Pathology and Cell Biology at Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he also serves as Interim Chair of Systems Biology. He is affiliated with the Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (C2B2) and the Integrated Program in Cellular, Molecular and Biomedical Studies (CMBS). B.S., Physics and Mathematics, MIT Ph.D., Biophysics, Harvard University Dr. Wang's research lies at the intersection of systems and synthetic biology, focusing on developing foundational technologies for genome engineering, microbiome manipulation, and synthetic genomics. His lab pioneers methods such as MAGE, MAGIC, CAST, and CAMII to enable high-throughput genetic manipulation, in situ microbiome engineering, and AI-driven microbial culturomics. Key research themes include understanding microbial community dynamics, engineering cellular memory systems, designing biocontained genetic circuits, and applying synthetic biology to human health challenges in personalized medicine and infectious disease. His recent publications reveal a strong trend in spatial and functional metagenomics, CRISPR-based microbiome editing, and synthetic biology tools for data storage and genetic stability. The articles span high-impact journals like Nature , Science , and Nature Biotechnology , reflecting his leadership in developing scalable, programmable biological systems. Scientific Awards: NIH Director’s Early Independence Award Forbes 30 Under 30 in Science Sloan Research Fellowship NSF CAREER Award ONR Young Investigator Award Burroughs Wellcome Fund PATH Award Schaefer Scholar Blavatnik National Award Vilcek Prize PECASE Dr. Wang has advised numerous PhD and postdoctoral researchers, many of whom have gone on to independent scientific careers. His lab is supported by major grants from NIH, NSF, DARPA, DOE, and foundations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and CZ Biohub NY. He is actively involved in educational initiatives, including organizing Columbia’s iGEM team and the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Synthetic Biology course. The Wang Lab is based at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center and is part of national consortia such as the Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC) and the Genome Project-Write (GP-Write) initiative. The lab develops and applies cutting-edge technologies in automation, machine learning, and synthetic biology to engineer microbiomes for applications in medicine, global health, and climate change.

• Systems Biology
• Synthetic Biology
• Genome Engineering
• +17 more

Roles & Affiliations: Ikhlas Khan serves as Director of the National Center for Natural Products Research (NCNPR), Distinguished Professor, and Research Professor of Pharmacognosy at the University of Mississippi's School of Pharmacy. He also leads the FDA Program and coordinates natural products research across multiple initiatives, including the Sino-US TCM Research Center and the Center for Research of Indian Systems of Medicine (CRISM). Education: B.Sc. Chemistry (1980) - Aligarh Muslim University, India M.Sc. Organic Chemistry (1982) - Aligarh Muslim University, India Ph.D. Pharmacy (1987) - Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich Postdoctoral Studies - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich Research Focus: Dr. Khan specializes in natural products research with emphasis on: Phytomedicine: Standardization of herbal products via analytical fingerprinting, pesticide/herbicide residue analysis, and bioanalytical quality control. Drug Discovery: Isolation of bioactive natural products, development of analytical methods for phytochemical characterization, and chiral separation techniques. Metabolism Studies: Role of metabolism in drug/natural product activity, particularly in aminoquinoline antimalarials. His work bridges academia, industry, and regulatory bodies, shaping policies for botanical supplements. Key Contributions: Over 850 peer-reviewed publications and leadership in high-impact projects like the FDA Center of Excellence. His lab pioneered methods to combat herbal product adulteration and safety issues. Awards & Recognition: UM Distinguished Professor Award (2018) Wiley Award (AOAC International, 2018) Qihuang International Prize (2017) Honoris Causa Doctorate (University of Hamdard, 2012) Labs & Collaborations: Directs the NCNPR, a global leader in natural products research, and collaborates with institutions worldwide. His team develops technologies for herbal product authentication and drug metabolism studies.

• Natural Products Research
• Phytomedicine
• Herbal Product Standardization
• +7 more

Ning Zhang is an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at James Madison University (JMU), joining in 2024. Her research focuses on enhancing crop resilience through molecular and biochemical studies of plant defense mechanisms against bacterial pathogens, alongside developing genome editing technologies for trait improvement. She holds a PhD in Horticulture and Crop Science from The Ohio State University (2016), an MS in Silviculture from Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University (2011), and a BS in Landscape Architecture from Shandong Agricultural University (2008). Research Interests: Dr. Zhang's lab investigates plant immunity pathways, CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing applications, and engineering crops for disease resistance. Her work integrates molecular biology, genetics, and biochemistry to tackle challenges posed by climate change and biotic/abiotic stresses. Recent Trends in Publications: Her articles concentrate on MAPK signaling pathways, NLR protein interactions, PP2C phosphatase regulation, and bacterial effector mechanisms in tomato and other crops. Key themes include immune system activation, pathogen recognition diversity, and transgenic plant development. Lab Information: The Zhang Lab at JMU is part of the Department of Biology, focusing on plant biotechnology solutions for agricultural sustainability. They collaborate on projects involving CRISPR-based gene editing and stress tolerance research.

• Plant Defense Mechanisms
• Genome Editing Technologies
• Crop Improvement
• +3 more

Michael McAlpine is a Professor in the Mechanical Engineering department at the University of Minnesota . He also holds affiliations with the Biomedical Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering departments. His research focuses on 3D printing functional materials & devices , Nanoscale inks , Biomedical devices , Bioelectronics , and Flexible Microsystems . Research Interests : 3D Printing, Biomedical Engineering, Nanotechnology, Flexible Electronics, Microfluidics Labs : ME 361/363 Contact : mcalpine@umn.edu , (612) 626-3303, ME 117 Recent Research Trends include 3D Printed Biomedical Devices , Flexible Electronics , and Bioprinting Applications . His work spans from Spinal Organoid Formation to Programmable Drug Release Capsules . Scientific Award : Circulation Research 2020 Best Manuscript Award

• 3D Printing
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering
• +4 more

Wengong Jin is an Assistant Professor at the Khoury College of Computer Sciences, Northeastern University, and a visiting research scientist at the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Center at the Broad Institute. He holds a PhD from MIT CSAIL, advised by Prof. Regina Barzilay and Prof. Tommi Jaakkola. Research Interests: His work focuses on geometric and generative AI models for drug discovery, biology, and chemical engineering. Key areas include equivariant neural networks (e.g., FAFormer), diffusion models for binding energy prediction, antibody/enzyme design (RefineGNN, SurfPro), and molecular design through graph neural networks (Junction Tree VAE). He also explores domain generalization and systems for autonomous molecular discovery. Publications: His research has been published in top venues like NeurIPS, ICLR, ICML, Nature, Science, and Cell. Recent breakthroughs include discovering novel antibiotics using explainable AI and designing synergistic drug combinations for cancer treatment. Awards: He has received the BroadIgnite Award, Dimitris N. Chorafas Prize, and MIT EECS Outstanding Thesis Award for his contributions to computational biology and AI-driven drug discovery. Teaching: Currently teaches a PhD seminar on AI for Science, focusing on integrating machine learning into scientific discovery processes.

• AI for drug discovery
• Generative AI models
• Geometric deep learning
• +5 more

Dr. Mihai Pop is a Professor of Computer Science and Director of the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS). He holds appointments in the Department of Computer Science, UMIACS, and the Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (CBCB). His research focuses on computational biology, metagenomics, and algorithm development for genomic data analysis. He received a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University (2000), followed by work at The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) developing genome assembly algorithms. Education: Ph.D., Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University, 2000. Research Interests: Bioinformatics, genomics, metagenomics, computational geometry, software testing. His lab develops tools for analyzing microbial communities and has pioneered methods for metagenomic assembly and analysis. Notable tools include the AMOS genome assembly toolkit. Recent Article Trends: Recent work emphasizes long-read sequencing, metagenomic profiling (e.g., TIPP3), and strain-level analysis (e.g., Strainy). He addresses challenges in scaling sequence-based searches and improving taxonomic resolution in large datasets. Awards: ACM Fellow (2019), ISCB Fellow (2022), UMD Excellence in Teaching Award (2015). Grants & Leadership: Co-leader of the Human Microbiome Project data analysis group. Active in diversity initiatives to promote inclusivity in computational fields. Labs/Teams: Pop Lab (pop-lab.org) focuses on computational methods for microbial genomics and metagenomics.

• Bioinformatics
• Genomics
• Computational Biology
• +3 more

Andrew Spakowitz is a Professor of Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and by courtesy, Applied Physics and Chemistry at Stanford University. He currently serves as the Senior Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs and holds the Tang Family Foundation Chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering. His academic career at Stanford spans from Assistant Professor (2006-2014) to Associate Professor (2014-2020) and now Professor since 2020. Dr. Spakowitz earned his PhD in 2004, MS in 2001 from the California Institute of Technology, and his BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1999. He completed postdoctoral training in Molecular and Cell Biology and Biophysics at UC Berkeley from 2004-2006. His research focuses on theoretical and computational approaches to understanding biological processes and complex materials. The Spakowitz lab addresses fundamental chemical and physical phenomena through four main research themes: chromosomal organization and dynamics, protein self-assembly, polymer membranes, and charge transport in conducting polymers. His group employs diverse theoretical and computational methods including analytical theory of semiflexible polymers, polymer field theory, continuum elastic mechanics, Brownian dynamics simulation, equilibrium and dynamic Monte Carlo simulations, and reaction-diffusion modeling. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on epigenetics and chromatin dynamics, with significant work on DNA methylation patterns, nucleosome clustering, and chromosome organization. His research also extends to polymer physics applications in biological systems, particularly in respiratory diseases, water purification membranes, and bacterial phage interactions with human mucus. Tang Family Foundation Chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering Professor Spakowitz mentors several graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in the Chemical Engineering and Materials Science departments. His lab members work on diverse projects spanning from chromatin dynamics to polymer membranes for water purification. He teaches multiple courses including CHEMENG 120B (Energy and Mass Transport), CHEMENG 340 (Molecular Thermodynamics), CHEMENG 466 (Polymer Physics), and CHEMENG 467 (Physics of Biomacromolecules). The Spakowitz lab operates from Clark S295 at Stanford University, conducting theoretical and computational research that bridges chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering disciplines to address complex problems across multiple length and time scales.

• Chromosomal organization and dynamics
• Protein self-assembly
• Polymer membranes
• +7 more

Sushmita Roy is a Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, affiliated with the Department of Computer Sciences and the College of Letters and Science. Her research focuses on developing computational methods in statistical machine learning to understand gene regulatory networks in living cells, particularly under environmental, developmental, disease, and evolutionary contexts. She explores bulk and single-cell genomic data integration to study processes like cell fate specification, host-microbe interactions, and diseases such as cancer and neurodevelopmental disorders. Her work emphasizes three key areas: inference of genome-scale transcriptional networks, evolutionary analysis of regulatory networks, and 3D genome organization dynamics. Roy’s lab collaborates across disciplines, leveraging genomic data from plant and mammalian systems. She has contributed to methodologies for analyzing chromatin accessibility, single-cell profiling, and network-based models of pathogen systems. Her affiliations include Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, and she is a leader in computational biology and systems genomics research.

• Machine Learning
• Genomics
• Gene Regulatory Networks
• +3 more

Miyuki Hino is an Assistant Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Environment, Ecology, and Energy Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She holds a Ph.D. in Environment and Resources from Stanford University and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Yale University. Her research focuses on climate hazards, governance, and public policy , with emphasis on equitable adaptation to climate change. Key areas include sea level rise impacts, flood risk on property markets, and managed retreat strategies. She has conducted extensive work on floodplain development policies, household relocation programs, and community resilience frameworks. Dr. Hino's interdisciplinary approach integrates environmental science, urban planning, and social equity . She collaborates with academic and municipal partners, such as the Center for Urban and Regional Studies and Annapolis, MD local governments, to develop actionable solutions for climate adaptation. Her work bridges technical analyses (e.g., sensor networks, machine learning) with policy design to ensure both effectiveness and justice in climate responses. Recent projects emphasize preventing future 'trapped households' by analyzing zoning policies and market dynamics that drive risky development. She advocates for climate-smart growth strategies to balance economic needs with environmental safety, while addressing disparities in vulnerability across communities. Her research has been featured in Science Advances , Nature Climate Change , and interdisciplinary journals. She actively engages with policymakers to translate findings into practical measures, such as equitable buyout programs and floodplain management reforms.

• Climate Change Adaptation
• Environmental Policy
• Disaster Risk Management
• +3 more

Martin Burke is the May and Ving Lee Professor for Chemical Innovation and Professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign , with additional appointments in Biochemistry, Biomedical & Translational Sciences, and multiple campus institutes including the Beckman Institute and the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology. Education B.S. Johns Hopkins University , 1998 Ph.D. Harvard University , 2003 M.D. Harvard Medical School , 2003 Research Interests Burke’s program centers on molecular prosthetics : the design, synthesis and application of small molecules that replicate or replace missing or dysfunctional proteins. His group pioneered iterative cross-coupling (ICC) using MIDA-protected haloboronic acids to automate the construction of complex natural products and function-oriented small molecules. Current projects target ion-channel replacement in cystic fibrosis, iron-transport restoration in anemia, and non-toxic antifungals that overcome drug resistance. Scientific Awards & Honors National Academy of Medicine (2021) AAAS Fellow (2021) ASCI Member (2021) iCON Award (2019) Mukaiyama Award, Japan (2019) ACS Nobel Laureate Award for Graduate Education (2017) Thieme-IUPAC Prize in Synthetic Organic Chemistry (2014) Elias J. Corey Award (2013) Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award (2011) Research Output & Impact Burke has authored >120 peer-reviewed articles, >30 patents, and his work has been cited >20,000 times. High-impact publications in Nature , Science , and Angewandte Chemie have advanced automated synthesis, molecular prosthetics, and cystic fibrosis therapeutics. Laboratory & Training The Burke Laboratories house a multidisciplinary team of graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and physician-scientists developing next-generation molecular prosthetics. The group is supported by NIH, NSF, private foundations, and industry partnerships aimed at democratizing molecular innovation.

• Organic Chemistry
• Small-Molecule Synthesis
• Molecular Prosthetics
• +7 more

Amit R. Reddi is a Professor at the Department of Chemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology. His research focuses on metalloproteins, particularly the mechanisms of heme trafficking and redox signaling in relation to cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and infectious diseases. He has received numerous awards for both research and teaching excellence. Education : B.A. from Carleton College (2003) Ph.D. from Columbia University (2008) NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship at Johns Hopkins University (2013) Research Interests : The Reddi laboratory investigates cellular mechanisms of metalloprotein activation and inter-biomolecular communication in metabolic and signaling pathways critical to human health. Key projects explore heme trafficking pathways and the role of Cu/Zn Superoxide Dismutase (SOD1) in redox signaling, with implications for cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and microbial pathogenesis. Scientific Awards : Vasser Woolley Faculty Fellowship (2021) Student Recognition of Excellence in Teaching Class of 1934 Award (2021) CTL/BP Junior Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award (2019) Bergmann Memorial Award (2018) Blanchard Professorship (2016) NSF CAREER Award (2015) NIH NRSA Post-doctoral Fellowship (2008-2011) Grants & Fellowships : NSF CAREER Award (2015) Sigma Xi Grants-In-Aid-of-Research (2003) NIH Cancer Research Training Award Fellowship (1999-2001)

• Biochemistry
• Metalloproteins in biological regulation and disease
• Heme trafficking and signaling
• +4 more

Ellis Owusu-Dabo, MB ChB, PhD, is a Professor and the Vice-Chancellor at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana. He is also an International Scholar affiliated with the Center for Global Health at the University of Pennsylvania. His work bridges academic leadership, research, and global health collaboration, with a strong focus on public health challenges in Africa. His research interests are centered on population genomics of type II diabetes and tuberculosis , particularly in low-resource settings. He has led and contributed to major multinational studies on infectious diseases such as typhoid and non-typhoidal Salmonella, as well as chronic conditions like hypertension and cardiovascular disease. His research integrates epidemiological, genetic, and immunological approaches to understand disease burden and improve health outcomes in African populations. His recent publications reflect a strong trend in infectious disease surveillance, non-communicable disease epidemiology, and digital health interventions . He has published in high-impact journals including The Lancet Infectious Diseases , PLoS One , and International Journal of Cardiology , often as part of large collaborative consortia such as the RODAM study and the Vacc-iNTS consortium. Scientific Contributions and Projects: Lead facilitator of the D43 grant between the University of Pennsylvania and KNUST Planned hosting of University of Pennsylvania students for global health training Involved in multinational typhoid surveillance across seven African countries Conducted national studies on multi-drug resistance in Ghana with support from the Global Fund and WHO As an academic leader and mentor, Prof. Owusu-Dabo is passionate about building research capacity in Africa and training the next generation of scientists to address local and global health challenges. He has secured research funding and led collaborative projects that integrate public health, genomics, and policy. Laboratories and Teams: While specific lab names are not mentioned, his work is associated with collaborative research teams including the Vacc-iNTS consortium and the RODAM study, which involve institutions across Europe, North America, and Africa. His leadership at KNUST positions him at the center of a growing network of global health researchers in Ghana.

• Public Health
• Population Genomics
• Type II Diabetes
• +7 more

Jennifer L. Clarke is a Professor in the Department of Statistics at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and Director of the Quantitative Life Science Initiative. She holds leadership roles in enabling big data integration across the University of Nebraska system through collaborative research programs. Her affiliations include the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Dr. Clarke's research focuses on statistical methodology for high-dimensional data, computational biology, bioinformatics, and bacterial genomics. Her work bridges statistical innovation with applications in oncology, microbiome analysis, and agricultural phenomics. Key areas include predictive modeling, machine learning, and genomic/metagenomic data integration. Her recent publications span cancer biomarker discovery, plant phenotyping methodologies, and microbial community analysis, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach. Articles emphasize translational applications like therapeutic target identification and precision agriculture. Dr. Clarke leads initiatives fostering collaboration between statisticians and domain scientists, including the Quantitative Life Science Initiative and contributions to the Agricultural Genome-to-Phenome Initiative (AG2PI). Her work advances data-driven solutions for healthcare and food security challenges. Notable projects include developing statistical tools for microbiome studies, analyzing root architecture via 3D imaging, and investigating cranberry-derived compounds' cancer-inhibitory mechanisms. Her methodological contributions include hybrid clustering techniques and predictive model validation frameworks.

• Statistical Methodology
• Bioinformatics/Computational Biology
• Data Mining/Machine Learning
• +3 more

Dr. Rachel Penczykowski is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Washington University studying disease ecology in changing environments. Her NSF CAREER Award supports research on urban plant pathogens, particularly powdery mildew epidemics in urban heat islands. Combining field observations, lab experiments, and mathematical modeling, she examines how climate, biodiversity loss, and urbanization reshape host-parasite interactions. Her work spans diverse ecosystems—from aquatic Daphnia-parasite systems to terrestrial plant-pathogen networks—revealing how predators, resources, and microclimates indirectly modulate disease spread. Current projects investigate warming impacts on fungal virulence and host resistance evolution in St. Louis-area plant populations. Dr. Penczykowski leads outreach through the PlantSTEM program, engaging K-12 students in pathogen research. She mentors high schoolers via Tyson Research Center apprenticeships and teaches Disease Ecology, integrating modeling with empirical approaches. Her lab collaborates with the Taylor Geospatial Institute to map urban microclimate-disease linkages.

• Disease Ecology
• Host-Parasite Coevolution
• Plant Pathology
• +2 more