Michael Whitfield

Michael Whitfield is a Professor of Biomedical Data Science and Professor of Molecular and Systems Biology at the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College. He serves as the Department Chair of Biomedical Data Science, leading research and academic initiatives in this interdisciplinary field.

Dr. Whitfield's research focuses on the molecular basis of autoimmunity and fibrosis, with particular emphasis on systemic sclerosis (SSc). His lab employs genomic and computational approaches including RNA-sequencing, tissue resident microbiome analyses, gene-gene network analyses, and machine learning to interrogate genetic and phenotypic changes in patients. Key research areas include:

• Identification of molecular subsets in autoimmune diseases
• Systems biology approaches to analyze patient cohorts with SSc and related fibrotic conditions
• Development of gene expression biomarkers to subset patients and predict clinical endpoints
• Creation of three-dimensional (3D) tissue culture models (self-assembled Skin Equivalents) to study SSc fibroblast activation

Analysis of Dr. Whitfield's recent publications reveals a strong focus on scleroderma research, with particular attention to clinical applications of genomic findings. His work bridges computational biology with clinical medicine, seeking to identify common mechanisms driving disease across multiple organ systems in patients with SSc and related conditions.

Dr. Whitfield leads the Whitfield Lab, which utilizes genome-wide, systems biology approaches to study scleroderma. The lab investigates this rare autoimmune disease with heterogeneous clinical presentation, focusing on identifying gene expression biomarkers that can improve patient classification, predict clinical outcomes, and assess treatment responses. The lab's work on 3D tissue culture models represents an innovative approach to studying fibroblast activation in a more physiologically relevant microenvironment.