W. Jim Zheng

W. Jim Zheng is a Professor at UTHealth Houston’s McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics and director of the Data Science and Informatics Core for Cancer Research (DSICCR). He holds a PhD in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from UT Southwestern and an MS in Computer Science from UT Dallas. His research focuses on integrating genomics data, developing computational tools like Genome3D for 3D genome visualization and Ontology Fingerprints for gene representation, and leveraging AI for drug combination prediction and cancer research. DSICCR, under his leadership, has contributed to over 100 publications.

Education:

• PhD, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, 1997, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
• MS, Computer Science, 2000, University of Texas at Dallas

Research interests include bioinformatics, systems biology, clinical information systems, and translational medicine. His team has pioneered AI-driven approaches for drug discovery and genomic analysis, earning recognition in competitions like the 2021 DrugProt and 2022 NIH/NCATS challenges. Current projects explore AI-enhanced knowledge bases, alternative splicing impacts via AlphaFold, and data-driven strategies for Alzheimer’s and cancer therapies.

Awards include 2nd place in high-profile AI competitions and a highly accessed paper in BMC Bioinformatics. He directs the Bioinformatics and High-Performance Computing Service Center and serves on editorial boards for bioinformatics journals. His NIH-funded research emphasizes bridging biomedical discoveries to clinical applications through informatics.