Work with thought leaders and academic experts in computational biology

Dr. Michael W. Craige is a research scientist and fellow, leveraging his expertise in biomedical informatics, data science, intellectual property law, and innovation strategy to assess patent, and license new inventions and technologies reported by scientists. He has contributed to publications in high-impact journals, such as Nature Communications and Frontiers in Oncology, and has helped several startups secure their first institutional venture capital funding. His professional journey encompasses a rich blend of roles, including an NSF I-Corps Startup Mentor at Rutgers Office of Innovation Ventures, his recent tenure as a Venture Capital Fellow at SOSV's IndieBio in New York, and training in intellectual property law as a patent agent at Casimir Jones Law Firm. Dr. Craige received his MBA from The Georgia Institute of Technology and his PhD in Biomedical Informatics at Rutgers University where he’s developing computational methods for high-throughput cancer genomic data analysis, including statistical models for elucidating the mechanisms of prostate cancer disease progression and therapeutic response. During his doctoral program, he focused his research on pediatric neurology to understand the underline molecular mechanism of epilepsy in infants, jointly at Emory and Rutgers University. Dr. Craige was the managing director and ex-founder at CiDrep Informatics, a health and scientific-informatics consulting firm, that operated across the US and Canada.

8 years of science and engineering experience integrating multi-omics data to identify biomarkers for cancer studies. Seeking to apply data analytics expertise to develop new diagnosis and treatment strategies.

I am a dedicated Scientist-I at Garuda Therapeutics, where I specialize in computational biology and genomics within the R&D department. My work primarily revolves around developing and optimizing pipelines for variant calling using Strelka2 and GATK4 with Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) to identify oncogenes in human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). This involves extensive work in the qualification and validation of these pipelines for regulatory filings, as well as leveraging databases such as ClinVar, COSMIC, and DepMap to craft targeted oncogenes panels for deep sequencing. I also apply Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) for downstream sequencing to validate CRISPR knockouts, including the identification and validation of CRISPR off-targets using techniques like rhAMPseq and Induce-seq. Additionally, my expertise extends to single-cell sequencing analysis and understanding structural variants with Optical Genome Mapping (Bionano). Prior to joining Garuda Therapeutics, I completed a postdoctoral fellowship in computational biology at Pennsylvania State University, where I honed my skills in identifying climate-adaptive variants and conducted Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) to uncover resistance genes against parasites and other stressors. My academic journey began at the University of Vermont, where I explored abiotic stress resistance genes using transcriptomics and developed a robust understanding of RNA-seq data analysis, from assembly to gene annotation. My work is driven by a passion for leveraging computational and genomics tools to address pressing challenges in biology and healthcare, combining my rigorous academic training with a practical, solution-oriented approach to research and development.

Edoardo Airoldi is a Professor in the Department of Machine Learning at Temple University. He is also the Director of the Center for Machine Learning and Health. He is a world-renowned expert in the fields of machine learning and artificial intelligence, with a focus on applications to health. Airoldi is a member of the prestigious Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) and the International Machine Learning Society (IMLS). He has published over 200 papers in leading journals and conferences, and his work has been covered by various media outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and Wired.

Aditya Kshirsagar is a highly educated and experienced scientist focused on molecular genetics and neuroscience. He obtained his Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics and Neuroscience from the prestigious Weizmann Institute of Science in 2022. He gained extensive knowledge and expertise in genetics, molecular biology, and neuroscience during his doctoral studies. After completing his Ph.D., Adi joined St Jude Children's Research Hospital as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. Here, he has been involved in cutting-edge research projects, studying the genetic basis of various neurological disorders. He has published several research papers in top scientific journals, making significant contributions to genetics and neuroscience. Adi's passion for understanding the complex mechanisms underlying human diseases has driven him to pursue a research career. He is keen on developing integrated experimental and computational approaches for single-cell and spatial omics to uncover the mechanisms underlying complex neurological conditions and malignancies. He is highly skilled in experimental techniques and has a keen eye for detail, enabling him to design and execute innovative experiments. He is also well-versed in data analysis and interpretation, making him a valuable asset to any research team. His core competencies include embryonic stem cell biology, cortical development, 3D brain organoid models, RNA biology, next-generation sequencing, single-cell biology, multi-omics, and live imaging microscopy techniques. He is also proficient in R and Python programming and experienced in computational pipeline implementation, machine learning & AI, and comprehensive data integration. In addition to his scientific work, Adi is also dedicated to mentoring and teaching the next generation of scientists. He has supervised several master's and undergraduate students, guiding them in their research projects and helping them develop their scientific skills. Overall, Aditya Kshirsagar is a dedicated scientist with a strong background and a track record of excellence in research. His contributions to molecular genetics and neuroscience can potentially significantly impact the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. Adi is passionate about exploring the potential of cutting-edge technologies and approaches to unravel the mysteries of the human brain and improve patients' lives.

Dr. Justin P. Whalley was educated in the UK (M.Sci. Mathematics, University of Bristol) and France (Ph.D. Bioinformatics, University of Évry). He moved to Spain to work as a postdoc at the National Center for Genomic Analysis (CNAG). During his time there, he ran the Quality Control working group for the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes project to assess the data coming in and reduce batch effects. This involved collaboration with researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, the German Cancer Research Center and the Wellcome Sanger Institute in the UK. He returned to the UK to work as a [Senior Bioinformatician at the University of Oxford](https://www.well.ox.ac.uk/people/jpw/). His time there coincided with the global pandemic and he was deeply involved in the COvid-19 Multi-omics Blood ATlas (COMBAT) consortium as the lead for the Integration (Tensor) working group. Dr. Whalley became a member of the [faculty of the Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science](https://www.rosalindfranklin.edu/academics/faculty/justin-p-whalley/) in January 2023.