Bioinformatics/Modeling/Biostatistics Core

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ABSTRACT — JHU TRAC BIOINFORMATICS, MODELING AND BIOSTATISTICS CORE (BMBC) Mycobacterium tuberculosis has evolved with humankind for centuries; as such, tuberculosis (TB) is arguably one of the most complex infectious diseases to represent analytically. From within-host processes (e.g., macrophage heterogeneity and granuloma formation) to clinical presentation (e.g., latency and a prolonged waxing-and-waning disease course) to population-level dynamics (e.g., slow epidemics driven by heterogeneous transmission and susceptibility), TB presents distinctive challenges for modeling. By the same token, however, advances in the development of computational models – including systems dynamics, statistical, and epidemiological approaches – offer an unparalleled opportunity for developing new quantitative insights into the dynamics of this uniquely human pathogen. The overall goal of the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) TRAC Bioinformatics, Modeling and Biostatistics Core (BMBC) is to ensure that innovative TB research is accelerated by access to the most recent advances in computational methods for infectious disease research. These include bioinformatics to make use of genomic, proteomic, and other high-throughput, genome-scale data; modeling, to turn these data sets into mechanistic models; and biostatistics, for expertise in applying computational methods to clinical and epidemiological research. To ensure the ability of the BMBC to achieve these goals, we have recruited leaders whose expertise spans these areas. Dr. Joel Bader, Core Director, has extensive experience in bioinformatics and modeling applied to infectious disease, as well as a long record of technology development. Co-Director Dr. David Dowdy spans mathematical modeling and epidemiology; Co-Director Dr. Aletta Nonyane has expertise in biostatistics and high-dimensional clinical data. Additional Core faculty provide deeper expertise in key content areas, including genomics, biostatistics, mechanistic modeling (within-host and population-level), systems dynamics, bioinformatics, and data science. The BMBC will achieve its overall goal and provide added value to the JHU TRAC by enabling New Investigators (NI) and Early Stage Investigators (ESI) to achieve independence in their research, whether by learning to perform computational research themselves or by establishing productive partnerships with computational counterparts. The BMBC will assist NI/ESI, as well as researchers new to the TB field, in gaining access to the high-performance computing facilities required for modern studies. Additional examples of services the BMBC will provide include partnership with NI/ESI to navigate computationally intensive components of their research, assistance with study design and/or analytical approaches relevant to specific research questions, and linkage to formal training opportunities for interested investigators. In addition, the BMBC faculty will provide synergy with the other JHU TRAC Cores and foster multi-disciplinary collaborations by participating in the weekly TRAC Seminar Series, with a focus on computational approaches to addressing critical TB knowledge gaps, as well as NI/ESI-focused Writing Accountability Groups, TRAC K-Club and K2R Club, and the annual TB Scientific Meeting and TRAC Data Fair.