The Rodriguez-Zas's Laboratory of Statistical Genetics and Bioinformatics’ research program is a continuous quest to understand the genetic architecture of health, social behavior, agricultural, and other complex characteristics through statistical genomics and bioinformatics. This quest is directed by a methodical process of evaluating complementary approaches and identifying parsimonious models to study complex characteristics in humans, laboratory animals, insects, livestock, and plants. This includes studying pain, social behavior, neuropeptides and livestock production traits such as milk production and meat quality. We provide approaches suitable to present scenarios such as analysis of gene expression and proteomic experiments, and we anticipate future needs including a meta-analysis of gene expression and proteomic data and gene networks. Our Principal Investigator created Beehive, a free integrated system for management, analysis, and interpretation of microarray data that removes technical barriers so that experimenters can easily perform complex analysis.
Outcomes of our research help to distinguish nature from nurture and enhancing the opportunities to cure and prevent diseases, and to understand complex biological systems.
Our specific research goals are to:
- Develop innovative statistical genomic approaches to understand the genetic basis of multifactorial phenotypes.
- Optimize available approaches to statistical genomics and bioinformatics.
- Collaborate in innovative research.
- Foster a research environment where the bright and motivated students choose to learn and work
- Communicate the research outcomes in a timely fashion to scientists and the community.
Our Principal Investigator is Sandra Luisa Rodriguez-Zas.
Check out our website here to learn more.