Computational biologist Lon Cardon joins Human Biology Division

Center News

A new member of the Human Biology Division at the Center is helping find genes and new techniques to cure disease without the assistance of typical laboratory tools. Dr. Lon Cardon, a statistical geneticist, joined the Center this summer as co-director of the Herbold Computational Biology Program. Dr. Robert Gentleman of the Public Health Sciences Division co-directs the program.

Cardon uses computers to locate genes that lead to common human diseases. By developing statistical methods, novel algorithms and specialized software, the highly specialized field of computational biology saves both time and money over "wet lab" investigations. Last year, the Center received a $1.5 million donation from Bob and Pat Herbold to accelerate faculty recruitment for the new computational biology program.

Cardon is involved in a number of collaborative projects covering a wide variety of problems, including diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, endometriosis and reading disability. "From a statistical perspective, there is a commonality of machinery which, if we can figure out how to make it work in, say, inflammatory-bowel disease, may work just as well as in type-II diabetes or potentially in some forms of cancer," he said.

The overarching goal of Cardon's work is to precisely define diseases that lend themselves to better diagnostics and improved treatments. He splits his time between the Center and the University of Oxford in England, where he has long ties and plans to continue collaboration.

Cardon, who grew up in Washington, said there are a number of reasons the Center was attractive to him. "There's a terrific tradition of statistics and genetics here, and people outside the field might not know that. But as an academic community, it's definitely one of the best places in the world to do statistical genetic research."

National Institutes of Health, Wellcome Trust and European grants are funding Cardon's research.

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