Skip to main content

Research Area: Computational Systems Biology

Katherine A. Hoadley, PhD

August 21, 2018

Katherine Hoadley, PhD

Associate Professor of Genetics

Core Faculty
Phone: (919) 962-8416 | Office: 11-212 Mary Ellen Jones Building
Email: hoadley@med.unc.edu | Website: https://unclineberger.org/people/profiles/katherine-hoadley

Research Areas: Computational Genomics, Bioinformatics, Computational Systems Biology
Research Interests: My research interest is in genomic characterization and integrative genomic approaches to better understand cancer. My group is part of the NCI Genome Data Analysis Center focused on RNA expression analysis. We have a number of ongoing projects including developing molecular classifications for potential clinical utility, developing methods for deconvolution to understand bulk tissue heterogeneity, analysis of driver negative cancers, and analysis of ancestry markers with cancer features.

Hector Franco

June 5, 2018

Hector L Franco, PhD

Assistant Professor of Genetics; UNC Lineberger Cancer Center

Core Faculty
Phone: (919) 966-5269 | Office: 5109 Marsico Hall
Email: hfranco@med.unc.edu | Website: https://www.thefrancolab.org/

Research Areas: Bioinformatics, Computational Genomics, Computational Systems Biology
Research Interests: The Franco lab has a long-standing interest in gene regulation, epigenetics, chromatin and RNA biology, especially as it pertains to cancer. We address these research aims by using an interdisciplinary approach that combines molecular and cellular techniques with functional genomic and computational approaches.

Doug Phanstiel, PhD

February 9, 2018

Doug Phanstiel, PhD

Assistant Professor of Cell Biology & Physiology

Core Faculty
Phone: 919-843-8847 | Office: 4019 Thurston Bowles Building
Email: douglas_phanstiel@med.unc.edu | Website: http://www.unc.edu/~dphansti/

Research Areas: Bioinformatics, Computational Genomics, Computational Systems Biology
Research Interests: We employ experimental and computational approaches to study the mechanisms through which enhancers and three-dimensional chromatin structure regulate gene transcription during cellular differentiation. The goals of our computational work include improved detection and quantification of three-dimensional chromatin structures and new tools for visualizing multi-dimensional genomic data.

Di Wu

November 17, 2016

Di Wu, PhD

Associate Professor of Periodontics, School of Dentistry; Biostatistics

Core Faculty
Phone: 919-537-3277 | Office: 4504 Koury Oral Health Sciences Building
Email: dwu@unc.edu | Website: http://sph.unc.edu/adv_profile/di-wu-phd/

Research Areas: Bioinformatics, Computational Genomics, Computational System Biology, Statistical and Population Genetics​
Research Interests: Development of statistical methods for multidimensional genomic data integration to understand the biological mechanism of diseases.

Benjamin Vincent, MD

March 31, 2016

Benjamin Vincent, MD

Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology

Resource Faculty
Phone: 919-962-8412 | Office: 5206 Marsico Hall
Email: bgvincen@unch.unc.edu | Website:

Research Areas: Computational Immunology, Bioinformatics, Computational Genomics, Computational Systems Biology
Research Interests: Current research focuses on how immunogenomics features including T cell receptor and B cell receptor repertoire characteristics predict survival and response to immunotherapy in breast cancer, bladder cancer, and acute myeloid leukemia.

Jason Stein, PhD

March 17, 2016

Jason Stein, PhD

Associate Professor of Genetics

Core Faculty
Phone: (919) 843-5541 | Office: 7202A Mary Ellen Jones Building
Email: jason_stein@med.unc.edu | Website: http://www.steinlab.org/

Research Areas: Bioinformatics, Computational Genomics, Computational Systems Biology
Research Interests: The focus of our research is finding and modeling genetic variants influencing human brain structure and function.

John Sondek, PhD

July 20, 2015

John Sondek, PhD

Professor of Pharmacology, and Biochemistry & Biophysics

Resource Faculty
Phone: 919-966-7530 | Office: 4060 Genetic Medicine Bldg.
Email: sondek@med.unc.edu | Website: http://www.med.unc.edu/pharm/sondeklab

Research Areas: Bioinformatics, Computational Biophysics, Computational Systems Biology
Research Interests: Signaling networks controlled by GTPases; structural biology; chemical biology; biosensors design and use; cancer therapeutics

Mark Zylka, PhD

July 8, 2015

Mark Zylka, PhD

Professor of UNC Neuroscience Center, Dept. of Cell Biology & Physiology

Resource Faculty
Phone: 919-966-2540 | Office: 5109 D Neuroscience Research Building
Email: zylka@med.unc.edu | Website: https://www.med.unc.edu/cellbiophysio/faculty/zylka

Research Areas: Bioinformatics, Computational Genomics, Computational Systems Biology, Image Analysis
Research Interests: Use of genome-wide approaches to study transcriptional regulators linked to autism; Use of RNA-seq and targeted sequencing to identify chemical risk factors for brain disorders (autism, brain aging, neurodegeneration, ADHD); Transcriptional mechanisms associated with long genes

Charles M. Perou, PhD

July 8, 2015

Charles M. Perou, PhD

The May Goldman Shaw Distinguished Professor of Molecular Oncology, of Genetics and Pathology & Laboratory Medicine

Core Faculty
Phone: 919-843-5740 | Office: 5111 Marsico Hall
Email: cperou@med.unc.edu | Website: http://peroulab.med.unc.edu/

Research Areas: Bioinformatics, Computational Genomics, Computational Systems Biology
Research Interests: The focus of the Perou Lab is to characterize the biological diversity of human tumors using genomics, genetics, and cell biology, and to then use this information to develop computational predictors of tumor responsiveness and patient outcomes. We use a variety of genomic data types including RNA-seq, DNA exomes/WGS, and DNA copy number data to build these objective models. A major focus of the lab is on novel algorithm development, and the translation of these genomic predictors into clinical assays for use on cancer patients.