_______________________________________________________ The Center
The field of computational molecular biology is recognized as a cutting-edge discipline
in life sciences research, with potential breakthroughs likely to impact the whole
spectrum of biology & medicine. Over the last several decades molecular biology
has experienced extraordinary progress, resulting in enhanced understanding of biological
processes. The interdisciplinary interaction of biology with computational, and
mathematical sciences has already made significant contributions to these understandings,
leading to the emergence and recognition of computational molecular biology as an
important and rapidly expanding discipline. Moreover, the explosive growth of high
dimensional data generated by genomic and proteomic technologies has brought an
entirely new data-driven paradigm to the life sciences. The Center for Computational
Molecular Biology (CCMB) at Brown was founded in September 2003 with the aim of
establishing a world-class center for research and scholarship in this new discipline.
CCMB’s central mission is to make breakthrough discoveries in the life sciences
at the molecular and cellular level through the creative application of existing
data analytic methods, and the development of novel computational, mathematical,
and statistical technologies required exploit the opportunities emerging from advances
in genomics and proteomics.
To achieve these goals, CCMB will adhere to three overriding principles:
- The Center plans to concentrate nearly all its efforts on a small number of fundamental
biological themes. Building on current expertise at Brown, these foci will be within
the general areas of genomics, functional and structural proteomics, and evolutionary
biology.
- To achieve international recognition in these areas, the Center requires coherent
integration and strong interaction between wet-lab experimental sciences, and the
computational, mathematical and statistical sciences. Accordingly, CCMB will focus
on building truly interdisciplinary research teams with other multi- and trans-disciplinary
centers at Brown (e.g., the newly created center for Genetics, Genomics and Proteomics,
and the Brain Science Program), as well as with researchers in the Division of Biology
& Medicine, from departments including EEB (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology),
MCB (Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry), MPPB (Molecular Pharmacology,
Physiology and Biotechnology), and MMI (Molecular Microbiology and Immunology).
- Sophisticated computational, mathematical and statistical technologies are imperative
for the success of the Center’s goals. The CCMB will develop such technologies
in areas of our fundamental biological themes with the aim of generating testable
predictions. The Center will capitalize on current expertise in these methodologies
in the departments of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science.
_______________________________________________________ The Center
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