Senior Staff Scientist, Director of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Core

Joel H. Graber, Ph.D.

Modern biomedical research is increasingly data-intensive and requires computational expertise and robust procedures that ensure rigorous and reproductive analysis.

The MDI Biological Laboratory Computational Biology/Bionformatics (CompBio) Core is focused on collaboration, analysis, and education in the computational analysis of genome-scale data. Their efforts are distributed between the linked goals of (1) providing our collaborating research groups with experimental data analysis/management and computational resources, and (2) providing training in computational biology both within MDIBL and also as part of the Maine INBRE (IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence) research program.

Biomedical research is dependent on data management and increasingly sophisticated analysis workflows that are both rigorous and reproducible. The CompBio Core has the experience and knowledge to provide training, analysis, and infrastructure that enable our collaborating researchers to accomplish their research goals.

News Articles

2022 MDI Biological Laboratory Publications Blog · January 13, 2023
Cloud Computing 101 Blog · February 7, 2022
MDI Biological Laboratory awarded grant to advance cloud computing in Maine Bangor Daily News · December 15, 2021
Biology Students + Crickets + High Performance Computers = Scientific Breakthrough Bowdoin College · March 16, 2021
Students take virtual genetics course through MDI Biological Laboratory Southern Maine Community College · February 2, 2021
MDI Biological Laboratory Scientists Decipher Role of a Stress Response Gene Press Release · September 9, 2020
MDI Biological Laboratory hosts 2020 National Science Foundation Fellows Bangor Daily News · August 11, 2020
MINOTA 2020 – a change of direction Blog · August 11, 2020
Part III: Meet the Computational Biology Core Blog · August 11, 2020
Bioinformatics Part II: What do my genome-scale measurements of gene expression mean? Blog · August 11, 2020

Publications

Mukherjee S, Graber JH, Moore CL. Macrophage differentiation is marked by increased abundance of the mRNA 3' end processing machinery, altered poly(A) site usage, and sensitivity to the level of CstF64. Front Immunol. 2023 Jan 25;14:1091403. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1091403. PMID: 36761770; PMCID: PMC9905730.
Robledo RF, Ciciotte SL, Graber JH, Zhao Y, Lambert AJ, Gwynn B, Maki NJ, Brindley EC, Hartman E, Blanc L, Peters LL. Differential effects of RASA3 mutations on hematopoiesis are profoundly influenced by genetic background and molecular variant. PLoS Genet. 2020 Dec 28;16(12):e1008857. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008857. PMID: 33370780; PMCID: PMC7793307.
Gans I, Hartig EI, Zhu S, Tilden AR, Hutchins LN, Maki NJ, Graber JH, Coffman JA. Klf9 is a key feedforward regulator of the transcriptomic response to glucocorticoid receptor activity. Sci Rep. 2020 Jul 10;10(1):11415. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-68040-z. PMID: 32651405; PMCID: PMC7351738.

More Publications

Education

Ph.D., Cornell University, Experimental Accelerator Physics, 1993
B.S., Michigan Technological University, Physics, 1987
B.S., Michigan Technological University, Computer Science, 1987

Student Projects

Research Fellow projects working within the CompBio Core are focused on analysis and interpretation of genome-scale data.

Projects that address biological problems of interest are generally carried out in collaboration with wet-bench researchers from MDIBL as well as visiting or INBRE-partner research groups. Core personnel also support computationally-focused projects that emphasize “best practices” in developing rigorous and reproducible tools, workflows, and databases. Summer projects are discrete, targeted towards analysis or tool development, and can be carried out over the course of 10 weeks. The CompBio Core is also open to academic year internships focused on longer-term projects.