Training and Appointments. I was trained in systems biology under the mentorship of Scott Diamond, Ravi Radhakrishnan, and Galit Lahav with a focus on computational modeling of cell signaling pathways. In 2013, I established my independent research group at UNC, where I hold appointments in the Department of Genetics and the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. In 2019, I relocated my laboratory to UNC’s newly created research space for Computational Medicine, a hub for interdisciplinary science.
Research. My primary research interest is developing computational models that help us understand and manipulate cellular behavior. Recently, my group has focused on understanding the organization of the human cell cycle with application to cancer therapy. Over the years, we have collaborated with many outstanding scientists at UNC including Jean Cook, Phil Spanheimer, Mike Emanuele, Adriana Beltran, Gaorav Gupta, Didong Li, and Michael Kosorok. One of my greatest joys as a faculty member is discovering the intellectual gifts in my colleagues, and then assembling these colleagues to build interdisciplinary teams to tackle complex research problems.
Service. I serve the University in a number of capacities including Associate Chair for Education in my department, director of the Amgen Scholars Program, and the Executive Committee for the Bioinformatics and Computational Biology curriculum. I have always felt at home in the University setting and am inspired by its teaching and research missions. This year, I had the privilege of joining the Academic Leadership Fellows Program, where I consider University-shaping issues alongside six remarkable colleagues from across UNC’s college and schools. One of my long-term goals is to read one scholarly work from every faculty member at UNC.
Personal. I grew up in Bradenton, Florida, home of the infamous Florida Man. I live in Chapel Hill with my wife, Joy, and three rambunctious children. In my spare time, I enjoy producing and mixing electronic music with aspirations of one day leaving academia to pursue my dream of becoming a DJ.
