Mission Statement

We are witnessing the birth of a new era in biology. The ability to decipher the genetic code of living organisms promises to improve the quality of human life and has dramatically changed the challenges that the biological and biomedical sciences can address.

On the one hand, recent and novel technologies produce biological datasets of ever increasing size, regarding genomic sequences, RNA and protein abundances, their interactions with each other, their sub-cellular localization, and the identity and abundance of other biological molecules. This requires development of sophisticated computational methods (Bioinformatics).

On the other hand, to understand life, biology can now rise to the challenge of understanding the integrated functions of thousands of genes (Systems Biology). Large physical and functional interaction networks gained through genetic, biochemical and pharmacological approaches reveal the connectivity of the network, identify functional modules and provide clues on the functioning of specific genes. Studies of network biology lead to the construction of predictive models that reveal mechanisms and allow for virtual experimentation.

Addressing these challenges and moving biology into the realm of a quantitative, predictive, and theory-driven science, will require an interdisciplinary research structure dedicated to developing intellectual and human capital in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology. As such, there is an enormous need for trained professionals who are experts in both biology and computing. To address this need, the Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program at the University of California at San Diego was created in 2001 with Professor Shankar Subramaniam as the founding director. It now includes the following Schools and Divisions on the UCSD campus: The School of Engineering (Bioengineering, Computer Science and Engineering, and Nanoengineering), The Division of Biological Sciences, the Division of Physical Sciences (Chemistry, Biochemistry, Physics, and Mathematics), the School of Medicine, and the Skaggs School of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The Graduate Program is supported by the respective schools, divisions, and departments as well as by the NIH Training Grant and over sixty associated faculty.

We, as director and associate director are excited to be able to provide our complementary expertise and visions to shape this boundary-crossing graduate program and we invite you to participate.