2024
- Name: Brian Delavan
- Institution: University of Arkansas Little Rock
- Department: Information Science / Bioinformatics
- Year: Doctoral Student – about 5 months from being done!
- About your research: My research is about applying bioinformatic techniques to analyze public health issues. For example, how can we combine genomics, Bayesian Statistics, and machine learning algorithms to visualize transmission of disease? Can we predict if an isolate contains drug-resistant genes? If we combine different datasets, such as population movement, population density, vaccination rates, can we predict where an outbreak may occur? These are the things I am researching.
- Future goals: I want to continue to apply bioinformatics to public health issues to improve the health of Arkansas.
- How is AR INBRE helping you accomplish your goals? The joint UALR/UAMS program, supported by the AR INBRE, really allows you to find your research passion. When I started my doctoral program, I had some ideas of what I wanted to work on, but nothing concrete. The UALR/UAMS program allowed me to explore and find something I am very passionate about.
- Outside of the lab/classroom: In my free time (what’s that?), I like to watch Chicago Cubs baseball, spend time with my wife of nearly 30 years, and play with our two rescue cats, Zoe and Zazzles (brother and sister)