We are interested in developing and applying computational and molecular methods to better generate, integrate, and analyze
genomic and proteomic information, with a focus on respiratory diseases, environmentally acquired infectious disease, and global and emerging pathogens including Mycobacterium
tuberculosis, Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) , and SARS-CoV-2 . M. tuberculosis , the causative agent of the human tuberculosis disease, results in over 1.4 million
deaths each year, most of which occur in developing countries. Nontuberculous mycobacteria consist of a diverse group of bacteria that can cause pulmonary, disseminated, and tissue infections. Projects of our lab include genomic sequencing and surveillance of NTM affecting the Cystic Fibrosis population, and genomic analysis of clinical and environmental NTM. Our work falls under the general categories of systems biology,
genomics, computational biology, and structural informatics, and builds on disciplines ranging from microbiology to genetics to
computer science.
Our group is particularly interested in the interplay among humans, their pathogens, and environmental factors .
Many diseases occur as a result of a complex interplay among human genetic factors, human-pathogen interactions
and environmental stimuli, and it is our goal to better understand these relationships through the integration and
analysis of large-scale biological and genomic datasets. We have active projects and collaborations that include complete
genome sequencing, gene expression analysis, protein and gene network analysis and structural informatics.
We are also very interested in developing computational methods that can help our clinical counterparts,
particularly in areas related to gene-based diagnostics and drug resistance. Since our group is centered at
National Jewish Health,
one of the premier respiratory hospitals in the United States, we draw on the strength of both our clinicians and basic scientists,
in order to apply modern genomic and bioinformatic strategies to address important areas of respiratory disease research. We are also
very interested in international collaborations, particularly with individuals working in developing countries most affected by
devastating global diseases such as tuberculosis and AIDS, where the medical need often outweighs the available resources.
Open positions
Interested postdoctoral fellows or graduate students, with a background in computational biology, bioinformatics, genomics, or related fields, please contact Michael Strong at StrongM[at]NJHealth.org .
Lab Resources
We have access to the resources of the Center for Genes, Environment, and Health and National Jewish Health, including a high performance computer cluster, Ion PGM, Proton, Illumina MiSeq and HiSeq next-generation sequencers, an Applied Biosystems 96-capillary 3730XL DNA analyzer,
Nimblegen and Agilent microarray scanners, an Illumina's BeadXpress for Multiplex SNP Genotyping, and Qiagen BioRobots
for liquid handling. Learn more.
