Jianrong Wang Received the MSU Strategic Partnership Grants
We are excited to announce that Dr. Jianrong Wang, an Associate Professor in the CMSE Department, has received the MSU Strategic Partnership Grants (SPG). Dr. Wang's research focuses on developing novel statistical models and machine learning algorithms to infer large-scale context-dependent gene regulatory networks and their association with complex human disease, including cancer. It is his expertise in bioinformatics that facilitate this proposal: Predictive Machine Learning Infrastructure of the 3D Human Genome Integrated with Synthetic Biology to Boost Early Disease Diagnostics, which landed him the SPG funding.
DNA, being the molecule that carries genetic information for the development and functioning of an organism, is often thought of as a 'code' like that of a computational binary sequence. This idea is reflected in traditional techniques that only anylyze DNA as linear sequences, failing to integrate the critical 3D structures that influence how DNA functions within cells. Dr. Wang's proposal aims to overcome this limitation by leveraging advanced artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze these 3D DNA structures, offering improved diagnostic accuracy.
The Strategic Partnership Grants (SPG) Program is a competitive grant funded by the Michigan State University Research Foundation, that provides funding for major projects in key areas of research, scholarship, and creative activities. Depending on the categories, the SPG funding can reach a maximum of $480,000 inclusive of a 20% cash match from the college or related sources budgeted at $160,000/year for up to three years. Dr. Wang's proposal passed the rigorous internal peer review process conducted by MSU faculty and research administrators and was selected for funding alongside two other projects.
To learn more about the 2024 MSU Strategic Partnership Grants and its recipients, visit this article by MSU Research Foundation.
