Home | Columbia University Department of Systems Biology

Research
The Columbia University Department of Systems Biology brings together researchers specializing in computational biology, experimental biology, and technology development to discover how biological traits emerge from complex molecular networks.
Education
Systems biology and computational biology are becoming increasingly important disciplines in the biological sciences. Through PhD graduate education and postdoctoral training we prepare young scientists to become leaders in this exciting and rapidly growing field.
- Graduate Education
- Postdoctoral Training
Infrastructure
Our core facilities include centers for next-generation sequencing and high-throughput screening, as well as a high-performance computing center dedicated to research in molecular and systems biology.
- Columbia Genome Center
- Advanced Research Computing

News

Awards and Grants

The Gates Foundation Funds the Wang Lab’s Efforts in Global Health Study

Dr. Harris Wang and systems biology graduate student, Ravi Sheth, have been awarded a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help advance a global health project aimed at reducing childhood mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. The project incorporates Dr. Wang’s innovative microbiome research techniques to study the antibiotic, Azithromycin, and understanding its role as an intervention for improving childhood survival rates in low-resource settings.

Awards and Grants

Advancing the Use of Single-Cell Technology for Novel Brain Cancer Treatment

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research has awarded Dr. Peter Sims an Emerging Leader Award and will support his work to advance a novel use of single-cell RNA sequencing to develop brain cancer treatments. Dr. Sims, an early contributor to the emerging field of single-cell RNA sequencing, is one of just eight recipients of the inaugural grant, given to promising early career scientists for projects aimed at unmet needs in cancer risk prediction, prevention and treatment.

Innovative Engine: Medical Research

Columbia University researchers are rewriting the course of scientific investigation, intent on speeding up the process of discovery that will help patients with cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and other intractable diagnoses. In cancer, Dr. Andrea Califano decided to turn cancer treatment theory on its head. In a feature published in the College of Physicians & Surgeons’ Annual Report, Dr. Califano’s work in precision cancer medicine is highlighted, along with the work of other Columbia innovators who are having an impact on medical research.

Dr. Cory Abate-Shen Elected an AAAS Fellow

The American Association for the Advancement of Science has elected Dr. Cory Abate-Shen a 2018 Fellow, recognizing her work in the development of innovative mouse models to better understand how basic cellular mechanisms are co-opted in cancer and for her contributions to the field of cancer biology. A leader in genitourinary malignancies, Dr. Abate-Shen is particularly interested in advancing our understanding of the mechanisms and modeling of prostate and bladder tumors. She holds joint appointments in the Departments of Systems Biology, Medicine and Pathology & Cell Biology.

Research News

Novel Method Identifies New Risk Genes for Developmental Disorders

The genetics of developmental disorders, such as congenital heart disease and autism, are highly complex. There are roughly 500 to 1,000 risk genes that can lead to each of these diseases, and to date, only about a few dozen have been identified. Focusing on haploinsufficiency, a key biological mechanism of genetic risk in developmental disorders, Dr. Yufeng Shen has developed a computational method that enables researchers to find new risk genes in these diseases.