{"id":46967,"date":"2000-05-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2000-05-08T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2000\/05\/08\/new-graduate-degree-program-for-fall-2000\/"},"modified":"2022-08-29T10:55:20","modified_gmt":"2022-08-29T15:55:20","slug":"new-graduate-degree-program-for-fall-2000","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2000\/05\/08\/new-graduate-degree-program-for-fall-2000\/","title":{"rendered":"New Graduate Degree Program for Fall 2000;"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/FONT><\/U><\/I><\/p>\n


UNMC\/UNO to Offer Bioinformatics Program<\/FONT><\/B><\/p>\n

The explosion in genomic information has created an unprecedented need<\/p>\n

for scientists with the ability to use computers and information science<\/p>\n

to study large amounts of genetic information and biological structures.<\/p>\n

Beginning this fall, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the<\/p>\n

University of Nebraska at Omaha will join together as one of the few universities<\/p>\n

in the nation to train graduate students for careers in bioinformatics.<\/p>\n

The new program includes the Department of Pathology and Microbiology<\/p>\n

at UNMC and the departments of Computer Science and Information Systems<\/p>\n

and Quantitative Analysis in the College of Information Science and Technology<\/p>\n

at UNO.<\/p>\n


The field of bioinformatics is growing as established biotechnology<\/p>\n

companies take advantage of the DNA sequence of the human genome. Started<\/p>\n

in 1990, the U.S. Human Genome Project, coordinated by the U.S. Department<\/p>\n

of Energy and the National Institutes of Health, has been working to identify<\/p>\n

all the more than 100,000 genes in human DNA.<\/p>\n

The UNMC\/UNO program will offer a master’s and Ph.D. degree through<\/p>\n

the Pathology and Microbiology Department, but will include extensive work<\/p>\n

at the College of Information Science and Technology. The training allows<\/p>\n

students to become familiar with modern concepts of molecular genetics,<\/p>\n

computer design and function, and information structure and analysis pertaining<\/p>\n

to biological information databases. The program will require undergraduate<\/p>\n

training in biology and computer and information sciences as prerequisites<\/p>\n

for the graduate degree program.<\/p>\n

“We’re taking a lead role in a new and emerging field and exercising<\/p>\n

the strengths of both colleges and departments,” said Hesham Ali, Ph.D.,<\/p>\n

in UNO’s Department of Computer Science.<\/p>\n

“This gives us a chance to offer students the opportunity to train in<\/p>\n

an extremely exciting and valuable new area,” said Donald Johnson, Ph.D.,<\/p>\n

in UNMC’s Department of Pathology and Microbiology. “Students in the program<\/p>\n

will be specialized individuals who will understand biology and computer<\/p>\n

science and be able to analyze and use information for a real understanding<\/p>\n

of human biology and how to solve and cure diseases.”<\/p>\n

The amount of genomic information to process is staggering. If the sequence<\/p>\n

of the human genome — a continuous chain of information coded with the<\/p>\n

letters A, T, G, and C — was lined up in 12 point font (the size of this<\/p>\n

type) it would stretch from San Francisco to New York.<\/p>\n

The need for scientists and managers in bioinformatics also is staggering. <\/p>\n

Nationally, there will be approximately 60,000 jobs available in bioinformatics,<\/p>\n

but less than 10 universities offering such a program, Johnson said. The<\/p>\n

need continues to grow as emerging and established biotechnology companies<\/p>\n

take advantage of the DNA sequence of the human genome.<\/p>\n

“This is a program where the University of Nebraska can grow some really<\/p>\n

strong students and help us do some incredible interdisciplinary work,”<\/p>\n

said Wayne Dyksen, dean of the UNO College of Information Science and Technology.<\/p>\n


Dyksen also hopes the program yields economic development opportunities<\/p>\n

for the state with bioinformatic companies forming and relocating in Nebraska.<\/p>\n

“This is, in many ways, the future of molecular biology and the first<\/p>\n

step toward developing a free-standing bioinformatics program,” said William<\/p>\n

Berndt, Ph.D., vice chancellor for academic affairs at UNMC.<\/p>\n

The program is another example of the collaboration between the two<\/p>\n

campuses, said Justin Stolen, Ph.D., in UNO’s Department of Information<\/p>\n

Systems and Quantitative Analysis. “It’s also a recognition of a growing<\/p>\n

area that really needs to be dealt with and can’t be dealt with by either<\/p>\n

campus individually.”<\/p>\n

To learn more about the program, access the UNMC\/UNO bioinformatics<\/p>\n

website at www.isqa.unomaha.edu\/bioinformatics.<\/p>\n


UNMC is the only public academic health science center in the state.<\/p>\n

Through its commitment to research, education, outreach and patient care,<\/p>\n

UNMC has established itself as one of the country’s leading centers for<\/p>\n

cancer research and treatment, solid organ transplantation and arthritis.<\/p>\n

During the past year, nearly $31 million in research grants and contracts<\/p>\n

were awarded to UNMC scientists, and UNMCs funding from the National Institutes<\/p>\n

of Health increased by 28 percent, going from $16.2 million to $20.7 million.<\/p>\n

UNMC’s educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals<\/p>\n

practicing in Nebraska than any other institution.<\/p>\n


 <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UNMC\/UNO to Offer Bioinformatics Program The explosion in genomic information has created an unprecedented need for scientists with the ability to use computers and information science to study large amounts of genetic information and biological structures. 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