# Bioinformatics/Modeling/Biostatistics Core

> **NIH NIH P30** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $125,976

## Abstract

ABSTRACT — JHU TRAC BIOINFORMATICS, MODELING AND BIOSTATISTICS CORE (BMBC)
Mycobacterium tuberculosis has evolved with humankind for centuries; as such, tuberculosis (TB) is arguably
one of the most complex infectious diseases to represent analytically. From within-host processes (e.g.,
macrophage heterogeneity and granuloma formation) to clinical presentation (e.g., latency and a prolonged
waxing-and-waning disease course) to population-level dynamics (e.g., slow epidemics driven by heterogeneous
transmission and susceptibility), TB presents distinctive challenges for modeling. By the same token, however,
advances in the development of computational models – including systems dynamics, statistical, and
epidemiological approaches – offer an unparalleled opportunity for developing new quantitative insights into the
dynamics of this uniquely human pathogen. The overall goal of the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) TRAC
Bioinformatics, Modeling and Biostatistics Core (BMBC) is to ensure that innovative TB research is accelerated
by access to the most recent advances in computational methods for infectious disease research. These include
bioinformatics to make use of genomic, proteomic, and other high-throughput, genome-scale data; modeling, to
turn these data sets into mechanistic models; and biostatistics, for expertise in applying computational methods
to clinical and epidemiological research. To ensure the ability of the BMBC to achieve these goals, we have
recruited leaders whose expertise spans these areas. Dr. Joel Bader, Core Director, has extensive experience
in bioinformatics and modeling applied to infectious disease, as well as a long record of technology development.
Co-Director Dr. David Dowdy spans mathematical modeling and epidemiology; Co-Director Dr. Aletta Nonyane
has expertise in biostatistics and high-dimensional clinical data. Additional Core faculty provide deeper expertise
in key content areas, including genomics, biostatistics, mechanistic modeling (within-host and population-level),
systems dynamics, bioinformatics, and data science. The BMBC will achieve its overall goal and provide added
value to the JHU TRAC by enabling New Investigators (NI) and Early Stage Investigators (ESI) to achieve
independence in their research, whether by learning to perform computational research themselves or by
establishing productive partnerships with computational counterparts. The BMBC will assist NI/ESI, as well as
researchers new to the TB field, in gaining access to the high-performance computing facilities required for
modern studies. Additional examples of services the BMBC will provide include partnership with NI/ESI to
navigate computationally intensive components of their research, assistance with study design and/or analytical
approaches relevant to specific research questions, and linkage to formal training opportunities for interested
investigators. In addition, the BMBC faculty will provide synergy with the other JHU TRAC Cores and...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10783102
- **Project number:** 5P30AI168436-03
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** David Wesley Dowdy
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $125,976
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-03-16 → 2027-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10783102

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10783102, Bioinformatics/Modeling/Biostatistics Core (5P30AI168436-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10783102. Licensed CC0.

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