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The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has received a prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH) award to launch the Pacific Computational Genomics and Data Sciences (CGDS) Research Education Program. Led by Dr. Youping Deng and Dr. Yiqiang Zhang both professors at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, this is a first-of-the-kind NIH program in Hawaiʻi. It aims to broaden and transform educational opportunities in Hawaiʻi and the wider Pacific by using a novel curriculum to train diverse and underrepresented students and community learners in computational genomics and data science.
Hawaiʻi, known for its rich cultural diversity and aloha spirit, is poised to become a hub of innovation in genomics research. A $486,000 grant from the NIH will help establish the Pacific CGDS Program, which is setting out to equip diverse students, including Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and other underrepresented groups, with the cutting-edge skills needed to navigate the complexities of genomics data. By weaving together modern data science with traditional values of community and collaboration, the new program will prepare students to tackle some of the most pressing health challenges affecting the people in Hawaiʻi—such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes, among many health conditions —through state-of-the-art computational tools.
“At the heart of this initiative is the use of cloud computing technologies, including big-data ecosystems sponsored by the NIH,” explained Dr. Deng, “this will enable students to access and analyze vast omics datasets.” Through this innovative approach, the program will boost Hawaiʻi's genomics research capabilities and share its breakthroughs with the rest of the U.S. “By creating new educational pathways in CGDS, we open doors for our students and communities to engage with the future of medicine and science,” said Dr. Zhang, “We are proud to bring these opportunities to Hawaiʻi, where the spirit of mālama—caring for one another—meets the frontiers of genomics and data science.”
“At the John A. Burns School of Medicine, we are honored to train the next generation of researchers. This mission takes on special significance when we can nurture homegrown talent,” said Dean Sam Shomaker, MD. “Who better to address the health issues affecting our diverse population than individuals from that very community? Dr. Deng and Zhang’s Pacific Computational Genomics and Data Sciences (CGDS) Research Education Program exemplifies how JABSOM continues to fulfill our vision of A.L.O.H.A., attaining lasting optimal health for all.”
The Pacific CGDS Research Education Program is one of the four Partner Sites of the CGDS Educational Hub sponsored by NIH’s National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). Joined by Dr. Gernot Presting, Professor in the Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, the Pacific CGDS team will help train a pipeline of future CGDS leaders who will shape the future of health in Hawaiʻi and beyond. This program is a timely addition to the recently established NIH T32 nutritional and biomedical research-focused AI/ML advanced training program in which Dr. Deng serves as the Principal Investigator (Contact PI) and Dr. Zhang as the Executive Program Director. 