Presenter: Prof. Christina Cuomo

University: Broad Institute, USA

Time: 16:30-17:00, October 22, 2011

Venue: A102, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Introduction: Christina Cuomo is a research scientist in the Genome Sequencing and Analysis program at the Broad Institute. Christina leads the fungal genome analysis group under the Fungal Genome Initiative, and manages and leads analysis projects. The Fungal Genome Initiative targets fungi for sequencing which are important human and agricultural pathogens, model systems, and represent the diversity of the fungal kingdom. Past projects include the comparative analysis of Candida, an important group of human pathogens, and Aspergillus genomes, and analysis of the F. graminearum and R. oryzae genomes. Current projects include dermatophytes, rust fungi, and two pathogens responsible for major declines of amphibians (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) and bats (Geomyces destructans).

Christina joined the Whitehead Institute/MIT Center for Genome Research, now part of the Broad Institute, in 2002. For the first year, she co-led the genome closure team, as part of the public Human Genome Project. In 2003, she joined the Fungal Genome Initiative and has since participated in the comparative analysis of many fungal genomes.

Christina received her A.B. in biology from Bryn Mawr College and her Ph.D. in genetics from Harvard University.