Computational Biology & AI
Donnelly Centre Research Themes
We are advancing the frontiers of computational biology and artificial intelligence to transform the study of cellular and molecular biology. Our faculty are leading efforts in large-scale, high-throughput genomic data analysis to uncover new biological pathways, mechanisms of disease and therapeutic targets. We aim to improve human health through integrative, data-driven approaches.
Computational Biology & AI News
Mar 13, 2026
When faced with a mountain of gene expression data, reducing the computational complexity for analyzing a cell’s RNA transcripts is an invaluable development. Researchers at the Bader Lab in the Donnelly Centre have developed an algorithm they call FLASH-MM, which allows the analysis of individual cell transcriptomes to take minutes rather than days.
Sep 29, 2025
On the third weekend of September, the Donnelly Centre hosted the second-ever Toronto Bioinformatics Hackathon (TBH): a two-day marathon of learning as programming enthusiasts team up to develop functional software projects. Hackathons challenge groups to balance time management, skill, teamwork, and sleep.
This is what that balancing act looks like at all levels, from the winning projects to the private judging deliberations.
Jul 21, 2025
A global initiative to increase diversity among researchers working in mass spectrometry, called the OpenMS Fellowship Program, has recently wrapped up after successfully recruiting and training new talent in computational biology. The program, initiated by Hannes Röst, associate professor of molecular genetics, and organized by Mohammed Alhigaylan, a graduate student in the Röst lab, has helped seven scientists develop programming skills needed to conduct research in proteomics and metabolomics.
Jun 12, 2025
A postdoctoral fellow from the Wheeler Microfluidics Laboratory has published research on the ebb and flow of bacteria in the human digestive system. Dr. Ali Salari is one of two authors, along with Dr. Jonas Cremer of Stanford’s Department of Biology, of “Diurnal Variations in Digestion and Flow Drive Microbial Dynamics in the Gut,” which went live as a highlighted article in the journal PRX Life on June 9th.