Evolutionary and Quantitative Genomics

HST.508 (MIT) / Biophysics 170 (Harvard)

Monday, Wednesday, and most Fridays 11a-12:30p at 4-145

Professors: Tami Lieberman, CCE and IMES

Leonid Mirny, IMES and Physics

TA Mani Sai Suryateja Jammalamadaka : suryaj@mit.edu

This course aims to develop deep quantitative understanding of basic forces of evolution, molecular evolution, genetic variations and their dynamics in populations, genetics of complex phenotypes, and genome-wide association studies. Application of these foundational concepts to cutting edge studies in epigenetics, gene regulation and chromatin; cancer genomics, and microbiomes. Modules consist of lectures, journal club discussions of high impact publications, and guest lectures that provide clinical correlates. Homework assignments and final projects aim to develop hands-on experience and understanding of genomic data from evolutionary principles.

Syllabus Assignments

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites, but a background in either biology or a quantitative field is recommended. Please email us if you are unsure if this course is for you.

Reasons you might like to take this course

You want to get a firm understanding of the evolutionary principles underlying modern genomics
You want to develop the quantitative intuition to enable you to develop new genomic analyses
You want to learn about both basic and clinical applications of genomics, gene expression analysis, and other sequencing-based technologies
You want to carefully read important and cutting-edge papers across diverse topics in genomics, including, cancer genomics, association studies, the microbiome, single-cell genomics, and chromatin organization

Suggested textbooks

John H. Gillespie's Population Genetics: A Concise Guide

Graham Coop's PopGen Notes