Life as D4AS
Presented by Dr. Sangtae Kim
Charles D. School of Chemical Engineering Purdue University West Lafayette, IN 47907
May 18, 2017875 N. Randolph Street, Arlington, VA 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm
Abstract: Seven years ago, Dr. Kim presented a DDDAS Keynote with the provocative title “Is Life a Dynamic Data Driven (DNA) Application System?” and invited the DDDAS community to explore potential linkages between epigenetics and the DDDAS framework. In the emerging field of epigenetics, the mechanism for cell differentiation cries out for a framework that describes the interaction between the cellular environment and the otherwise identical DNA sequences in every cell. While much remains to be done and the details are still evolving, this speaker had noticed striking parallels in epigenetics to the DDDAS concept from the computational sciences, i.e., the signals from the environment acting as the “dynamic data stream” and the ensuing regulatory action on the encoding DNA forming the “application system”. More recently, in a 2014 DDDAS workshop, a “top 10 countdown” list of ways that DDDAS can save the world was presented; the epigenetics-DDDAS connection was revealed as holding the #1 spot on the list because of broad societal benefits from new molecular level understanding of diseases as regulatory/control actions gone awry. This presentation updates the epigenetics story featuring the latest collaborations between experts in the fields of biophysics and DDDAS and concludes with a roadmap for translational research with the bio-pharma industry.
Bio: Dr. Sangtae “Sang” Kim is Distinguished Professor and the Jay and Cynthia Ihlenfeld Head of the Charles D. Davidson School of Chemical Engineering at Purdue University. His research interests span computer-aided drug discovery to translational models for commercialization. His prior professional experiences include founding Executive Director, Morgridge Institute for Research at UW-Madison; founding Division Director, NSF Division of Shared Cyberinfrastructure; and Vice President for R&D IT at pharmaceutical companies Eli Lilly and Warner Lambert. His career started on the chemical engineering faculty at UW-Madison where he made pioneering contributions to mathematical and computational methods for microhydrodynamics and coauthored the 1991 book on this same topic. Dr. Kim is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineers, a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AICHE), a Trustee of the AICHE Foundation and served (2009-2012) as the IT expert on the Science Board of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). His honors and awards include the 2013 Ho-Am Prize in Engineering, Allan P. Colburn Award from the AICHE for excellence in research (1993), and the 1992 Award for Initiatives in Research from the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Kim received concurrent BSc and MSc degrees (1979) from Caltech and his PhD (1983) from Princeton.
This lecture is presented by invitation only. Please contact Dr. Ken Goretta for details. kenneth.goretta@us.af.mil; tel 703 696 7349