Harnessing computation to understand the natural world
We leverage computational tools to explore biological questions. High-throughput computation allows large-scale exploration and advancement of the frontiers of biology. Applications include gene annotation and prediction of protein function, modeling protein structures, gene editing, mapping human disease within a genetic framework, prediction of microbial communities’ interactions and ecological impacts, exploration of the diversity of life on earth, and tool development to innovate biological research. Collectively, our work harnesses the power of modern computing to advance our understanding of the natural world.
World-class research
Work with leaders in the field and conduct research in our state-of-the-art facilities. What could you do at Waterloo?
Research in 60
Take a minute to learn more about what our researchers are up to.
Meet our researchers
Travis Craddock
Dr. Travis Craddock is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Waterloo and the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Quantum Neurobiology. Dr. Craddock seeks to understand the basic underlying physical and molecular processes of neuroinflammation to improve diagnosis and identify novel treatment strategies for neuroinflammatory illnesses including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Andrew Doxey
Dr. Andrew Doxey's lab is interested in both the development and application of computational methods to predict novel molecular functions (protein-coding and non-coding) from genomic, structural, and other high-throughput datasets. They explore three separate but overlapping areas: predicting novel protein families and functions; predicting evolutionary adaptations in genes and genomes; and comparative functional metagenomics.
Laura Hug
Dr. Laura Hug's research examines the diversity and function of microbial communities in contaminated sites. Research in Dr. Hug's lab seeks to define microbial diversity and function at contaminated sites (primarily municipal landfills). Her lab sequences the total DNA, RNA and protein (meta-omics) of microbial communities to identify which organisms are there, and which pathways are active. She uses enrichment culturing to explore microbial community interactions and to develop new bioremediation tools.
Brendan McConkey
Dr. Brendan McConkey is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Waterloo with extensive expertise in computational biology, bioinformatics and integrative omics analysis. His research program integrates experimental and computational approaches to understand gene and protein expression across diverse biological systems, with particular emphasis on non-model organisms.
Josh D. Neufeld
Dr. Josh Neufeld's lab thrives at the interface between method development, basic microbial ecology, and applied research, providing exceptional training opportunities for students and postdoctoral research fellows. In order to address important global challenges, Dr. Neufeld's lab characterizes bacterial and archaeal communities in terrestrial, aquatic, and host-associated habitats.
Jozef I. Nissimov
Dr. Jozef I. Nissimov leads the Environmental Virology and Ecology Research Group, where his research examines ecological and co-evolutionary dynamics between aquatic microbial hosts (microalgae and cyanobacteria) and their viruses, and how these dynamics shape aquatic ecosystems.
Abiola Olaitan
Dr. Abiola Olaitan's research focuses on infectious diseases, with particular emphasis on the anaerobic bacterial pathogen Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile), the leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea worldwide. Dr. Olaitan's laboratory integrates multi-omics approaches with molecular microbiology to study the evolution, stress adaptation and epidemiology of C. difficile.
Want to study or partner with us?
Helping to shape and encourage the next generations of scientists is at the core of what we do. Prospective graduate students interested in studying with one of our faculty are welcome to reach out to them directly. You can also check out current student research opportunities in Biology.
Research is made better through strong collaboration. If you’re an industry leader looking to partner with us, we would love to hear from you.