Dr. David Knowles is a Core Faculty Member at the New York Genome Center and an Associate Professor of Computer Science and Systems Biology at Columbia University. His lab develops machine learning, statistical genetics, and functional genomics methods to dissect the causal chain from genetic variation to trait, especially Alzheimer’s disease. In collaboration with Dr. Towfique Raj (Mount Sinai Medical School), and with support from CureAlz, Dr Knowles’ group is applying these methods to large-scale genomic and transcriptomic datasets. These analyses will help distinguish molecular and cellular changes that are causes rather than consequences of Alzheimer’s disease, knowledge which is crucial for designing effective therapies.