Alex K. Shalek, PhD
Pfizer-Laubach Career Development Associate Professor
Institute for Medical Engineering & Science
Department of Chemistry and Koch Institute
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract: While several methods exist for sampling tissues in clinical contexts, without high-fidelity tools for comprehensively profiling them, we are both limited in our capacity to understand how constituent cells and their interactions impact prognosis, and to select and develop precision therapeutics. Recent years have witnessed transformative and intersecting advances in nanofabrication and molecular biology that now enable deep profiling of low-input samples. Collectively, these afford new and exciting opportunities to study cellular heterogeneity, starting from the level of the single cell, and may unlock the diagnostic, prognostic, and discovery potential of clinical isolates. Illustratively, I will introduce how we can leverage single-cell genomic approaches – and, in particular, single-cell RNA-Seq – to explore the extensive functional diversity between cells, uncovering, from the “bottom-up,” distinct cell states and their molecular drivers. Moreover, I will discuss high-throughput experimental strategies and demonstrate, in the context of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, how they can be leveraged to achieve the statistical power necessary to reconstruct intracellular circuits, enumerate and redefine cell states and types, and transform our understanding of cellular decision-making in health and disease on a genomic scale.
Bio: Alex K. Shalek is currently the Pfizer-Laubach Career Development Associate Professor at MIT, as well as a Core Member of the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), an Associate Professor of Chemistry, and an Extramural Member of The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. He is also an Institute Member of the Broad Institute, an Associate Member of the Ragon Institute, an Assistant in Immunology at MGH, and an Instructor in Health Sciences and Technology at HMS. His research is directed towards the development and application of new technologies that facilitate understanding of how cells collectively perform systems-level functions in healthy and diseased states. Dr. Shalek received his bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from Columbia University and his Ph.D. from Harvard University in chemical physics under the guidance of Hongkun Park, and performed postdoctoral training under Hongkun Park and Aviv Regev (Broad/MIT). To date, his interdisciplinary research has focused on realizing and utilizing nanoscale manipulation and measurement technologies to examine how small components (molecules, cells) drive systems of vast complexity (cellular responses, population behaviors).
Thursday MIPS Roundtable: “Ask the Radiologist about COVID-19”
Hosted by Dr. Heike Daldrup-Link & Dr. Gunilla Jacobson
Join us virtually to ask anything you would like to know about COVID-19 and the current status in our community. This week we will open the floor for questions. Please prepare questions related to COVID-19. Feel free to submit questions in advance to Ashley Williams (ashleylw@stanford.edu) or submit them in the chat on Zoom.
Meeting URL: https://stanford.zoom.us/j/186504700
Dial: +1 650 724 9799 or +1 833 302 1536
Meeting ID: 186 504 700c talking about the future of medicine and science.
Thursday MIPS Roundtable
Hosted by Dr. Kathy Ferrara & Dr. Gunilla Jacobson
Join us virtually to ask anything you would like to know about career plans, collaborations, new expertise and online lectures during the shutdown. Feel free to submit questions in advance to Ashley Williams (ashleylw@stanford.edu) or submit them in the chat on Zoom.
1:30-2:00 PM | Dr. Kathy Ferrara, Ph.D.
“Developing a career plan, collaborations and new expertise during the shutdown”
Professor of Radiology
Stanford University
2:00-2:30 PM | Dr. Angie Louie, Ph.D.
“How to create online lectures using Camtasia, Playposit and Canvas”
Professor of Biomedical Engineering
UC Davis
Meeting URL: https://stanford.zoom.us/j/186504700
Dial: +1 650 724 9799 or +1 833 302 1536
Meeting ID: 186 504 700
Thursday MIPS Roundtable: ePad: A Web-based Imaging Informatics Platform for Image Annotation and Quantitative Analysis
Come learn about ePAD (https://epad.stanford.edu) from Dr. Rubin’s lab, a freely-accessible web-based informatics platform for universal access to radiology images, annotations, and quantitative analysis. We’ll also open the floor to a discussion on integrating ePAD into the SCi3 preclinical imaging workflow and how together we can crowdsource data sharing and reuse, and accelerate quantitative imaging research for everyone.
Daniel Rubin, PhD
Professor of Biomedical Data Science, of Radiology, of Medicine, and, by courtesy, Ophthalmology and of Computer Science
Jason Thanh Lee, PhD
Director of the Clark Center Facility
Laura Pisani, PhD
Associate Director of the Clark Center Facility
Frezghi Habet, PhD
Director of the Porter Drive Facility
MIPS Roundtables will be every Thursday from 1:30-2:30pm showcasing various topics and are open to all interested.
Please note Zoom information does change week to week.
4/9 Meeting URL: https://stanford.zoom.us/j/114866791
Dial: +1 650 724 9799 or +1 833 302 1536
Meeting ID: 114 866 791
Thursday MIPS Roundtable: Dr. Michelle James & Dr. Ted Graves
1:30-2:00 PM – Michelle L. James, Ph.D.
Neuroimmune Imaging Research and Discovery (NiRD) Lab
Assistant Professor of Radiology and of Neurology
Stanford University
2:00-2:30 PM – Edward “Ted” Graves, Ph.D.
Imaging Radiobiology Laboratory, Division of Radiation Oncology Medical Physics
“Using Imaging to Study Radiation Biology”
Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology (Radiation Physics) and, by courtesy, of Radiology
Stanford University
MIPS Roundtables will be every Thursday from 1:30-2:30pm showcasing various topics and are open to all interested.
Please note Zoom information does change week to week.
4/16 Meeting URL: https://stanford.zoom.us/j/406957830
Dial: +1 650 724 9799 or +1 833 302 1536
Meeting ID: 406 957 830