Science AMA Series: We are researchers at Johns Hopkins University's Institute for Computational Medicine, Feilim Mac Gabhann and Sridevi (Sri) Sarma. We use computational methods to improve therapies for many different human diseases. AUA!

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Hi Reddit!

Our institute (icm.jhu.edu) studies how computational methods can improve the design and administration of therapies as diverse as drugs, gene therapy, gene editing, transplants, deep brain stimulation, optogenetics, and more. We (Sri and Feilim) are part of the first cohort of Catalyst Award winners at JHU, a new award supporting creative research ideas from early career faculty.

Feilim Mac Gabhann is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and of Materials Science & Engineering, and a member of both the Institute for Computational Medicine and the Institute for NanoBioTechnology. Our lab studies Systems Pharmacology and Personalized Medicine. We build computational models that link micro-scale events like molecular interactions and cellular behavior to human-scale physiology. We use these models to study drug delivery and effect in diseases as diverse as cancer, peripheral artery disease, and HIV. We incorporate patient data into these models, to evaluate the differences that cause a drug to work in some people but not others. By simulating different drug regimens across a large population, we run what we call 'virtual clinical trials'. Our most recent paper, supported by the Catalyst award, evaluates bone marrow transplants as a potential cure for patients with HIV, using real patient data to determine what are the likely conditions for success of this treatment.

Sridevi Sarma is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Neurology, and a member of both the Institute for Computational Medicine. Our lab studies electrical patterns in the normal and diseased brain. We build computational and statistical models of electrical activity in neural circuits affected by Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, chronic pain, and insomnia. These models can also predict mechanisms of action of electrical stimulation therapy and can be used to design more efficient and more effective therapies that are also personalized to patients. Our most recent patent is a result of work supported by the Catalyst award wherein we process eeg, emg and eog signals while patients are sleeping to automatically score sleep stages – a process which is currently manual and costly. We are applying sophisticated data analytics to also identify physiological markers of sleeping disorders.

We’re looking forward to speaking with you about our research! We will begin answering questions at 1 pm ET (10 am PT, 6 pm UTC). Ask us anything!

">Science AMA Series: We are researchers at Johns Hopkins University's Institute for Computational Medicine, Feilim Mac Gabhann and Sridevi (Sri) Sarma. We use computational methods to improve therapies for many different human diseases. AUA!