Our Scientific Team

At DHMRI, we believe that no single science or platform can provide the most comprehensive analysis to allow confident decision making. That’s why we have adopted and incorporated a multidisciplinary, integrated approach that includes genomics, analytical sciences, cellular sciences, and bioinformatics, allowing us and our partners to conduct the highest quality research. In order to anticipate and meet the demands of our partners, our portfolio of products and services offer stand-alone laboratory services or combined for cross-disciplinary, cross-laboratory collaborative support.

Simon Gregory, PhD
Director of Genomics

Dr. Gregory has 18 years of molecular genetics experience gained in the Human Genome Project and disease-associated genetic studies and more recently genomic and epigenetic projects involving the analysis of molecular data of complex disease. Dr. Gregory also maintains a laboratory at Duke University that has been carrying out traditional Sanger and next-generation sequence analyses both independently and collaboratively, for more than seven years. These projects have involved the identification of candidate genes associated with multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease, and autism and developmental disorders such as Chiari Type I malformation and neural tube defects. These skills are translated to the direction of the Genomics Core at the DHMRI. Dr. Gregory and Mr. Burke have developed a close working relationship based on complex data processing and analyses of a variety of projects processed by the DHMRI Genomics Core.

Xinguo (Mike) Wang, PhD
Manager of Genomic Sciences

Dr. Wang obtained his Ph.D in Cell Biology at the Chinese Academy of Military Medical Sciences in 1999. After that, he worked at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a Postdoctoral Fellow and stayed on as a Research Scientist. While there, he received a certificate in Bioinformatics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 2006, Dr. Wang joined the Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics at Indiana University in Bloomington as a Research Assistant Professor. There, he was the Genomics Core Leader, concentrating on transitioning to next-generation sequencing technologies and applications in genomics. His research focused on defining transcription factor binding sites for the whole human genome. In 2007, Dr. Wang joined Monsanto as a Research Scientist working on new application development for next-generation sequencing, including sequence capture for quantitative trait loci and whole genome exome sequencing, Chromatin-Immunoprecipitation Sequencing for transcription factor binding sites, transcriptome sequencing,and methylation sequencing. In addition, he worked on biomarker discovery for marker-assisted breeding. In 2009, he joined David H Murdock Research Institute to lead the Genomics team.

Sarah Schwartz, PhD
Analytical Sciences Lab Manager

Sarah Schwartz has ten years of experience in the mass spectrometry field, with a research focus in protein and small molecule biomarker determination using mass spectrometric techniques. As the Analytical Sciences Lab Manager at the DHMRI, she is responsible for the MS Proteomics and Metabolomics Laboratories and has developed collaborations with researchers in academics and industry that range from protein complex detection, compound characterization, compound identification, compound quantitation and semi-quantitative biomarker discovery and verification. Prior to DHMRI, she worked at Midwest Research Institute, a contract research organization. As Senior Scientist at MRI she was the Proteomics Group Leader and obtained and coordinated research projects that ranged from GMP/GLP regulated studies for protein therapeutics, assay development for botanical/agricultural material characterization, developing data mining strategies for complex spectral signatures, and marker detection for diseases or infections ranging from cancer models to threat exposure. In addition, Dr. Schwartz held a position as Task Lead for a $13M classified government research program in which she coordinated support efforts for an offsite laboratory including quality, staff training, data review, data management, laboratory and instrument support, data mining, and method development. She has a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Vanderbilt University.

Kevin Knagge, PhD
NMR Lab Manager

Kevin Knagge is the manager for the NMR facility at the DHMRI. Formerly, he worked for Bruker Biospin in the NMR division as an applications engineer. He has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois in Urbana/Champaign. He obtained a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from Purdue University where he studied novel applications of NMR spectroscopy. He did postdoctoral work at the University of Iowa in the Departments of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering. During his time there, he was involved in two projects, examining the health effects of nano-particulate matter and examining the applicability of nano-crystalline zeolites to the neutralization of chemical warfare agents. He transitioned to the DHMRI in September 2009.