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Breadcrumb

  1. Research
  2. Scientific Discovery
  3. Biology
  4. Human Health

Human Health

A PNNL and national priority

PNNL researchers have processed more than three thousand COVID tests since the pandemic began in 2020. The lab was one of the first in the state  authorized to process the samples.

(Image by Andrea Starr | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

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Related Researchers

Photo of Bobbie-Jo Webb-Robertson

Bobbie-Jo Webb-Robertson

Computational Biologist, Chief Scientist
Katrina Waters

Katrina M. Waters

Lab Fellow, Chief Scientist
Josh Adkins

Josh Adkins

Laboratory Fellow, Biochemist, Group Leader
Vincent R. Gerbasi

Vincent R. Gerbasi

Biomedical Scientist
Yehia M. Ibrahim

Yehia Ibrahim

Chemist, Instrument Development and Deployment Team Leader
Tao Liu

Tao Liu

Biomedical Scientist
Thomas Metz PNNL

Thomas O. Metz

Metabolomics Team Lead, Biomedical Scientist
portrait of a man wearing a blue shirt

Wei-Jun Qian

Bioanalytical Chemist, Lab Fellow
Amy Sims

Amy Sims

Biomedical Scientist
Thumbnail

Richard D. Smith

Chemist, Battelle Fellow
Tujin Shi

Tujin Shi

Chemist
Thumbnail

H Steven Wiley

Lead Scientist, Systems Biology
Ying Zhu

Ying Zhu

Chemist

Scientific advancements have expanded the face of human health. Where there was once treatment of symptoms and guesswork about the cause of disease, there is now prevention and prediction of disease onset.

PNNL biomedical researchers study cancer biology, infectious diseases caused by viruses or bacteria, and other diseases, such as diabetes, that are fundamentally linked to inflammation.

With a better understanding of pathways that maintain or degrade human health, our work informs disease treatment and early detection. It also provides information to guide strategies to mitigate potential health impacts from environmental exposures to chemicals or air pollution. Because our biological expertise is so broad, PNNL can shift research priorities in response to changing national needs.

Advanced ion mobility mass spectrometry and enhanced mass spectrometers at the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory provide increased sensitivity, precision, and speed for analyzing blood or tissue samples. Our scientists specialize in the development and use of omics technologies, such as metabolomics, lipidomics, and nanoscale proteomics, to gain an unprecedented look at cellular function at the molecular level. The result is massive amounts of data that demand powerful computational tools available at PNNL to understand the results.

PNNL’s biomedical research helps anchor the Laboratory’s biology capabilities and complements its environmental research. Whether our researchers are studying the human body or environmental systems, they dissect the inner workings of biological systems one molecule and one process at a time.

Collaborations

Pacific northwest bioMedical Innovation Co-laboratory—or PMedIC—is a joint research collaboration of the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and PNNL. PMedIC aims to generate, interpret, and integrate multidimensional omics and imaging data with clinical results to gain mechanistic understanding of disease and develop innovative therapies.

The Pacific Northwest Center for Cryo-EM (PNCC) is a state-of-the-art electron microscopy user facility funded by the National Institutes of Health Common Fund and operated jointly by OHSU and PNNL. Its mission is to serve researchers from a diverse range of backgrounds to tackle the most challenging scientific problems and train the next generation of cryo-electron microscopy specialists and users.

PNNL's NIH Investigators

Josh Adkins
Kelsey Allen
Christopher Anderton
Nathan Baker
Garry Buchko
Kristin Burnum-Johnson
Geremy Clair
John Cort
Alice Dohnalkova
James Evans
Kelly Gordon
Yehia Ibrahim
Jon Jacobs
Janet Jansson
Andrew Kuprat
Jennifer Kyle
Tao Liu
Ryan McClure
Tom Metz
Ernesto Nakayasu
Vladislav Petyuk
Weijun Qian
Karin Rodland
Wendy Shaw
Amy Sims
Dick Smith
Justin Teeguarden
Steven Wiley
John Melchior
Tujin Shi
Ljiljana Pasa-Tolic
Jordan Smith
Katrina Waters
Aaron Wright

Top Stories

NOVEMBER 2, 2022
Staff Accomplishment

Eichler West Receives Distinguished Service Award

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Rogene Eichler West
OCTOBER 25, 2022
News Release

COVID-Causing Virus in Air Detected with High-Tech Bubbles

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SARS-CoV-2 virus
AUGUST 1, 2022
Feature

Artificial Intelligence Edges Closer to the Clinic

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Featured Research

JANUARY 12, 2023
Spotlight

Breathing New Life into Study of Lungs

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DECEMBER 1, 2022
Research Highlight

Strengthening Biopreparedness—Predicting the When, Where, and How of Infectious Diseases

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NOVEMBER 17, 2022
Research Highlight

Statistical Learning Shows Silicone Wearables and Urine Samples Reveal Similar Exposure-based Information

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SEE MORE RELATED HIGHLIGHTS

Related Divisions

Biological Sciences Division
Environmental Molecular Sciences Division

Contact

Bobbie-Jo Webb-Robertson
Computational Biologist, Chief Scientist
Bobbie-Jo.Webb-Robertson@pnnl.gov
509-375-2292

Related Links

What are Fentanyl Analogs?

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