PNNL

PNNL computational biologist Bobbie-Jo Webb-Robertson was recently awarded the “Spirit of nPOD award” to acknowledge her hard work in building, coordinating, and leading the Data Science Working Group. The Network for Pancreatic Organ Donors with Diabetes (nPOD) is dedicated to helping type 1 diabetes investigators obtain donor tissues for research and fostering collaboration among investigators. The network is funded through Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, a non-profit organization, and is based at the University of Florida, where Webb-Robertson has a joint appointment.

Coordinating an internationally diverse group of scientists and program managers in nPOD, Webb-Robertson is leading an effort to design data science and visualization requirements that help link information between clinical and omics data and the associated cases and cohort summaries. The nPOD currently supports 282 projects across 21 countries. Their working group’s goal is to integrate and support these projects through a unified portal.

Much of Webb-Robertson’s recent work at PNNL has concentrated on applications of machine learning and artificial intelligence to the field of type 1 diabetes in studies with multiple birth cohorts, including The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young and the Diabetes Auto Immunity Study in the Young. She was also recently named co-director of the Precision Medicine Innovation Co-Laboratory, a collaboration between PNNL and Oregon Health & Science University.