UNC Chapel Hill – Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

Adam Palmer, Ph.D.

I earned my Ph.D. in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Before that, I earned my B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at North Carolina State University. It was at NCSU where I discovered my passion for research and specifically a passion for using mathematical modeling to understand biology questions. I worked in the lab of Dr. Gregory Reeves modeling the embryonic development of fruit flies and conducting experiments to support and validate those models. When I learned that there was a whole field called Computational Biology devoted to taking mathematical and computational approaches to understand biological questions, I decided to continue in the field as a graduate student at UNC-CH. My graduate work was supervised by Drs. Timothy Elston, Henrik Dohlman, and Beverly Errede. It focused on signaling pathways, the processes by which cells respond to the environment around them. Specifically, I identified the roles of key features regulating the dynamics and variability of signaling pathway responses. My postdoctoral research, mentored by Dr. Adam Palmer, focuses on modeling variability between patients and between cells within patients in clinical trials of combinations of cancer therapies. My work aims to computationally simulate clinical trials of combination therapies to inform the improved design of these treatment protocols. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been conducting exclusively computational research informed by previous clinical trial results. All of my computational research has used quantitative experimental or clinical evidence to develop and validate the mathematical and computational models. I am passionate about the integration of computational and quantitative experimental approaches to biological and biomedical research and aim to bring both of these techniques to undergraduate classrooms and research experiences. While I was a graduate student, I engaged in multiple teaching experiences, which fuel my passion for science education. Additionally, what I learn from my students and mentees fuels to fuel my passion for research. I am excited to continue to integrate research and teaching in my career. I am particularly excited about the opportunities I’ll have as a SPIRE scholar to learn about and implement modern pedagogical practices as well as to work with and promote the success of students from diverse backgrounds.

Spring 2022 – Molecular Biology of the Cell – North Carolina Central University

Fall 2022 – Models of Drugs and Diseases – North Carolina Central University

Pomeroy AE, Schmidt EV, Sorger PK, Palmer AC. Drug independence and the curability of cancer by combination chemotherapy. Trends Cancer. 2022 Nov;8(11):915-929. doi: 10.1016/j.trecan.2022.06.009. Epub 2022 Jul 14. PMID: 35842290; PMCID: PMC9588605.