Welcome to BrookesLab
The Bioinformatics Research Group ‘Brookeslab’ was established in 2004 when Professor Anthony J Brookes came over from Sweden’s Karolinska Institute. It began as a combined wet and dry lab group, which involved both bench scientists who developed methods to assess genetic variability in DNA and RNA as well as computer scientists who developed various tools and approaches to assess, catalogue and share information about genetic variability.
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Our research and development program is focused on data sharing and data management technologies in the context of biomedicine. In particular, we innovate and provide solutions (software tools and standards) that bridge research and healthcare, to maximise the value and (re)use of diverse, distributed and complex datasets. An emphasis is placed on federated systems, interoperability standards, asset findability, and responsible practice. Recent outputs include: data standards ‘ADA-M’, ‘Beacon’ and ‘DUC/CCE’ devised with/for international bodies such as GA4GH, IRDiRC, BBMRI; the universal ‘Café Variome’ discovery platform; and the IHI/EPND data/sample catalogue plus data sharing infrastructure for neuroscience and dementia, created with Gates Ventures. Previously breakthroughs include unveiling the ‘TUF’ phenomenon (non-denaturing genomic DNA sequences); discovery of several disease genes (e.g., PSEN1 in Alzheimer’s Disease); developing the ‘DASH’ method for reading DNA sequences by dynamic hybridisation; and other new innovative methods (‘Coincident Sequence Cloning’, ‘MegaPlex PCR’, ‘DattArrays’, ‘nucleic acid probes and hybridisation’). The group has previously launched two bioscience SMEs and is currently funded as part of several UK, EU, and IMI/IHI consortia projects.
- LHIS
- SolveRD
- EPND
- Mitomatcher
- DUC
- LeHMR
Developing new tools and strategies, not least Café Variome, LEHMR, RD-NEXUS, EPND Technical Hub, and data standards (‘ADA-M’, ‘Beacon’ and ‘DUC/CCE’) to facilitate accurate and responsible ‘discovery’ and sharing of data, samples and patients when such assets cannot be openly exposed (e.g., due to private, sensitive, commercial or unpublished information). Particular use cases being worked on include diagnostics and research information pertaining to Rare Disease networks, and large-scale federation of catalogues and cohorts for the dementia field with pharmaceutical companies.
Anthony Brookes leads the group and more information about the group's activities can be found on the official university website
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Please contact healthdataresearch@leicester.ac.uk for general enquires.
Address
University Rd, Leicester LE1 7RH
Email Us
healthdataresearch@leicester.ac.uk