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Senior manager, Computational Biology Center
Ajay will be the lead scientist for IBM on The Genographic Project, working closely with Dr. Spencer Wells, National Geographic and the distinguished team of field researchers assembled to conduct DNA testing on indigenous populations of the world. He brings to The Genographic Project exceptional, in-depth talent in the computational analysis, simulation, mining and management of scientific data for large-scale research programs in life sciences.
Ajay’s passion for science began in his youth when he first took science courses. Biology was of particular fascination to him. He received his bachelor’s degree in human biology, and his master’s degree in biophysics, from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, in New Delhi, India, and obtained his Ph.D. in molecular biology from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, in Mumbai (Bombay).
Ajay then performed post-doctoral study in structural biology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, in New York City, one of the world’s leading research and clinical cancer facilities, under the expertise of noted structural biologist Dinshaw Patel. While there, Ajay and colleagues identified a new structural protein-RNA complex in BIV (bovine immunodeficiency virus), which offered the first breakthrough animal model for a key molecular structure in HIV. He calls his three years there “the most scientifically productive and rewarding period of my life.”
Prior to joining IBM Research in 1998, Ajay spent two years developing structural biology software at U.S.-based Accelrys, a global leader in computational science.
Currently, his work focuses on collaborative research at the interface of information technology and biology. Working with biologists and institutions around the world. he is engaged in research and development of computer and software systems that will advance personalized, information-based medicine. Ajay has authored and co-authored more than 30 research publications in structural and computational biology. He is an active member of the International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB).
Ajay's technical bio
