Gunes Gundem
New York
Summary
Accomplished Principal Computational Biologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center with 15 years of experience in cancer genomics. Expert in whole genome sequencing and statistical data analysis, leading teams to drive impactful research. Recognized for enhancing genomic profiling across adult and pediatric tumors, showcasing strong analytical thinking and collaborative skills in high-stakes environments.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Principal Computational Biologist
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
09.2020 - Current
- Lead the pre-clinical implementation of whole genome and transcriptome sequencing (WGTS) for the precision medicine program at the Department of Pediatrics demonstrating the feasibility and necessity of WGTS for genomic profiling of pediatic tumors (Shukla, Levine, Gundem et al. Nature Communications 2015)
- Oversaw the engineering team that designed and implemented the computational pipeline for identification of somatic and germline variants, integration of DNA and RNA-based biomarkers to enable data-driven variant prioritization and reporting of genomic findings
- Trained and oversaw the team of computational analysts for the analysis and interpretation of genomic data
- Lead the analytical discussion at the pediatric molecular tumor board which has reviewed genomic data for 450 patients in the last 4 years
Post-doctoral Research Fellow
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
09.2015 - 09.2020
- Designed and executed a disease-specific clinical research project bringing together the largest cohort of patients studied to-date for any pediatric tumor type to analyze cancer evolution during metastasis and progression (Gundem Nature Genetics 2023)
- Collaborated with the Neuroblastoma clinical care team to identify clinically most relevant biological problems and patient subsets
Post-doctoral Research Fellow
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
01.2012 - 08.2015
- Lead the analysis of whole genome sequencing data as part of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) Prostate project and published research results as first-author paper in high-impact journals (Gundem Nature 2015, Wedge, Gundem, Mitchell Nature Genetics 2018)
- Designed pan-cancer and disease-specific targeted sequencing assays to perform genomic profiling in breast cancer, myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia (Desmedt, Zoppoli, Gundem et al. JCI 2016, Yates et al. Nature Medicine 2015, Nangalia et al. NEJM 2013)
Education
Ph.D. - Cancer Genomics
Pompeu Fabra University
Barcelona, SPAIN10-2011
Master of Science - Computational Science And Engineering
Koc University
Istanbul, TURKEY09-2006
Bachelor of Science - Molecular Biology And Genetics
Middle East Technical University
Ankara, TURKEY06-2004
Skills
- 15 years of research background in cancer genomics
- Extensive knowledge in genomics and bioinformatics (Whole genome and transcriptome sequencing, whole exome and targeted sequencing)
- Somatic and germline variant calling using various tools such as GATK, Caveman, Strelka, Pindel, Battenberg, hmftools
- Programming and scripting (Python, R, Bash)
- Statistical data analysis (Probability, descriptive and inferential statistics, regression and predictive modelling, data manipulation, cleaning, visualization and interpretation, experimental design)
- Presenting at conferences
- Writing scientific papers
- Grant writing
- Study design
- Technical reporting
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Attention to detail
- Multitasking
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Analytical thinking
- Continuous improvement
Languages
English
Full Professional
Turkish
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Principal Computational Biologist
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
09.2020 - Current
Post-doctoral Research Fellow
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
09.2015 - 09.2020
Post-doctoral Research Fellow
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
01.2012 - 08.2015
Ph.D. - Cancer Genomics
Pompeu Fabra University
Master of Science - Computational Science And Engineering
Koc University
Bachelor of Science - Molecular Biology And Genetics
Middle East Technical University
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