Dr Edward Rubin

Director of the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (JGI)
Director of the Genomics Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)

Email: emrubin@hgm2010.org
Webpage link: http://www.jgi.doe.gov/whoweare/rubin.html

Internationally recognized geneticist Eddy Rubin has served since 2002 as Director of the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (JGI), and Director of the Genomics Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, CA. As Director of the JGI, one of the world's largest sequencing centers, he oversaw the sequencing and analysis of 13% of the human genome (human chromosomes 5, 13 and 16), parts of the Neanderthal genome and the genomes of more than 200 animals, plants and microbes. Following the completion of the Human Genome Project, Dr. Rubin reoriented the JGI towards the application of genomics to studies related to bioenergy and climate change.

With more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, over 30 of them in the leading journals Science and Nature, his research focuses on the development of computational and biological approaches for studying genomes. His early scientific work centered on the functional exploration of the human genome, harnessing sequence comparisons between species for the discovery of genes and non-coding sequences of pivotal evolutionary and biomedical importance.  More recently, he spearheaded the new science of metagenomics, deriving important insights from his investigations of microbial communities inhabiting environments ranging from gutless ocean-dwelling worms to cow rumen.

In addition to his research and the training of more than 50 scientists who have passed through his laboratory, Dr. Rubin has been an influential leader in the field of genomics through his community activities. He sits on the editorial boards of several leading journals, including the Board of Reviewing Editors for the journal Science, has organized and chaired major genomics meetings and is a member of multiple scientific advisory boards. Through government advisory committee membership, Dr. Rubin has actively influenced the directions of genomic research at the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. National Institutes of Health.