Shawn W. Polson, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor and Co-Director, Bioinformatics Core Facility, Center for Bioinformatics & Computational Biology, University of Delaware
Title: Social Network Analysis: Advancing Impact and Sustainability in the Cores

Dr. Shawn W. Polson is the Co-Director of the Bioinformatics Core Facility and faculty in the Departments of Computer and Information Sciences and Biological Sciences at University of Delaware. He is also the Associate Director of the Bioinformatics Network of Delaware – Delaware INBRE Bioinformatics Core – coordinating Bioinformatics education, training, and research support to six institutions across the state. His research interests lie at the intersection of genomics and microbial ecology, examining the ways in which microorganisms and viruses affect and are affected by their environments. He is involved in multiple metagenomics-related projects involving both the development of bioinformatics resources to analyze and visualize metagenomics data, such as the VIROME (Viral Informatics Resource for Metagenome Exploration) and MgOl (Metagenomes Online) resources which he co-founded; and active research on the role of microorganisms and viruses in health and disease of organisms such as humans, coral, and oysters, as well as their role in various environments including deep-sea hydrothermal vents, estuarine and oceanic environments, and agricultural settings.