Danielle Drabeck
Saint Paul, MN
Summary
Computational genomics scientist and Evolutionary Biologist at the University of Minnesota specializing in large-scale genomic data analysis, bioinformatics pipeline development, and statistical modeling. Experienced in building automated, high-throughput workflows for comparative genomics and evolutionary analysis across hundreds of genomes. Known for translating complex genomic data into clear insights through cross-disciplinary collaboration spanning computational biology, evolutionary genomics, and biomedical research.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Researcher 5 & Instructor
University of Minnesota
Saint Paul
01.2024 - Current
- Led cross-disciplinary collaborations translating genomic results into therapeutic target strategies.
- Developed algorithmic approaches enhancing gene-level prioritization and comparative genomic inference.
- Designed reproducible workflows reducing large-scale analysis runtime by 60%.
- Led development of high-throughput genomic pipeline for analysis of hundreds of vertebrate genomes.
NIH TREM Postdoctoral Fellow
University of Minnesota
Saint Paul
01.2019 - 01.2024
- Integrated metabolomics and genomic data to develop predictive discovery frameworks for biological insights.
- Applied Bayesian and likelihood-based modeling to 100K+ observations.
- Designed scalable comparative genomics models enhancing genomic feature classification accuracy.
- Standardized R/Python workflows to ensure reproducibility and scalability across projects.
Ph.D. Researcher
University of Minnesota
Saint Paul
01.2012 - 01.2019
- Developed statistical frameworks to integrate genomic and physiological datasets, facilitating enhanced analysis of biological interactions.
- Identified novel gene–function relationships through quantitative modeling, advancing understanding of genetic influences on phenotypic traits.
- Collaborated with faculty on developing research methodologies and frameworks.
- Analyzed data using statistical software to derive meaningful insights.
- Conducted literature reviews to support ongoing research projects.
Education
Ph.D. - Ecology, Evolution, And Behavior
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN08-2019
Master of Science - Molecular Ecology
Tulane University
New Orleans, LA12-2010
Bachelor of Science - Environmental Biology & Anthropology
Tulane University
New Orleans, LA12-2008
Skills
- Bioinformatics
- Genomics
- Phylogenetic Estimation
- Pipeline Development/Writing
- Pipeline integration
- Python, R, Linux, HTML,
- Parallel Cluster Computing
- Multi-program Pipeline Integration
- Start to finish skill set (Genome Sequencing-to-Phylogenetic Insights)
- Statistical modeling and analyses
- Predictive modeling
- Phylogenetic program development
- Data Visualization Graphical Abstract Design
- Cross-disciplinary collaboration
- Project management
- Scientific presentations
- Independent research
Honors Recognition
- NIH Loan Repayment Program Awardee
- NIH TREM Fellow
- NSF Disability Access Award
- ESEB Underrepresented Scientist Award
Selected Publications
- Metabolomics-guided genomic modeling identifying convergent molecular signatures, MBE, 2025
- Gene loss and relaxed selection modeling across vertebrates, Proc. R. Soc. B, 2024
- Scalable HPC genomic innovation analysis, Science Advances, 2025
Timeline
Researcher 5 & Instructor
University of Minnesota
01.2024 - Current
NIH TREM Postdoctoral Fellow
University of Minnesota
01.2019 - 01.2024
Ph.D. Researcher
University of Minnesota
01.2012 - 01.2019
Ph.D. - Ecology, Evolution, And Behavior
University of Minnesota
Master of Science - Molecular Ecology
Tulane University
Bachelor of Science - Environmental Biology & Anthropology
Tulane University