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Program Director

Division of Genome Sciences

Program Director

Molecular Libraries Program

Co-Chief

Library of Integrated Network-based Cellular Signatures (LINCS)

Education

Ph.D. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

M.Sc. Indian Institute of Technology

Biography

Dr. Ajay Pillai joined the National Human Genome Research Institute’s Extramural Research Program as program director in 2006. He manages a portfolio of grants focused on data and knowledge resources, single cell biology, AI/ML methods development including approaches to development of ethical AI, and other computational approaches. He co-leads two Common Fund programs: HuBMAP (single-cell mapping of “normal” human tissue and organs) and IDG (developing computational and experimental reagents to study under-studied proteins). He co-leads a trans-NIH effort on developing and sustaining data and knowledge resources. He also co-leads a new NHGRI program, MorPhiC (Molecular Phenotypes of Null Alleles in Cells), that aims in the long-term to develop a consistent catalog molecular and cellular phenotypes for null alleles for every human gene by using in-vitro multicellular systems. 

Prior to joining NHGRI, Dr. Pillai worked primarily in Pharma/Biotech developing computational methods for drug discovery and preclinical biomarkers using omics data.  

Dr. Pillai received his Ph.D. in physics from UNC Chapel Hill and completed his postdoctoral research in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, UCSF. 

  • Biography

    Dr. Ajay Pillai joined the National Human Genome Research Institute’s Extramural Research Program as program director in 2006. He manages a portfolio of grants focused on data and knowledge resources, single cell biology, AI/ML methods development including approaches to development of ethical AI, and other computational approaches. He co-leads two Common Fund programs: HuBMAP (single-cell mapping of “normal” human tissue and organs) and IDG (developing computational and experimental reagents to study under-studied proteins). He co-leads a trans-NIH effort on developing and sustaining data and knowledge resources. He also co-leads a new NHGRI program, MorPhiC (Molecular Phenotypes of Null Alleles in Cells), that aims in the long-term to develop a consistent catalog molecular and cellular phenotypes for null alleles for every human gene by using in-vitro multicellular systems. 

    Prior to joining NHGRI, Dr. Pillai worked primarily in Pharma/Biotech developing computational methods for drug discovery and preclinical biomarkers using omics data.  

    Dr. Pillai received his Ph.D. in physics from UNC Chapel Hill and completed his postdoctoral research in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, UCSF. 

Last updated: June 27, 2022