Who are we?
Creative Data Solutions (CDS) is a Vanderbilt University Shared Resource. Created in August 2015, it provides bioinformatics and informatics services to the research community at Vanderbilt and beyond. Unlike many other cores that offer physical products, assays or equipment time, CDS is 100% service-based. It merges scientific experience with technical known-how to tackle basic research and clinical projects that require skills in data management, processing and analysis.
CDS is housed in the Vanderbilt Center for Stem Cell Biology. Directed by Dr. Mark Magnuson, the VCSCB facilitates studies of the basic biology of stem and progenitor cells through partnerships with the Program in Developmental Biology (PDB) and the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology. Notably, the Vanderbilt Genome Editing Resource (VGER) is also part of the VCSCB, and we enjoy interacting with them!
Contact UsOur Mission
Our mission is to provide bioinformatics and informatics research services.
Our Vision
Our vision is to have a measurable impact on the ability of research investigators to both publish their work and obtain new funding.
Our Core Values
- Promote bioinformatics and advanced computation to augment our ability to achieve a solutions-driven approach to life science problems.
- Maintain a strong informatics skill-set necessary for unraveling and integrating datasets originating from various sources and technologies.
- Developing visually pleasing and understandable mixed-media and visual solutions, in order to best communicate data and resulting knowledge.
Technologies
Below is a small sampling of technologies we use:
After Effects, Amazon Web Services (Cloud), Annotare, Apache, ArrayExpress, Atlassian Tools, Bioconductor, Biopython, Bowtie, Camtasia Studio, CSS, Cytoscape, DAVID, Excel, Gene2MeSH, GO, Google Products, Graph-ML, HTML5, Javascript, jQuery, MIAME, MySQL, NCBI/Entrez API, OpenRefine, Oracle Database, Perl, Photoshop, PHP, PostgreSQL, Premiere, Processing, Python, R, Sketchup, SOAP, Softimage, XML, yEDOur Team
Our team is growing and we also have strategic partners within VUIT, VTS and other Vanderbilt resources like ACCRE.
J.P. Cartailler, Ph.D.
Director, CDS
Shristi Shrestha, Ph.D.
Bioinformatics Analyst & Staff Scientist
Alexander Lin
Undergraduate Student / Computation, DSL, Programming
Nathan Casteel
Linux System Administrator
(Strategic Partner / VUIT)
Faculty Advisory Committee
We are very thankful for our the feedback and support from our faculty committee members.
Rafael Arrojo e Drigo, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
2022-current
Kathy Delgiorno, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
2024-current
Ron Emeson, Ph.D.
Joel G. Hardman Professor
Department of Pharmacology
Associate Director, Vanderbilt Brain Institute
2019-current
Brent Ferrell, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine
2022-current
Thomas Heiner
Relationship Manager, Customer Engagement
Information Technology | Vanderbilt University
2024-current
Taha Jan, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Cell and Developmental Biology
2024-current
Mark Magnuson M.D.
Louise B. McGavock Professor
Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
Director, Center for Stem Cell Biology
2019-current
Al Powers, M.D.
Joe C. Davis Professor
Department of Medicine
Director, Diabetes Research and Training Center
2019-current
Chris Wright, D. Phil.
Louise B. McGavock Chair, Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
Chair of Faculty Advisory Committee for Creative Data Solutions (2024-2025)
2024-current
Roy Zent, M.D., Ph.D.
Thomas F. Frist Sr., Professor of Medicine
2023-current
Past Committee Members
- Vivian Gama, Ph.D. - Department of Cell and Developmental Biology (2019-2021)
- Kathy Gould, Ph.D. - Department of Cell and Developmental Biology (2019-2023)
- Jonathan Kropski, M.D. - Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine (2023)
- Ed Levine, Ph.D. - Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (2019-2021)
- Ken Lau, Ph.D. - Department of Cell & Developmental Biology (2019-2022)