Len Pennacchio
Len Pennacchio, Ph.D
Deputy Director, Genomic Technologies, DOE Joint Genome Institute & Senior Staff Scientist, Genomic Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Education
BA in Biology, Sonoma State University;
PhD in Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA;
Postdoctoral training, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA.
Awards and Honors
Co-Organizer, “Advances in Genome Biology & Technology.” Marco Island, FL.; Board of Directors, G Corp.; Scientific Advisory Committee Chair for the Genome Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Initiative for Advancing Technology Innovation through Discovery;
Scientific Advisory Boards: 1) Scientific Advisor to the NHGRI Sequencing Program (2011-); 2) Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR); 3) NIH PAAR4Kids Pharmacogenomics Research Network; 4) NIAID Population Genetics Analysis Program; 5) American Heart Association (AHA), Western States Affiliate; 6) University of Nordland, Norway; 2007 White House Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE); 2008 Genome Technology Magazine Award for "Tomorrow's PIs"; >100 Invited External Speaker Presentations; >100 Peer Review Publications (see Google Scholar)
Summary
In 2003, Dr. Pennacchio joined the DOE Joint Genome Institute and has focused on applying state-of-the-art molecular methods to address wide-ranging questions existing in biology. He holds a dual appointment as a Deputy Director at the DOE Joint Genome Institute and a Senior Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Dr. Pennacchio received his Ph.D in 1998 from the Department of Genetics at Stanford University where he uncovered the genetic cause of a rare form of human epilepsy and subsequently generated one of the first mouse models for this common neurological disorder. In 1999, he was named an Alexander Hollaender Distinguished Fellow where he identified a novel apolipoprotein (ApoA5) involved in human and mouse triglyceride metabolism.
Current research interests include:
Defining the vast landscape of gene regulatory sequences in the human genome.
Understanding how variation in regulatory sequences influences human disease/biology.
Assessing and exploiting next generation sequencing technologies for applications in both the energy and health sectors.
