Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics is a new multidisciplinary field that focuses on developing computational models, methods and tools for applications in biosciences and medicine. As research in biosciences moves from the study of individual genes to system biology and as the amount of experimental data continues to increase, there is also an escalating need for experts in bioinformatics.
At the Department of Computer Science, bioinformatics can be taken through the MBI (Master's Degree Programme in Bioinformatics), a collaboration between the University of Helsinki and Helsinki University of Technology. In addition to the Department of Computer Science, the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the Kumpula campus, the departments of Biological and Environmental Science and Applied Biology in Viikki, and the Institute of Biomedicine in Meilahti participate in the programme.
The MBI programme educates high-end experts for research and development of computational and statistical methods for biosciences and medicine. The programme also gives an excellent basis for post-graduate studies in bioinformatics and other related method sciences. Specialisation areas in the MBI programme include analysis of bio-sequences, mining of biological data, gene mapping, prediction of gene function, computational systems biology, and population dynamics and evolution. Students who have graduated from the Master's programme can continue to the Combi graduate school.
Bioinformatics is a major research area in computer science. Bioinformatics research is carried out under the auspices of the Algodan Centre of Excellence and at HIIT. The high point of 2007 was the Medix award in medicine. It was awarded to a multidisciplinary research group for work on establishing gene functions. Professor Esko Ukkonen and Kimmo Palin, PhD, were in charge of developing the bioinformatical methods of the research.
Contact person: Professor Juho Rousu
The Master's Degree Programme in Bioinformatics : http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/bioinformatiikka/mbi