Len Pennacchio, Deputy of Genomic Technologies, DOE Joint Genome Institute
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 Division Deputy 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 a DOE Alexander Hollaender Distinguished Fellow where he identified a novel apolipoprotein (ApoA5) involved in human and mouse triglyceride metabolism.
Education
- BA in Biology, Sonoma State University
- PhD in Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Postdoctoral training, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA
About the Deputy of Genomic Technologies
The Deputy of Genomic Technologies serves as the JGI’s primary point of contact for all High-Throughput Data Generation Platforms (Sequencing, Single Cell, DNA Synthesis, and Metabolomics) as well as Research & Development in all of these areas. Additional duties of this Deputy include interacting with users seeking to exploit new genomic technologies and providing a vision for future technical JGI directions for DOE User science.
Service, Awards, and Honors
- 2007 White House Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE)
- 2008 Genome Technology Magazine Award for Tomorrow’s PIs
- 2004-2010 Editorial Board, Genome Research
- 2006-2010 Permanent Member Genomics, Computational Biology and Technology (GCAT) Study Section, National Institutes of Health
- 2008-16 Scientific Advisory Board, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
- 2011-2013 Scientific Advisory Committee Chair for Genome Canada & the Canadian Institutes of Health Research: Initiative for Advancing Technology Innovation
- 2011-14 Scientific Advisory Board; Population Genetics Analysis Program at NIAID
- 2011-14 Scientific Advisory Board; PAAR4Kids Pharmacogenomics Research Network
- 2014-16 Research Oversight Committee McGill University Genome Quebec Innovation Center
- 2008- Co-Chair Advances in Genome Biology & Technology (AGBT). Marco Island, FL
- 2011- Board of Directors, The Genome Partnership (not-for-profit)
- 2011-21 Scientific Advisor to the NHGRI Sequencing Program
- 2012-17 American Heart Association (AHA), Western States Affiliate Research Committee
- 2013-17 Chair Research Oversight Committee, Genome Canada: Enhanced CARE for RARE Genetic Diseases in Canada
- 2013- Co-Organizer Systems Biology of Gene Regulation and Genome Editing. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Asia. Suzhou, China
- 2013- Instructor Leena Peltonen School of Human Genomics, Sanger Center, England
- 2015- Co-Chair, Advances in Genome Biology & Technology: Precision Health. Scottsdale, Arizona
- 2016-20 Scientific Advisory Board for the Centre for Genomic Research (CGR), University of Liverpool, England
- 2017- Adjunct Professor, University of California, Berkeley
- 2019- Advisory Board, Genetics & Genomics Next
- 2019 Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory Director’s Award for Exceptional Scientific Achievement
- 2020 Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
- >150 Peer Review Publications (see Google Scholar)
- >125 Invited Scientific Presentations
Current research interests and ongoing projects
- 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.
- Mammalian Functional Genomics Lab
- VISTA Enhancers
- VISTA Cardiac Enhancer Browser
- ENCODE
- FaceBase