I am a computational immunologist focusing on analysis of gene regulatory networks that define the identity, development, and function of cells in the immune system with particular focus on macrophages in rheumatic disease and aging (see Research for more information). The tools of my work include RNA-seq for gene expression, ChIP-seq for histone modifications and transcription factors, DNASE/FAIRE/ATAC-seq for chromatin accessibility, HiC/chromatin conformation for chromatins structure, and single-cell RNA-seq for individual transcriptomes.
I have established the Winter Lab of Macrophage Genomics in the Division of Rheumatology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medical in Chicago where I hold the title of Associate Professor with tenure. My research integrates both wet (experimental) and dry (computational) components. In addition to my independent research, I work closely with a number of excellent researchers conducting high-quality immunological research and help them to integrate high-throughput genomic techniques and analyses. Across a variety of mouse models of aging, inflammation, and autoimmune disease, we are modelling the gene regulatory networks of macrophages. With clinical collaborators, I am working to apply my genomics approaches to samples from human patients and to study the effect of individual variation on disease development, progression, and response with the ultimate goal informing clinical decisions with a precision medicine approach.
I am looking to hire exceptional people with various skills, experience, and backgrounds.
Learn more about the members, research, publications, and opportunities in the Winter Lab at https://winterlab.weebly.com/
Contact me deborah.winter AT northwestern.edu for more information.
You can follow the lab on twitter: @WinterMacGen
PREVIOUSLY...
From 2013-2016, I was a postdoc in Dr. Ido Amit's Immuno-Genomics lab at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel. In the Amit lab, I was able to apply my computational training in designing, executing, and analyzing innovative experiments originating from the latest genomic technologies for assaying transcriptional and chromatin profiles in low cell numbers. A good example of my work is presented in the Cell article, "Tissue-resident macrophage enhancer landscapes are shaped by the local microenvironment" featured in the research section of my website. We also published in Science our research on the regulatory networks of microglia development.
I completed my Ph.D in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics at Duke University in the field of gene regulation and epigenomics with Dr. Greg Crawford at Duke and Dr. Terry Furey at UNC. Partly, I worked on the ENCODE project, but my main research examined the dynamics of nucleosome positioning and chromatin structure across human cell types and with respect to gene expression. Here is an example.
I am also interested in science education and have earned a Certificate in College Teaching at Duke University. My Online Teaching Portfolio can be found under the teaching tab above.
If you would like to contact me, I can be reached by email at deborah.winter AT northwestern.edu