Dr. David Anderson
Positions
Associate Professor
Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Child Health & Wellness Researcher
Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute
Contact information
Background
Educational Background
B.A. , McMaster University, 2006
B.S. , McMaster University, 2006
Doctor of Philosophy , University of Oregon, 2014
M.S. , McMaster University, 2008
Research
Areas of Research
I am interested in the intersection between molecular functions, biochemistry and evolution; basically, I want to know about the molecular mechanisms that underlie important evolutionary innovations. I am focused on the ways in which physical interactions between mutations at different sites (i.e. epistasis) govern the set of evolutionary pathways that are available to a given protein at a given point in its evolutionary history. To investigate this, I have developed a suite of different statistical analysis tools that estimate the effect of distinct mutations on a single quantitative function, which allows for the simultaneous assessment of potential molecular interactions between them.
Some examples of my projects include the functional origins of the methyl-parathion hydrolase (MPH) enzyme from its dihydrocoumarin hydrolase (DHC) ancestor, the mechanisms of incompatibility in a set of engineered phosphotriesterases, and the functional diversification of the steroid receptor DNA-binding domains. I am always open to applying these tools and approaches to new systems, and assessing how generally epistasis governs evolutionary trajectories.
I am also interested in curriculum development in both the fields of bioinformatics and precision health, and am actively engaged in designing, testing, delivering, and evaluating curricular innovation in those fields.
Participation in university strategic initiatives
Courses
| Course number | Course title | Semester |
|---|---|---|
| MDSC 201 LEC 01 01 | Applied Tools Bioinformatics | 2020 |
| MDSC 203 LEC 01 01 | Dev Health Research Literacy I | 2021 |
| MDSC 203 TUT 01 T01 | Dev Health Research Literacy I | 2020 |
| MDSC 301 LEC 01 01 | Bioinformatics | 2021 |
| MDSC 309 LEC 01 01 | Science and Politics | 2020 |
| MDSC 50788 LAB 09 B09 | Spec Prob in Medical Science | 2020 |
| MDSC 519 LEC 01 01 | Advanced Bioinformatics | 2020 |
| MDSC 523 LEC 01 01 | AI Applications in Health | 2020 |
| MDSC 708 LEC 01 01 | InterprofPsychosocialOncology | 2021 |
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