Ali Torkamani, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor & Director of Drug Discovery
Scripps Translational Science Institute
Assistant Professor of Molecular and Experimental Medicine
The Scripps Research Institute

Ali Torkamani, Ph.D., who is Assistant Professor of Molecular and Experimental Medicine at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) as well as Assistant Professor and Director of Drug Discovery at the Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI), is a leader in the scientific field of quantitative genetics and genomics. By analyzing genetic and genomic data of many types in a systems biology framework, he hopes to advance scientific understanding about the genetic mechanisms of human diseases.

Believing that complex human disease mechanisms can be fully understood only in the context of the whole biological system, Dr. Torkamani conducts studies that integrate mutation, gene expression and epigenetic data. Applying computational techniques to detect mutations that contribute to cancer initiation and pathogenesis is among his research interests.

In addition to quantitative analysis of genetic data, Dr. Torkamani produces computational tools for generation, analysis and interpretation of genomic data. These tools include specialized target capture, gene expression and sequence analysis methodologies. As a reflection of his productivity, he has authored numerous publications reflecting a variety of computational techniques.

Dr. Torkamani was awarded the B.S. degree in chemistry at Stanford University and the Ph.D. in biomedical sciences at UC San Diego. Prior to his promotion to the Assistant Professor, he was a research scientist and Dickinson Fellow at STSI in 2008 and 2009.

In addition to conducting research, Dr. Torkamani lectures in STSI’s clinical trial design graduate course in the Master’s Degree in Clinical & Translational Investigation and the Training Program in Translational Research for Advanced Doctoral Students programs.