William Gelbart
Professor
Molecular and Cellular Biology
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

William M. Gelbart obtained his Ph.D. in Genetics, University of Wisconsin, 1971. He has been on the faculty of Harvard University since 1976 and is currently Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences of Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His major research contributions have been in the areas of gene and genome structure, developmental genetics (in particular understanding the role of intercellular signalling in building complex biological pattern) and in bioinformatics and computational biology. He has also made major contributions to the worldwide distribution of scientific information through his role as Principal Investigator for the FlyBase genome database of the major experimental model, the fruit fly Drosophila and as co-Principal Investigator on the VectorBase database project for genomic information on insect vectors of disease such as the mosquitoes that carry malaria, yellow fever and dengue fever. As an educator, Dr. Gelbart has taught in a variety of life science courses at the undergraduate and graduate level, with a particular focus on genetics and genomics. He has also co-authored a series of genetics and genomics textbooks in collaboration with others, most notably Anthony Griffiths and David Suzuki of the University of British Columbia. Dr. Gelbart has a long history of advisory roles related to large-scale DNA sequencing, genome analysis and bioinformatics for the U.S. National Human Genome Research Institute. Finally, in recent years, he has been actively involved in the evaluation of large-scale genome projects for Genome Canada.

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