Michael Cummings
Professor
Contact
Email: mike@umiacs.umd.edu
Office Phone: 301.405.9903
Fax: 301.314.1341
Office Address: 3121 Biomolecular Sciences Building
URL:
http://molevol.umiacs.umd.edu/
http://www.molecularevolution.org/
Teaching
Contact
Email: mike@umiacs.umd.edu
Office Phone: 301.405.9903
Fax: 301.314.1341
Office Address: 3121 Biomolecular Sciences Building
URL:
http://molevol.umiacs.umd.edu/
http://www.molecularevolution.org/
Teaching
- BSCI471 Molecular Evolution
- BIOL671 Molecular Evolution
- Bioinformatics and Genomics, CBMG688Y/BISI648A
- Workshop on Comparative Genomics
- Workshop on Molecular Evolution
Graduate Program Affiliations
Research Interests
Our research is in the areas of computational biology and molecular evolutionary genetics, and includes examination of patterns and processes of sequence evolution to understand molecular evolutionary mechanisms that bring about biological change. The basis for much of the research is comparative and includes several levels of biological organization. In addition to answering specific biological questions, a substantial portion of my research has focused on experimental design and data analysis methods. Some of this work has involved examination of the sampling properties of DNA sequence data for evolutionary inference, sampling of genetic diversity in relationship to conservation reserve design, comparison of maximum likelihood bootstrap and Bayesian posterior probability values, hypothesis testing using tree-based statistical models, and more recently genetic differentiation.
- BISI - BISI-Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, & Genomics (CBBG)
- BISI - BISI-Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, & Systematics (BEES)
Research Interests
Our research is in the areas of computational biology and molecular evolutionary genetics, and includes examination of patterns and processes of sequence evolution to understand molecular evolutionary mechanisms that bring about biological change. The basis for much of the research is comparative and includes several levels of biological organization. In addition to answering specific biological questions, a substantial portion of my research has focused on experimental design and data analysis methods. Some of this work has involved examination of the sampling properties of DNA sequence data for evolutionary inference, sampling of genetic diversity in relationship to conservation reserve design, comparison of maximum likelihood bootstrap and Bayesian posterior probability values, hypothesis testing using tree-based statistical models, and more recently genetic differentiation.
Recent Publications
Education
Ph.D., Harvard University, 1992. Molecular evolution, bioinformatics, computational biology.
- Cummings, M. P., and G. G. Temple. 2010. Broader incorporation of bioinformatics in education: opportunities and challenges. Briefings in Bioinformatics.
- Reyna-Fabian, M. E., J. P. Laclette, M. P. Cummings, and M. Garcia-Varela. 2010. Validating the systematic position of Plationus Segers, Murugan & Dumont, 1993 (Rotifera: Brachionidae) using sequences of the large subunit of the nuclear ribosomal DNA and of cytochrome C oxidase. Hydrobiologia. 644:361-370.
- Zwick, A., J. C. Regier, C. Mitter and M. P. Cummings. 2010. Increased gene sampling yields robust support for higher-level clades within Bombycoidea (Lepidoptera). Systematic Entomology. (with URL )
- Roe, A. D., S. J. Weller, J. Baixeras-Almela, J. Brown, M. P. Cummings, D. Davis, M. Horak, A. Kawahara, C. Mitter, C. Parr, J. C. Regier, D. Rubinoff, T. J. Simonsen, N. Wahlberg and A. Zwick. 2010. Evolutionary framework for Lepidoptera model systems. Pages 1-24. In Goldsmith, M., and F. Marec (Eds.) Genetics and Molecular Biology of Lepidoptera. Taylor and Francis. Boca Raton.
- Regier, J. C., A. Zwick, M. P. Cummings, A. Y. Kawahara, S. Cho, S. Weller, A. Roe, J. Baixeras, J. W. Brown, C. Parr, D. R. Davis, M. Epstein, W. Hallwachs, A. Hausmann, D. H. Janzen, I. J. Kitching, M. A. Solis, S.-H. Yen, A. L. Bazinet and C. Mitter. 2009. Toward reconstructing the evolution of advanced moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera: Ditrysia): an initial molecular study. BMC Evolutionary Biology 9:280.
- Takala, S. K., D. Coulibaly, M. A. Thera, A. H. Batchelor, M. P. Cummings, A. A. Escalante, A. Ouattara, K. Traoré, A. Niangaly, A. A. Djimdé, O. K. Doumbo and C. V. Plowe. 2009. Extreme polymorphism in a vaccine antigen and risk of clinical malaria: implications for vaccine development. Science Translational Medicine 1:2ra5.
- Bazinet, A. L., and M. P. Cummings. 2009. The Lattice Project: a Grid research and production environment combining multiple Grid computing models. Pages 2-13. In Weber, M. H. W. (Ed.) Distributed & Grid Computing - Science Made Transparent for Everyone. Principles, Applications and Supporting Communities. Rechenkraft.net, Marburg.
- Kohlsdorf, T., M. P. Cummings, V. J. Lynch, G. F. Stopper, K. Takahashi and G. P. Wagner. 2008. A molecular footprint of limb loss: sequence variation of the autopodial identity gene Hoxa-13. Journal of Molecular Evolution67:581-593.
- Regier, J. C., J. W. Shultz, A. Ganley, A. Hussesy, D. Shi, B. Ball, J. Stajich, M. P. Cummings, J. W. Martin and C. W. Cunningham. 2008. Deep-level arthropod phylogeny resolved: a multigenic investigation into the effects of data partitioning and exclusion. Systematic Biology 57:920-938.
- Cummings, M. P., M. C. Neel and K. L. Shaw. 2008. A genealogical approach to quantifying lineage divergence.Evolution 62:2411-2422.
- Myers, D. S., A. L. Bazinet and M. P. Cummings. 2008. Expanding the reach of Grid computing: combining Globus- and BOINC-based systems. Pages 71-85. In Talbi, E.-G. and A. Zomaya (Eds.) Grids for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Wiley Book Series on Parallel and Distributed Computing. John Wiley & Sons, New York.
- Grand, J., M. P. Cummings, A. G. Rebelo, T. H. Ricketts, and M. C. Neel. 2007. Biased data reduce efficiency and effectiveness of conservation reserve networks. Ecology Letters 10:364-374.
- Bazinet, A. L., D. S. Myers, J. Fuetsch and M. P. Cummings. 2007. Grid Services Base Library: a high-level, procedural application program interface for writing Globus-based Grid services. Future Generation Computer Systems 23:517-522.
- Lee, S., T. D. Wang, N. Hashmi and M. P. Cummings. 2007. Bio-STEER: a Semantic Web workflow tool for Grid computing in the life sciences. Future Generation Computer Systems 23:497-509.
Education
Ph.D., Harvard University, 1992. Molecular evolution, bioinformatics, computational biology.