Mark Rieder, Ph.D. '91
Research Assistant Professor
Position Description:
Research Scientist in human genomics. My primary role is the management of
a large scale DNA sequencing laboratory. I supervise several postdoctoral, computer and laboratory research scientists.
Necessary education or experience:
Biology, genetics, statistics and a Ph.D. in the biological sciences are necessary.
Key skills that are necessary to be successful in your position:
Understanding of genomics – the mixture of genetics and compuational biology; management ability and personnel evaluation; organizational skills; statistical methods necessary to carry out genetic studies; computer programming ability; and technical expertise needed to deal with laboratory
robotic systems and laboratory information management systems (LIMS).
A description of your path to your current position:
I began with a B.S. in biomedical engineering. Following that
I entered the Ph.D. program at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) and
earned a Ph.D. in physiology (cardiovascular emphasis). It was
there that I learned about the biological sciences from the genetic/molecular
aspects to whole organism functions. I chose my postdoctoral fellowship in
Genome Sciences at the University of Washington, because it was a blending of
my quantitative skills developed in my undergraduate studies and the knowledge
I gained in the biologic sciences during my Ph.D. After my postdoc, I took a
position as a research assistant professor. This position primarily involves
interacting with collaborating scientists in epidemiology, human genetics,
medicine (basic clinical science) and computational biologists. In addition,
my work is focused on aspects of the human genome project related to the genetic
variability in humans and how that relates to common disease.
Good (and bad) aspects of your current position:
The good aspects of the job include the opportunity to work with a variety of
scientists from my different disciplines. Also in our laboratory we do “large-scale”
sequencing, which has many technical aspects, involving the instrumentation needed to
generate the data, and laboratory databases that track all the work being done.
The bad aspects of the job would include having to deal with personnel issues and other
administrative paperwork.
What do you enjoy about your current position?
Everyday we get to ask new questions about the data we are generating or get to
work with other scientists who are trying to understand the link between disease,
genetics and environment. These are questions that will take years to answer,
but we get to see the first glimpse of the answers.
On MSOE and Biomedical Engineering
Do you think a degree in BE is a good choice?
Yes, my engineering education provided a great foundation on which to build my
academic career in the biological sciences. It provided quantitative and technical
skills I still use everyday in my job.
Do you think MSOE is a good choice of colleges?
Yes, MSOE provided small class sizes and professors that were interested in your
education and success. It was great being located in downtown Milwaukee, where
there always was something to do on the lakefront.
Why did you choose MSOE's BE program?
At the time (1987) it was only one of a few accredited undergraduate BE programs.
The only other nearby competitor was Marquette and MSOE provided a better financial
aid package. BE was an attractive major because it blended the quantitative aspects
of engineering with the biological sciences.
What did you like about the BE program?
It was a very small program at the time (12 students graduated in 1991) and very
focused with lots of individual attention (and hard work!)
| For information about MSOE's B.S. in Biomedical Engineering program, contact interim program director Dr. Charles Tritt at (414) 277-7421. |