Building Bioinformatics Capability: Support, Training and Mentorship
Bioinformatics is now integral to research, yet many researchers face challenges accessing the expertise, training, and resources needed to fully leverage their data. This presentation will explore how integrated support, practical training, and mentoring can help build bioinformatics capability across the research community.
I will discuss approaches to supporting researchers throughout the research lifecycle, from experimental design and data analysis to interpretation and publication. I will also highlight the importance of developing analytical thinking alongside technical skills and introduce a new mentoring initiative that bridges the gap between training and self-learning to strengthen research outcomes and create a more capable and confident bioinformatics community.
Bio
Nicholas Matigian is a bioinformatician with a distinctive career bridging experimental molecular biology and computational data science. Originally trained as a molecular biologist, he transitioned into bioinformatics early in his career when, he independently taught himself microarray data analysis. This experience ignited a lasting passion for extracting biological insight from complex datasets.
Nicholas’s early research centred on developing alternative tissue models for neurological and psychiatric disorders. This led to a role at Griffith University’s National Centre for Adult Stem Cell Research, where he contributed to studies investigating cellular models of Parkinson’s disease, motor neuron disorders, and schizophrenia. In this role, he was involved in both generating experimental data and applying computational approaches to analyse and interpret results. This developed his analytical skillset and “his journey towards the bioinformatics side was complete”
Nicholas further developed his expertise as a Data Analyst within the Diamantina Institute’s Biostatistics Facility, where he supported a diverse range of biomedical research projects. His work spanned study design, statistical modelling, and the integration of high-dimensional omics data, helping researchers translate data into meaningful biological and clinical findings.
Since joining QCIF Bioinformatics in 2018, Nicholas has played a key role in advancing collaborative bioinformatics support across partner institutions in Australia and now serves as Head of QCIF Bioinformatics. He leads a multidisciplinary team delivering expertise across genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, metagenomics, structural bioinformatics and single-cell and spatial transcriptomics analyses.
A strong advocate for capability building, Nicholas is committed to mentoring and training the next generation of bioinformaticians.
