Scientist Appointed to Lead TGAC’s Genome Research Facilities

Dr Daniel Swan joins The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC) as Head of Platforms & Pipelines group to lead the research Institute’s suite of advanced genome analysis facilities.

Delivering the National Capability in Genomics, working with external researchers in academia, as well as supporting TGAC’s Science Faculty, the Institute’s Platforms &Pipelines Group (P&P) combine the application of multiple sequencing technology platforms for high throughput sequencing and whole genome mapping to deliver excellent quality genomic data analysis.

Daniel, who has been appointed to lead the P&P Group, has worked in genomics for over twenty years, seeing DNA sequencing evolve first-hand from radioactive gels to high-throughput NGS technologies. 

Originally trained as a Vertebrate Developmental Biologist at Imperial College London and Edinburgh University (UK), he transitioned into bioinformatics in 2001 with a post at Barts and the London Genome Centre (UK) working on draft human genome data to support studies of complex human disorders. 

Daniel then moved to the NERC (Natural Environment Research Council) Environmental Bioinformatics Centre supporting standards development and data analysis for environmental genomics, prior to running the Bioinformatics core facility at Newcastle University. 

After moving on from NERC in 2011, he was Head of NGS Analysis at Oxford Gene Technology (UK), developing a portfolio of NGS products and services for academic, commercial and clinical research customers.

On his appointment at TGAC, Daniel, said: “There's a number of aspects that I'm really excited about, but I'm especially pleased to be coming back to an Institute with such a clear open data, open science policy - I genuinely believe that this is the one of the most important considerations for productive scientific enquiry.”

“I'm also looking forward to transferring to TGAC what I have learned in four years of delivering sequencing projects in a commercial environment. Reacquainting myself with non-human organisms, having previously worked in environmental genomics, is going to be an exciting part of the challenge.”

Sarah Cossey, Director of Operations at TGAC, added: “I am delighted that Daniel has been appointed as the Head of the Platforms and Pipelines Group and I am looking forward to working with him to realise TGAC’s vision and continue to build our Institute as a world renowned centre for genomics and computational biology.”