Patrick Dolan
About Patrick Dolan
Patrick Dolan is an Earl Stadtman Tenure Track Investigator at the National Institutes of Health, where he leads the Quantitative Virology and Evolution Unit. He has extensive experience in virology and computational biology, having held various academic positions at institutions such as Stanford University and the University of California, San Francisco.
Current Position at National Institutes of Health
Patrick Dolan serves as an Earl Stadtman Tenure-Track Investigator at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 2021. He leads the Quantitative Virology and Evolution Unit, where he focuses on integrating computational and experimental approaches to study virus evolution. His work contributes to advancing the understanding of viral mechanisms and their implications for public health.
Previous Experience in Academia
Prior to his current role, Dolan held several academic positions. He was a Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of California, San Francisco from 2014 to 2019 and later served as an NIH K99/R00 Postdoctoral Fellow from 2019 to 2021. He also worked as a Guest Instructor at San Francisco State University in 2015, teaching a course on R Statistical Computing for Beginners. Additionally, he spent time as a Postdoctoral Scholar at Stanford University from 2014 to 2020.
Educational Background and Expertise
Dolan earned his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences with a focus on Virology and Systems Biology from Purdue University, where he studied from 2007 to 2014. He completed his undergraduate studies in Microbiology, Virology, and Molecular Genetics at Michigan State University, obtaining a B.S. from 2003 to 2007. His academic training has equipped him with expertise in RNAseq analysis, transcriptome analysis, and network biology, which he applies in his research on virology and computational biology.
Research Contributions and Focus Areas
Dolan specializes in network biology and its applications in virology and computational biology. His research emphasizes understanding virus infection and disease through advanced analytical techniques. His work at NIH involves leading efforts to combine computational models with experimental data to explore the evolution of viruses, contributing to the broader field of infectious disease research.
Early Research Experience
Dolan began his research career as an Undergraduate Research Assistant at Penn State University in the Murakami Laboratory from 2003 to 2004. He continued to gain experience at Michigan State University in the Zheng Laboratory from 2006 to 2007. Additionally, he worked as a Cooperative Education Student at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in 2005. These early roles provided foundational skills in microbiology and molecular genetics.